Dear Climate Care Activists,

This is our New Year Newsletter. We're starting a new "tradition" of celebrating amazing collaborations for the year. It's sort of like local heroes, except it's more like "The Fantastic Four." We recognize it often takes folks working together to make a difference.

Speaking of doing things together - we've got some special news about VCCool in this issue. And of course heads-up for cool events - some happening VERY SOON.

Peace and Health,

-Rachel of VCCool
www.vccool.org

 

VCCool is Growing up

Well it finally happened, VCCool had a one-year anniversary and filed articles of incorporation. We have officially incorporated, and are slogging our way through the process of becoming a non-profit corporation. All I can say is "Akkkk!" Talk about growing pains - tax forms, board meetings, budgets. People, it's not the fun stuff.

Thank heavens we have some wonderful people to help us through this. Attorney Ron Harrington is our legal council, and will be there for us in case we have questions as we go forward. Catalina Solis, organizer extrordinair, is walking us through financial concepts and many, many other unfamiliar things. And Susan Seale of the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) has been getting us into as many non-profit workshops as we can handle. Thank you! So if VCCool sometimes goes underground in the next few months, just know we're working hard to make the transition, and we need your involvement as much now as we ever did.

Focus The Nation - in Ventura County

You might have been hearing about "Focus the Nation." It's a nation-wide teach-in, happening in schools, colleges, and universities across the country. The idea is to educate, inspire, and get everyone involved in slowing global warming.

There is a national webcast of the 2% Solution, which has been archived for internet viewing. There will also be educational events in the area January 31st, and even some next week.

Ventura College is hosting several events including a panel discussion on Thursday, January 31st, starting at 12:30, titled "How will climate change affect Ventura." Several local groups will be represented including VCCool.

Ventura Charter School student Alec Loorze of Kids-vs-Global Warming will do a slide presentation, Thursday, February 1st, 1:00 p.m. at De Anza Middle School cafeteria, to get kids "energized" about global warming.

Cohousing: Presented by Rick Cole

Thursday, January 31st
7:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church
5654 Ralston Street, Ventura, CA 93003
$5 - $10 suggested donation

So what is cohousing, also known as "CoHo?" Well that depends a lot on who is involved in the arrangement. But it has the potential to allow people to share space and materials, pool resources, and support a very green way of life. Hear Ventura City Manager Rick Cole present his views and ideas about cohousing, as related to Ventura County, this Thursday evening.
More Information

Cool Collaborations in 2007

Tough choice, but we've picked three groups of people working together, that really made a difference in 2007. (If you would like to nominate a collaboration for the 2008, please send a note any time to action@vccool.org.)

VCReporter

Our local press has been doing an excellent job getting the word out and covering the concepts and local actions dealing with Climate Change. These writers are a key part of the cultural changes toward lowering greenhouse gas emissions in Ventura County. Writers from the Ventura Star, HopeDance, and others have been keeping the issue of Global Warming in the forefront.

We're giving special recognition to the VCReporter for their involvement in the "Kyoto Project," a campaign by a group of weekly newspapers to get the word out about global warming on the tenth Anniversary of the Kyoto protocol. See the December 6th issue "Kyoto: Ten Years Later." Congratulations to the VCReporter staff, and to our whole network of fantastic local writers.

As a comparison, top TV political reporters have all but ignored global warming. See one of the many petitions to improve climate change coverage.

Pavley, Brown, and Schwarzenegger

OK - it's an unlikely group, but that's what makes this collaboration so amazing and so effective. Assemblymember Fran Pavley authored key global warming bills, including AB-32 the California Global Warming Solutions Act. California Attorney General Jerry Brown has fought global warming using lawsuits against coal plants, car makers, and even counties, to enforce global warming policy. And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has made lowering carbon emissions a key goal, signing progressive policy, campaigning state senators to prevent them from stalling global warming action, and working with legislators across the nation to help them adopt similar climate change policy. Together, these three have put the teeth in California climate change policy that is having effects at both the state and national levels. That's leadership!

Harrison Industries

Yup, we've chosen our local trash and recycling company for our third group of people making a difference on the climate change front. Harrison Industries has one of the most progressive recycling services around, including convenient mixed recycling, an excellent compost program, and their latest addition of recycling sports shoes. They even provide educational presentations and tours. And get a load of their "Trash Flash" newsletter. This winter's edition was full of cool tips like: give consumable gifts, use comics for wrapping paper, and pack with unbuttered popcorn instead of foam peanuts. This group of people effects the carbon footprint of people across Ventura every day, all year.

Cloth Bags Bring Green in for VCCool

Thank you to every one who bought a VCCool Ventura Cloth Bag. People are enjoying an artsy way of saving resources, and we've actually sold enough bags to pay for printing and for the bags themselves. We're in the black!

That means, every bag we sell from this point on brings $10 directly into the VCCool funds. So, if you've been meaning to go out and get one of these durable, practical, two-trees local bags - now is a perfect time. Check our website for a list of locally owned shops that carry them. See them in the Ventana monthly magazine under "5 Solutions for New Year's Resolutions."

And please don't forget to tell your favorite local merchants to carry these if they don't already. Thanks for saying "No thank you!" to paper and plastic.

If you received this message from a friend, and you'd like to be on Ventura's Global Warming email list, send a note to the action@vccool.org with instructions to add you to the global warming e-mail list.

To remove yourself from our list, simply send a note to action@vccool.org with a request to remove you from the global warming list..