City Climate Corner

The negative impacts of the fossil-fuel based energy system and policies have disproportionately harmed and burdened low-income and BIPOC communities. As we transition to a clean energy economy, how do we make sure that what we put in place is equitable and just? We interview Michelle Vigen Ralston, Principal and Founder at Common Spark Consulting, about the work her team does with cities, counties, advocates, and other organizations to facilitate the creation of equitable energy policy.ResourcesCommon Spark websiteTrainings mentionedJemez principles

YoGo BikeShare is launching a new 100% e-bike micro-mobility platform in Youngstown, a city of about 60,000 in population. We interview YoGo President Ronnel Elkins and VP of Operations Corey Patrick, and learn about their vision, the obstacles they've faced, and how the service will address the first and last mile problem of public transportation.Resources:YoGo websiteBikeshare in Youngstown gets rolling - article in The Vindicator‘These are your bikes:' City celebrates start of YoGo Bikeshare in Youngstown article in Mahoning Matters

There's a heat pump revolution happening in Maine. Already over 100,000 of the 600,000 homes in Maine have heat pumps, and their plan is to be over 300,000 by 2027. One out of every 14 heat pumps in the U.S. is going to Maine, though it is only 0.42% of the US's population. We talk to Andy Meyer, Senior Program Manager at Efficiency Maine, to learn how they've done it, and how it's saving Maine residents a lot of money, even in a cold-weather climate.ResourceEfficiency Maine website

Lincoln Nebraska may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of climate action, but maybe it should be. We interview Kim Morrow, Chief Sustainability Officer for Lincoln, about some exciting city programs, including EV infrastructure, an innovative approach to Rental Rehabilitation using Tax Increment Financing (TIF), heat pump rebates, and biochar as well as their efforts on the EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants.  ResourcesResilient Lincoln web page (Resilient Lincoln is the name of the Mayor's priority initiative that involves implementing the Climate Action Plan)Lincoln's Vision for a Climate-Smart Future (this is the background study behind the Climate Action Plan)Climate Action PlanEV Readiness PlanPress release regarding the Rental Rehabilitation ProgramHeat pump incentive programPress release announcing the programHeat pump incentive program web pageLincoln Electric System Sustainable Energy ProgramLincoln Biochar InitiativeLocal Food Plan

There's a lot of exciting things happening in the world of geothermal power. We explore geothermal in general and examine a novel approach leveraging groundwater to substantially reduce the footprint needed. We interview Darcy Solutions CTO Dan King about how their technology is being used by some cities to provide carbon free heating and cooling.Resources:Darcy Solutions websiteWater Well Journal explanatory article

Abby, Larry, and Isaiah review 2023 and talk about what's coming in 2024.

On the shores of Lake Superior, Duluth has received publicity as a "climate proof city" though faces distinct challenges with its cold weather climate. With grants, they are pursuing exciting approaches to creating a geothermal district heating system from their waste water treatment plant and separately, creating resilience in their building stock with solar plus storage and microgrids. We interview Sustainability Officer Mindy Branley,  Community Resilience Project Coordinator Bret Crecelius, and Americorps service member Ella Stewart about Duluth's unique 5-year at a time approach to climate planning.ResourcesDuluth Climate Action Work PlanGrant for geothermal district heatingRenewables Advancing Community Energy Resilience (RACER) Funding ProgramDuluth Sustainability webpage

Groundswell's exciting SOUL (Save On Utilities Long term) program is rolling out right now in LaGrange, GA. SOUL is a Pay As You Save model that reduces utility bills by improving home energy efficiency, without upfront costs. It prioritizes households with lower incomes and high energy burdens. We interview Nicole Sonderegger of Groundswell and Leon Childs of Groundswell and a City Councilmember in LaGrange about how the program works and the lives it is changing.ResourcesGroundswell SOUL program websiteLaGrange SOUL programCity of LaGrange website

