[A great opportunity for California cities and counties to learn about what they can do - and a model for other states in supporting local action in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Cool Cities/ Cool Counties programs mentioned in the article are Post Carbon Cities recommended programs. This is an EXCERPT: read the whole article here. -Ed.]

"California's cities and counties must take action now to combat global warming by limiting emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, says California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr.... Brown invited mayors, local planning directors, and county supervisors to attend workshops this spring where they can learn practical ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

"The Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, requires California to cut greenhouse gas emission to 1990 levels by 2020, but the rules and market mechanisms will not take effect until 2012. Meanwhile, local governments will make thousands of planning decisions that will affect the emission of greenhouse gases. The workshops are intended to help local officials make climate-friendly decisions."

"Methods of modeling greenhouse gas emissions will be discussed in detail at the workshops, which will also address how cities and counties can analyze the global warming-related impacts of development efficiently and on limited budgets and find strategies to mitigate them."

"... over 120 California cities have joined the Cool Cities campaign and taking concrete steps to fight global warming, including the development of greenhouse gas emissions inventories and a local Climate Action Plan.

Twelve Cool Counties each are establishing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and regional plan to cut emissions to 80 percent below current levels by 2050."

Photo credit: Chandra Marsono