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Carbon benefits add up with bike commutes that offer a nature fix and a safe commute with friends

Rincon Valley in Santa Rosa is like many neighborhoods throughout the United States. It’s a neighborhood full of children, schools, and childcare, and on any given day, there are approximately 4,000 children being transported via car around the area, from infants to high-schoolers. All this schlepping around Rincon Valley adds up to approximately 12,000 pounds … Read more

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Political activism, clean commuting, community design, zero waste, and veganism among solutions at Green Teen climate action event

The Climate Center’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) demonstrated their passion and commitment to climate action at the sixth annual Green Teen Conference, a youth-organized and youth-led climate conference. The motto of the conference this year was “Generation Us! Bring it Home” as student leaders made the connection between individual behavior and its impact on the … Read more

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ECO2school youth get ready to lead on climate – from the bike saddle, the podium, and the classroom

A sentiment often repeated about climate change is nobody is doing anything about it. While the reality of the world’s lackluster ability to make climate change a priority is real, it is not the full story. People are working on a daily basis on the “wicked problem,” like the staff here at The Climate Center, … Read more

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Small actions make a difference: ECO2school’s 2017-2018 annual report

ECO2school students biking to school.

“How do we know we are making a difference?” Students often ask us this question after ECO2school events on their school campuses. It’s a fair inquiry. We encourage all of our students to think critically about how their actions impact themselves, their communities, and the planet. Students often cite full parking lots, long lines of … Read more

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Casa Grande High School’s transportation trifecta

Kevin Anderson is an ECO2school Program Coordinator for The Climate Center. This year eight Sonoma County public high schools participated in our annual ECO2school Challenge, a friendly two-week competition that encourages students to choose sustainable modes of travel to and from school. Casa Grande High School deserves to be recognized for hitting the transportation trifecta! … Read more

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The results are In! Show us the numbers!

We live in the age of fit-bits and health apps that give us instant feedback on step-counts and calories. So why not carbon footprints? How about connecting the dots between self-care, the health of our planet and the power of collective, measurable climate actions? At ECO2school, we closely consider the impact of our transportation choices … Read more

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Center’s World Changers scholars engage peers for impact

Meet the World Changers: The Climate Center’s ECO2school’s Youth Leadership Development program provides climate leadership training for Sonoma County’s high school youth. The upcoming generation have been brought up in an unsustainable high-energy-consumption lifestyle. They need a pathway away from dirty energy consumption and toward a positive future. Through our ECO2school Program, the Center supports … Read more

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Designing for change: Safe pathways to school

“I learned that a long walk and calm conversation are an incredible combination if you want to build a bridge.” -Seth Godin At what stage would you feel comfortable sending your children walking or biking to school by themselves. My children are 7 and 4 years old now. We live 0.3 mile away from their … Read more

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Regional conference catalyzes students find their activist roots

YES attendees enjoying the morning keynote speeches

On Saturday February 24, 800 middle and high school students from all over the Bay Area gathered at Laney Junior College in Oakland for the fifth annual Youth for the Environmental and Sustainability (YES) Conference. Students traveled from all nine Bay Area counties by carpooling, bicycling, walking, using public transportation, and utilizing the shuttles provided … Read more