Morris is a small community in conservative western Minnesota that is doing groundbreaking sustainability work. Inspired by students at the University of MN Morris and a partnership with Saerbeck Germany as part of a unique "Climate Smart Municipalities" program, local leaders have come up with "The Morris Model" that guides the community's efforts. We interview former City Manager Blaine Hill and Univ. of MN - Morris Vice Chancellor Bryan Hermann to learn how the Morris Model started and about ongoing solar, wind, biogas, battery storage, composting, and EV infrastructure programs.ResourcesThe Morris ModelSustainability at University of Minnesota MorrisSaerbeck Germany City Climate Corner episodeClimate Smart Municipalities program at the University of MN's Institute on the EnvironmentFlow Battery proposal mentioned in episodeVolts podcast episode where Larry is interviewed about MN's new climate smart transportation law (mentioned in intro)

Regenerative Agriculture can improve soil health and water quality, sequester carbon, and increase farmer profits. It has become a key part of Boulder County's climate action. We interview Natural Capitalism Solutions President Hunter Lovins to understand regenerative agriculture's potential, and Boulder County Sustainability Office Director Susie Strife and Sustainability Strategist Tim Broderick to learn about some of the exciting actions underway in the county.ResourcesOSCAR - Boulder County Office of SustainabilityNatural Capitalism Solutions - websiteBoulder County Carbon Removal PlaybookSustainable Food & Agriculture Fund - Grant ProgramSustainable Food & Agriculture Fund - GranteesArticle: CO expands regenerative ag program started in Boulder countyGabe Brown and 5 principles of soil healthColorado's STAR program on soil health4 Corners Carbon CoalitionMushroom bricks / concrete

Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) empowers local elected officials and civic leaders to fight the climate crisis, with a special focus on lawmakers who are veterans. With leaders from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, EOPA is an organizing force for local officials to increase their impact in their own communities as well as on regional and national issues. We interview co-founders Alex Cornell du Houx, and Dominic Frongillo about their programs and some of their work, including banning fracking in NY, supporting offshore wind, and fighting for environmental justice. EOPA is also City Climate Corner's fiscal sponsor.ResourcesEOPA websiteEOPA's Certificate of Public Leadership Program - ApplicationForm to join EOPA as an elected officialMentioned during intro and debriefLarry's Op-Ed in the Minnesota Star TribuneCity Climate Corner episode with Max Gruenig - on running for office as a climate candidate

Larry recently visited Saerbeck, a village in northwest Germany that has done incredible things with renewable energy, biogas, and now green hydrogen. We interview Martin Sammler, Manager of Saerbeck's Climate Action Department, about how this village of 7200 people is producing 4 times the energy it needs with renewables, is planning to decarbonize its heating system by 2030, and is becoming a proving ground for the production of green hydrogen and electrolyzers.ResourcesSaerbeck - climate projects backgrounder (English)Saerbeck website (in German)Climate Community SaerbeckEnapter's Saerbeck electrolyzer production facility - Article

With this summer of one climate disaster after another, Abby and Larry talk about how they deal with the depressing parts of climate change, and especially, what gives them hope.

More and more we're learning that protected bike lanes with physical separation from car traffic are the best at changing behavior and getting a lot more people to cycle. But they can be time consuming to construct. We interview Bike Program Coordinator Kyle Kozar, Mobility Manager Jason Kligier, and Principal Civil Engineer Selim Eren, from the City of Santa Monica, about their efforts creating bike infrastructure, and an innovative use of a construction machine to, effectively, 3D print protected bike lanes.ResourcesBike Action Plan Amendment3D bike lane printing in action (Twitter video)Protected intersection in Santa Monica (photo)City of Santa Monica Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Though Hopkins is one of the smaller Minneapolis suburbs, it packs a big punch on climate action. We dig into two really innovative programs they're doing on reducing the urban heat island effect and speeding deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency solutions with a cost share program. We speak with Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon and Special Projects and Initiatives Manager, PeggySue Imihy Bean, to understand how this small community is taking on big challenges.ResourcesHopkins Heat VulnerabilityStory map - DEFINITELY look at this!Webpage and background information on studyStar Tribune 5/11/23 article on Hopkins urban heat island programCost Share programs mentioned (Hopkins program is not live yet)Green Cost Share program (Minneapolis)Climate Champions (St Louis Park)

