Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Conversation on Climate Action?
The National Conversation on Climate Action is a set of events, hosted by local governments across the country on Earth Day 2009, designed to inform and inspire local climate action throughout the participating communities.
Local governments everywhere are recognizing the need to engage their communities in their climate initiatives. The 2009 National Conversation will enable them to build broader, sustained citizen support for and involvement in local climate protection strategies.
Where is it?
This is not a single event in a single location. Rather, the National Conversation on Climate Action is a set of decentralized events taking place in participating cities and counties across the country on the same day.
When is it?
April 22, 2009: Earth Day. The events can be held any time during the day or evening of April 22.
Why Earth Day?
Scheduling the National Conversation on Earth Day was a strategic choice to enable local governments to capitalize on the community’s enthusiasm and to leverage existing resources (i.e. if you are already planning to hold an Earth Day event, make the National Conversation that event in 2009).
As we approach Earth Day, the headlines are dominated by the struggling economy, job losses, energy concerns and climate change. Indeed, it is a critical time for our country and the planet and the moment when we need to get our communities involved.Additionally, holding events in many communities on the same day provides an opportunity for cities and counties to connect their local efforts to a national movement and support the development of a large-scale, active network dedicated to climate solutions. It will also bring media attention to the crucial role that local governments and officials are playing in the effort to reduce global warming pollution.
Who will be participating?
City, town, and county governments across the United States interested in taking action to stop global warming will be participating. Events are designed to engage diverse stakeholders within the community (e.g., business, environment, faith groups, etc.) and seek to include groups in the Conversation that may not have traditionally been a part of environmental, climate, and energy-related initiatives.
What does it mean to participate?
Participating governments will, at a minimum, hold a town hall or community-wide discussion to talk about the causes, impacts, and, most importantly, community-based solutions to the problem of global warming.
The specific topics of each Conversation and the actions imparted to the community will vary. Potential areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
- The individual efforts needed to reach community emissions reduction goals
- How climate protection initiatives can boost the local economy and create green jobs
- Prioritizing amongst potential measures and initiatives to reduce community emissions
- The need for strong federal climate policies
- Upcoming international climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen
How is this relevant to our local government and community?
Whether you are looking to save your residents and local businesses money on energy bills, build a more robust and sustainable local economy, develop a local climate action plan, or engage new stakeholders in your ongoing climate protection activities, the National Conversation on Climate Action can provide an opportunity for you to advance your goals. Every community in the country is struggling with issues of energy costs, a shifting economy, and a changing climate. By focusing on solutions—on action—the National Conversation gives local governments the chance to engage their community in a dialog about win-win initiatives that everyone can get behind and be a part of.
Who can host a National Conversation event?
Local elected officials and local government staff are exclusively invited to host National Conversation events in their communities. They will determine the format and agenda that best suits their communities’ needs.
Who is organizing the event?
The National Conversation on Climate Action’s primary organizing partners, who will provide event planning and promotion support through the www.climateconversation.org website, are:
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability U.S.A., Inc.
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is an international membership association of local governments dedicated to advancing sustainable development and climate solutions through local action.
http://www.iclei.org/usaYale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Our mission is to train leaders and to create new knowledge that will sustain and restore the health of the biosphere and the well-being of its people.
http://environment.yale.edu/Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics and consumer activism.
http://www.earthday.netAmericaSpeaks
The mission of AmericaSpeaks, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, is to reinvigorate American democracy by engaging citizens in the public decisions that most impact their lives. Believing deeply in the collective wisdom of ordinary people, AmericaSpeaks integrates state-of-the-art technology with small-group, face-to-face dialogue to allow thousands of people to deliberate simultaneously about important issues and come to shared priorities. www.americaspeaks.org
What support will be provided to local governments that host a National Conversation?
Participating local governments can access a wealth of supporting materials at www.climateconversation.org in the Resources section, including tools for planning and promoting their event, as well as keeping their community meaningfully engaged on April 22nd and beyond.
What can my community/our local government gain by participating in the National Conversation on Climate Action?
An opportunity to:
- Spark or reignite community engagement in their local government’s climate protection initiatives.
- Identify specific ways in which every citizen, local business and other key stakeholders can support these initiatives.
- Chart a course of action for setting and meeting climate protection goals.
Elevate the collective voices of local governments and their communities in national and international climate action dialogue.- Cost-effective (free planning and promotion support) way to authentically engage your community in your climate action plans/goals
- Leverage existing resources and community enthusiasm around Earth Day
- Local media coverage and part of our national media outreach
- Bring key stakeholders together to chart a course of action to meet your climate protection goals, boost the local economy and create jobs.
How do we get started?
Once you know that you would like to host a National Conversation event as a part of your community’s Earth Day activities, the first step would be to register your event on www.climateconversation.org. As you finalize details of your event you can log back into the site and edit/update your unique event page and even use it to collect and manage RSVPs. We recommend consulting the “Event Planning” page of the “Resources” section of the National Conversation website for specific guidance on getting started planning your event.
Is this the first annual National Conversation on Climate Action?
The 2009 National Conversation builds directly on the success of the inaugural effort undertaken in 2007, during which 70 communities across the country organized local forums to build awareness of, grow support for and engage new allies in local climate action work. The event will take place annually to keep the dialogue open and drive progress.
Who do I contact to get involved?
To learn more and get involved, please visit www.climateconversation.org where registration is now open to local governments. You can also email us at climateconversation@iclei.org.
If I’m not a local government representative but want to get involved with the National Conversation, what can I do?
Find out if your local government is already involved in the National Conversation by visiting www.climateconversation.org and using the “Find an Event” feature. If they are listed as an event host, they should also have contact information for their event organizer. Contact them and offer to help plan or promote the event, and encourage friends and family to join you in attending.
If they are not listed as an event host, contact them and encourage them to get involved. Reach out to the office of the Mayor, County Executive or other elected officials or to a Sustainability Coordinator or Energy Manager. Direct them to www.climateconversation.org for more information, offer your help in planning and promoting the event, and list some of the benefits of taking part in the National Conversation this Earth Day.
You can also contact us at climateconversation@iclei.org with questions.