Climate Change Action

The Ecology Center supports citizens with a variety of services geared to help you both prevent and prepare for rapid climate change. No matter who you are, we can help you take the next step toward minimizing your greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing your sense of community. If you are new to the topic, click here to learn more about global climate change – what it is, why it’s happening, and who these changes will affect most.

Get Involved!

Join a Climate Change Action Group

In our free workshops, you will work with our expert facilitator and a small group of Bay Area residents to create a measurable personal action plan to reduce your "carbon footprint," and discuss ways to become a climate change leader in your household and community. Learn more here.

Learn to Facilitate Your Own Climate Change Action Group

Receive the tools and training to start your own Climate Change Action Group with 5-10 friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, classmates, or congregation members. Learn more here.

Invite the Ecology Center to Facilitate a Workshop

Does your workplace, school, congregation, neighborhood, or community group want to get serious about climate change? If you have 10 participants, we will lead a group at no cost other than the workbooks. Learn more here.

Use the California Carbon Calculator

Calculate the greenhouse gas impacts of your choices. Explore how changing your habits could result in CO2 reductions. See how you compare with your neighbors!

Tour EcoHouse, the Low CO2 Demonstration Home

Visit EcoHouse to learn about the many simple improvements that will make your home more prepared for climate change. Check the schedule of upcoming Classes and Tours.

About the Climate Change Action Workshops

The Climate Change Action Project brings residents together to calculate their carbon footprints, determine footprint reduction goals, create action plans, and make substantive changes in the many facets of their communities: their households, workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, congregations, social, political and civic groups. We invite you to join a group held at the Ecology Center or to form your own. Just gather 5-10 friends, neighbors, coworkers or others and determine a meeting time. We will give you the tools, resources, and ongoing support to make the rest happen. An Ecology Center staffer will facilitate the group. Or, we can train you to facilitate your own group. For more information and to get involved, write to debra@ecologycenter.org or call 510-548-2220 x240.

A Typical Climate Change Action Workshop...

During four weekly sessions in a Climate Change Action workshop series, you will work in a team with a small group of Bay Area residents to:

• Calculate your personal carbon footprint;
• Create a measurable personal action plan to reduce your footprint;
• Discuss ways to become a climate change leader in your household and community;
• Be offered the tools and training to coordinate and facilitate your own action group.

All levels are encouraged to participate. Non-members who attend all four meetings will receive a one-year membership to the Ecology Center. Participation is free but a $10 fee will be charged for the Low Carbon Diet workbook. You can also form your own group. No special skills or knowledge is necessary. Just gather 5-10 friends, coworkers, neighbors, family, or congregation members. The Ecology Center will provide training and materials.

Customized Workshops

The Ecology Center typically organizes the Climate Change Action workshops as a sequence of four weekly meetings. If you would like to host a group and need a more condensed version, contact us and we can work with you to offer a customized workshop that fits your scheduling constraints and desired focus.

A Sample Meeting

Joan wasn't sure what more she could do. She'd already switched out all the light bulbs in her house to CFLs, she'd been taking the bus to work rather than driving for over a year, and she never passed through a grocery store without a few reusable canvass bags.

Roxanne, meanwhile, wasn't sure where to begin. Her daily commute from Berkeley to Mill Valley made driving a near necessity, she felt she had little control over the energy use in her rented apartment, and despite her pleading, her three kids simply refused to take shorter showers.

Terrel had ideas for both of them. He also had ideas for creating his own home greywater system, solar powered oven, and community garden.

Along with seven other community members, they gathered around an Ecology Center table to exchange experiences, tips, and inspiration in a four-week effort to address climate change. There were no protocols passed and no legislation enacted, but one month later this group claimed significant victory: they had achieved a net reduction of 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, reduced their household utility bills significantly, became aware of myriad resources in their neighborhoods, forged friendships and professional links, and deepened their community's resiliency, resourcefulness, preparedness, and effectiveness in the fight against climate change.