Transportation is now the #1 source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US. While electrification is the most obvious emissions reduction strategy, it isn't enough. We must reduce VMT, or vehicle miles travelled. We interview Anna Zetkulic, senior associate on the Carbon Free Transportation team at RMI and Miguel Moravec, an Associate with the US program, about how cities and states are tackling the issue, and the huge side benefits that come with VMT reduction.ResourcesArticle: Our Driving Habits Must Be Part of the Climate ConversationAnalysis: Minnesotans Would Save up to $91 Billion from Climate-Smart TransportationBuffalo NY: Green codeColorado's Greenhouse Gas programTHE HIDDEN CLIMATE SUCCESS IN MINNESOTA'S NEW TRANSPORTATION LAWAmerica Is All In

Minnesota recently finished a state legislative session for the ages. Democratic control of state government for the first time in a decade, combined with a historic budget surplus, led to the adoption of transformative investments and policies in most every area of government. We dig into new climate policies that especially impact MN cities. Abby interviews co-host and first-term State Representative Larry Kraft about the recently completed session and gets a run down of some of the key new climate policies that were passed into law.ResourcesGov Walz signs bill on 100% Clean Energy by 2040Passed MN Climate, Energy, & Environment budget bill Passed MN Transportation budget billObama praises MN accomplishmentsLarry's speech on the House floor about the Energy & Environment budget bill

In 2015 St. Cloud MN set a goal to get 75% of municipal operations electricity from renewable energy by 2035. Only five years later in 2020, emanating from work at their wastewater facility, they actually hit 100%. We interview Public Services Director Tracy Hodel and Public Service Analyst Liz Kramer about how St. Cloud smashed their initial goal and how their new goal of net zero community-wide greenhouse emissions by 2038 is spurring dramatic and job-creating innovation, including with green hydrogen!ResourcesPlant Profile: Greater Innovation, Improvement and Excellence in St. CloudCity Wastewater Treatment Facility - Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency project summary2038 goal storyGreen Hydrogen story

We revisit Ann Arbor, Michigan and their dynamic Sustainability & Innovations Director Missy Stults, to check in on their audacious plan to reach net zero by 2030. They are pushing the envelope in so many ways, from their taxpayers approving $7M per year for climate action, to being on the verge of setting up a new Sustainable Energy Utility, to re-thinking how heating will be provided, and more. ResourcesAnn Arbor millage taxSustainable Energy Utility - video overviewSustainable Heating Franchise - project overviewAnn Arbor A2Zero home pageJuly 2021 City Climate Corner episodeCity Climate Corner Bloomberg Cities top 10 

We're back to Boise Idaho to hear about the nation's largest geothermal energy system and the big role it plays in heating the city. We again interview Director of Public Works, Steve Burgos, and Communications Manager Natalie Monro, this time to learn the long history of geothermal heat in Boise as well as how it's working today, and what's next.ResourcesBoise Geothermal webpageNational Renewable Energy Laboratory geothermal resourcesWhat's going on with geothermal (industry update) - Volts podcast episode

In December 2020 Santa Fe County adopted a resolution to conserve 30% of its land and water by 2030. We interview County Sustainability Manager Jacqueline Beam to understand how the resolution happened, what it means, and how it's being implemented. Plus, we even learn the role beavers are playing!ResourcesSanta Fe County Sustainability webpageResolution adopting 30 X 30 goalInfographic status reports from 2022 and 2021

Abby and Larry review some of their highlights from the year's episodes and share some big news about the podcast.

As Boise is in the high desert, water is increasingly a precious resource. In 2021 Boise voters approved a 20-year $570M bond for water renewal, including a major focus on recycling wastewater. We interview Director of Public Works, Steve Burgos, and Communications Manager Natalie Monro, about how the bond referendum was approved, and how they have engaged the public to generate acceptance for keeping water local.ResourcesCity of Boise Climate Action RoadmapTV spot and article: City of Boise partners with local breweries to make beer from recycled waterArticle: Boise voters overwhelmingly pass sewer bondWords on Water podcast: Haley Falconer on Sustainability in BoiseStruvite production from Water Renewal Process

Solar energy's direct benefits are well known. But Bob Blake, CEO of solar installation company Solar Bear, and Executive Director of Native Sun Community Power Development, has a much more expansive vision for the Red Lake Nation and other tribal nations. In our interview with Bob, we learn how he's using solar to reduce energy burden, do workforce development, and address poverty on tribal lands, in addition to contributing to a more resilient energy system.Resources:Solar Bear websiteNative Sun Community Power Development websiteRed Lake Solar Project: Aspiring to energy sovereignty (video and article from Clean Energy Economy, MN)MN House of Representatives - HF 1647 bill (mentioned during interview)

Beautiful urban forest -- abundant green spaces -- easy to get around without a car -- and a commitment to climate protection. Freiburg seems to have it all. We interview Freiburg City Council Member Sophie Schwer and learn how Freiburg does it, and how over the past 40 years car use has been cut almost in half, and bike use has more than doubled. This is our last Europe episode from Abby's summer trip - we saved Abby's favorite for last!ResourcesFreiburg Sustainability MapVauban DistrictDietenbach - yet to be built eco-districtSustainability in Freiburg booklet (in German - but some easy to understand graphics)Freiburg sustainability reports (some of older ones in English)

** The Inflation Reduction Act is a monumental and transformative piece of legislation. For the first time the federal government has passed a law that "meets the moment" and puts us within striking distance of reaching critical climate goals. We interview Dr. Pete Wyckoff, Sr. Policy Advisor for Climate Energy and the Environment in the Office of Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, one of the key legislative leaders on climate policy, to learn about how this legislation happened, and what's in it for cities.** - Our apologies as there was an audio processing error in the initial recording we released. It is corrected in this version.ResourcesNational League of Cities information on IRANational Association of Counties Legislative Analysis of the IRABlueGreen Alliance: A User Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act

Heidelberg is nearing completion of the Bahnstadt, one of the world's largest carbon neutral districts. Built on a former brownfield site, this development includes passive-house construction, a combined heat and power station with district heating, green infrastructure to reduce the risk of flooding, access to transit, biking and walking paths, and more. We interview Wiebke Grosskopf, from the Heidelberg Office of Environmental Protection, to learn how the Bahnstadt works and what's next in its development.ResourcesBahnstadt backgroundCase study: How Heidelberg built one of the world's largest carbon-neutral districtsHeidelberg website

Will rooftop solar be the cornerstone of a modern clean energy system? We interview Anya Schoolman, executive director of Solar United Neighbors and learn how this growing organization is helping neighborhoods go solar around the country, and how this is transforming our energy system.ResourcesSolar United Neighbors websiteSolar resource guides, educational tools, and issuesAllegheny Solar Fest (mentioned in episode)

Rotterdam, and The Netherlands in general, have a long history of fighting water. But how are they adapting to climate change where they can have both too much and too little water? We interview Johan Verlinde, Program Manager for Rotterdam's Climate Adaptation Plan about their efforts to make Rotterdam climate proof by 2030. This is an episode coming from Abby's summer trip touring sustainability infrastructure in several European cities.ResourcesRotterdam Climate Adaptation ProgramArticle on drought threatening Dutch homes built on wooden polesBenthemplein Water SquareIn action - Instagram video 1 (look how happy Abby is that it's raining)In action - Instagram video 2In action - Instagram video 3In action - Instagram video 4In action - Instagram video 5Sponge GardenSparta Stadium and underground water storageZOHO rain barrels and gardenMiscellaneous photos from Abby's time in Rotterdam

How do you make sure your city's zoning isn't unintentionally slowing down residential solar and ideally encouraging equitable solar development? And for communities with farmland or less developed areas, how do you proactively guide larger scale solar  to maximize benefits to the community? We interview Brian Ross, Vice President of Renewable Energy at the Great Plains Institute, and learn about these and many more solar related zoning and permitting issues.ResourcesGreat Plains Institute (GPI) websiteGPI Model Solar OrdinancesArticle on Minneapolis training program including solarBloomberg article on Menlo Park & Bloc Power Local article on Ithaca's relationship with Bloc Power

Building off of Abby's recent sustainability tour of several European cities, we interview Holger Robrecht, Deputy Regional Director of Sustainable Resources, Climate and Resilience for ICLEI Europe. We learn some similarities and differences to how European cities pursue climate action and sustainability, hear about a terrific success around wood building construction, and get some powerful insight for cities everywhere.ICLEI Europe - websiteOvershoot day (discussed in episode)Växjö - Europe's First Modern Wooden City - articleVäxjö - Info from Swedish Forest Industries website

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right? Well, maybe there is in solar. Cities participating in the free Solsmart program have been shown to have almost 20% more solar installations than cities that don't. We interview Theresa Perry, Solsmart Program Director at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) about some of the hidden and soft costs around solar deployments and how Solsmart helps cities address them and make solar easier. ResourcesSolsmart websiteSolsmart case study and analysisIREC website

Driven by community members, in 2020 Flagstaff declared a climate emergency and adopted an aggressive goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. We interview Flagstaff Climate Analyst Ramon DC Alatorre and learn how that goal led the city to identify carbon removal as a necessity and about their first "concrete" steps to implement a carbon removal program.ResourcesFlagstaff Carbon Neutrality Plan website and the plan itself"Carbon Dioxide Removal" - Presentation to Flagstaff City Council - Ramon Alatorre, 5/11/21Flagstaff Climate Program - websiteGrist article: Why Boulder County and Flagstaff are enlisting cities to suck carbon out of the atmosphereOpenAir Carbon Removal Collective - website

You wouldn't expect a clean energy revolution to be emanating from a small county in northeastern Iowa. Yet, Winneshiek County has something like 10X the solar per capita deployments compared to the rest of Iowa, has one of the first green banks in the midwest, and has become a model for about ten other counties. We interview Andy Johnson, Director of the Winneshiek Energy District, and learn why they've been so successful and their vision for how to scale their success.ResourcesWinneshiek Energy District websiteGreenpenny.com bankOneota Tag Carbon Offsets Energy District Geography of Change - the Energy District model and opportunity

We're on a mid-summer break, and are re-releasing the Tempe AZ episode from a few months ago, in recognition of the extreme heat being seen in many parts of the US. We'll be back with new content next week.Extreme heat is now commonplace in Tempe, with 100 days per year over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 days a year over 110. And those numbers are increasing. We interview Dr. Braden Kay, Tempe's Director of Sustainability, to learn how Tempe's is adapting while trying to change its built environment to reduce the urban heat island effect.ResourcesClimate Action PlanClimate Action Plan Update2020 Sustainability and Resilience Annual ReportEnVision TempeSustainable Tempe websiteNPR report on Tempe resilience hubs

Having met their initial goal of 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (from a 2005 baseline), officials in Fort Collins, Colorado, realized they needed to do something transformational to hit their next goal of 80% reduction by 2030. We interview Energy Services Manager John Phelan and Climate Program Manager Honoré Depew from the City of Fort Collins about how they are implementing their new people centered approach to climate action.ResourcesFort Collins Climate Action webpageCommunity Consultant Project DescriptionsClimate Action DashboardCommunity Carbon Inventory

How would you run for local office on a climate platform? We interview Max Gruenig, co-founder of Climate Candidates, about their program that provides knowledge, insights, and a peer support group for climate champions running for local and state office.ResourcesClimate Candidates websitePOCACITO website

Larry interviews Abby about her trip to Europe that is happening as the episode releases. We talk about what she hopes to learn from visits with officials in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Bremen, Heidelberg, and Freiburg in Germany, and Barcelona in Spain.RotterdamClimate Proof NeighborhoodBenthemplein: the largest water square in the world, and other sites around the Zoho neighborhoodZoHo rain garden: Functional gathering space that collects and reuses rain waterFloating Bridge: 400m floating pedestrian bridgeDakAkker: Rooftop farm and water management systemSponge Garden: Rain garden and green space designed to capture and reuse waterBremenBike CityBike Share: the city's bike share programCity Center Bike Tour: Recommended tour on city websiteBicycle Zone - Neustadt District: 12-block zone in the city that prioritizes cyclingHeidelbergCarbon Neutral DistrictBahnstadt District: World's largest passive house settlementKindergarten Schwetzinger Terasse: Net-zero kindergartenFreiburgCity of the FutureVauban: example of one of the most sustainable neighborhoods in the worldModel projects: the city has a map of various sustainability projects around the city, I will go to as many as I canBarcelonaDavid Roberts Vox article: Super BlocksSuperblocks and other sustainable neighborhood demonstrations 

Though near the Bay Area, Contra Costa County has very different political dynamics when it comes to climate change. And yet a group of organizations are collaborating to get climate action language into cities' general plans and even getting climate emergency resolutions adopted. We interview Lynda Deschambault, President and Co-founder of Contra Costa County Climate Leaders and Zoe Siegel, Sr. Director of Climate Resilience at Greenbelt Alliance, about their approach and specifically how they're using Sustainable, Mixed-use, Affordable, Resilient, and Transportation-friendly (SMART) housing to make progress.ResourcesContra Costa County Leaders website (LOTS of resources)Greenbelt Alliance websiteThe Resilience Playbook - from GreenbeltContra Costa County Climate Emergency Resolution and Announcement

The Quinault Nation is on the front line of impacts from climate change, having experienced a dramatic drop in their blueback salmon fishery, as well as rising sea levels forcing the relocation of one of their two main villages. We interview Fawn Sharp, the Vice-President and former President of the Quinault Nation in Taholah Washington, and the 23rd President of The National Congress of American Indians. We hear her story of how local impacts have driven her to lead state, national, and international action on climate change.ResourcesQuinault Nation websiteTaholah Village Relocation Master PlanNational Congress of American Indians (NCAI) websiteNCAI Climate Action Task ForceWashington Climate Commitment Act

What are microgrids and how can they save money, reduce air pollution and provide carbon-free power and backup power? We interview Rachel DiFranco, Fremont's Sustainability Manager about the trail they blazed five years ago when they installed microgrids on three fire stations. And we're joined by Menlo Park Council Member Cecilia Taylor and Menlo Spark Executive Director Diane Bailey, to talk about how they are integrating a microgrid into the rebuild of a Menlo Park community center.ResourcesFremont Sustainability pageCA.gov info on Fremont Microgrid projectMicrogridKnowledge.com articleGridscape websiteWebinar done by Fremont and GridscapeFremont Green ChallengeMenlo Park main website page and climate action plan pageMenlo SparkNew community center breaks ground - articleCase studies, backgrounder, and slide deck on Fremont and Menlo Park

Extreme heat is now commonplace in Tempe, with 100 days per year over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 days a year over 110. And those numbers are increasing. We interview Dr. Braden Kay, Tempe's Director of Sustainability, to learn how Tempe's is adapting while trying to change its built environment to reduce the urban heat island effect.ResourcesClimate Action Plan Climate Action Plan Update2020 Sustainability and Resilience Annual ReportEnVision TempeSustainable Tempe websiteNPR report on Tempe resilience hubs

Climate change discussion is often filled with science, data, and graphs. But to move people, organizations, and governments to action requires emotional connections and empathy. It requires storytelling. We interview Jothsna Harris, founder of Change Narrative, who is dedicated to building capacity in the climate justice movement through the power of stories. ResourcesChange Narrative websiteChange Narrative on Instagram

In March, 2020, inspired by a small city in California, Honolulu sued 8 oil companies for their role in causing local climate change damages. A few months later Maui County did the same. We interview some of the key people involved to learn how it happened, why they did it, and what they expect to gain from it. Our guests are the former Mayor of Honolulu, Kirk Caldwell, Maui County Council Member Kelly Takaya King, and Alyssa Johl, Legal Director for the Center for Climate Integrity. ResourcesKEY UPDATE: Honolulu Scores A Win Against Big Oil In Climate Change Lawsuit and  Energy Cos. Can't Dodge Climate Claims In Hawaii State Court - are two articles, from 2/27/22 and 2/23/22, that report on a key ruling that is discussed in the episode, but hadn't yet happened.Center for Climate Integrity websiteClimate Liability Litigation - website and resourcesHonolulu sues petroleum companies articleMaui county sues - articleMaui Has Begun the Process of Managed Retreat. It Wants Big Oil to Pay the Cost of Sea Level RiseFederal ruling favors Maui county 

Keene NH, population 23K, has been leading on climate action for over two decades. While their first formal action was in 2000, they've since done a Climate Action Plan, Climate Adaptation Plan, and now a Sustainable Energy Plan. We interview Mayor George Hansel and Planner Mari Brunner, to learn about the powerful alliance of citizens, elected officials, and staff that has pushed Keene forward. ResourcesJan 2021 Sustainable Energy PlanWebpagePlan documentJan 2019 Resolution - led to the Sustainable Energy PlanKeene Energy WeekEnergy & Climate CommitteeKeene Sustainability webpageKeene Local Stories (including podcast like recordings - halfway down page)21 in 21 ProgramArticle in local paper about 21 in 212007 Climate Adaptation plan2004 Climate Action Plan

Columbia Missouri is a "One Stop Shop" city, with their own utilities in electricity, water, solid waste, stormwater, and sewer. We interview Office of Sustainability Manager Eric Hempel and explore how their electric utility is an integral part of Columbia's climate goals. We also learn about a Habitat for Humanity net zero home project that has had a wide-ranging impact. Plus, hear from Larry about 15+ MN cities declaring a climate emergency at the same time.ResourcesColumbia Office of SustainabilityColumbia - Getting Started with SolarColumbia Solar ProgramsHabitat for Humanity Net Zero home news article and info from Habitat10MW solar facility articleMN Climate Emergency campaign resourcesOne page overviewClimate emergency resolution templateRadio interview and two articles (one, two)

ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, has been helping local governments with climate action for three decades. Learn how they're evolving with some exciting new tools, cohorts, and programs. And hear how the Race to Zero is showing cities that it's possible to cut carbon emissions 60% in 8 years. We interview Executive Director Angie Fyfe, Sr. Program Officer Kale Roberts, and Zero Carbon Cities Advisor Josh Radoff.ResourcesICLEI USA websiteRace to Zero webpageRace to Zero white paperLEARN Forest and Trees Emissions Mapping ToolICLEI Atlas of Sustainability Action Planning

We review our first year of podcasts, including what we've learned, emerging themes, and our biggest takeaways.See out our episode map for a geographic view of our episodes. Support City Climate Corner on Patreon and check out our store.

On July 20, 2021, Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously to ban natural gas from all new construction in the city. A powerful partnership, encompassing grass roots activism, staff analysis, and city council support, led the way. We interview Council Member Kristen Sneddon, Acting Sustainability & Resilience Director Alelia Parenteau, and Sierra Club Santa Barbara Chair Katie Davis and learn how they did it.ResourcesCity of Santa Barbara information on natural gas ban (FAQ, electrification resources, webinar recording, more)Santa Barbara Natural Gas Ban OrdinanceSustainability Department webpageArticle from the Santa Barbara Independent newspaperMatter of Degrees podcast episode with more information on natural gas bans

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the oldest and largest organization in the country representing local governments and has been ramping up their climate change and sustainability support. We interview Cooper Martin, Director of Sustainability & City Solutions, about tools they have and especially about lessons learned from grants and support given to 33 smaller cities over five years in their Leadership in Community Resilience program.ResourcesNLC Sustainability and Resilience webpageNLC City Solutions webpageLeadership in Community Resilience program and cohort infoNLC SolSmart resourcesNLC and Reloop - Beyond Recycling: Policy to Achieve Circular Waste ManagementSmart Surfaces CoalitionAmerica's All InRace to ZeroCOP26 explanatory twitter thread (mentioned in episode)

Etna, a small suburb of Pittsburgh, became the country's first certified EcoDistrict in 2019. From a place that saw 25% of its homes flood in 2004, learn how collaboration within and between communities made it possible for Etna to green its infrastructure and undergo a grassroots revival. We interview Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage and Megan Tuñón, Executive Director of the Etna Community Organization.PhotosEtna Riverfront - before and afterEtna EcoPark - creationResourcesBorough of Etna websiteEtna Green Infrastructure projectsEtna EcoDistrict PlanEtna Community OrganizationTriboro EcoDistrict websiteRiver Bend Comprehensive Plan (for Etna, Sharpsburg, and Millvale)EcoDistricts - website for background informationevolveEA environmental consulting firm in PittsburghEtna EcoDistrict infoTriboro EcoDistrict info