SNCA is a grassroots neighborhood organization dedicated to creating a strongly connected community working together to foster a sustainable future. |
Following the passage of the nation's first carbon tax in late 2007, a group of inspired neighbors in southwest Boulder's Shanahan Ridge neighborhood gathered to form an organization dedicated to taking local action to help stem global warming. Volunteers canvassed throughout the area to invite residents to a viewing and discussion of Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, at a neighbor's home. Once gathered, interested neighbors formed sub-committees focused specifically on education, carbon reduction, and solar energy.
SNCA's approach to reducing emissions is focused on three strategies:
-Fostering a strong sense of community, and using this to encourage environmentally sustainable practices.
-Providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information related to the environment and human impacts on it.
-Creating a program focused on reducing the neighborhood's greenhouse gas emissions, setting a specific target of 22%, the amount necessary to meet the obligations of the Kyoto Protocol and the City of Boulder's ClimateSmart campaign.
By teaming up with the Green Heart Institute and using their state-of-the-art carbon calculator, as well as monthly follow-up educational meetings, our pilot group of 30 "Carbon Cutters" has achieved a measured carbon reduction of 20% -- in just 4 months.
In less than a year, over 400 people have subscribed to our e-mail list, and our functions are regularly attended by 100 or more people, though we only advertise in the neighborhood. The City of Boulder is about to feature our efforts on its Climate Smart website. Most tangible, however, has been the fostering of a much closer-knit community, where we regularly meet and positively interact with our neighbors.
SNCA is a fantastic model of the power of a community coming together to support a common cause. Shanahan neighbors are pioneering the way for what is possible for neighborhoods - and other groups wanting to make a tangible difference - to accomplish. In all its activities, SNCA emphasizes informed action and empowerment to create a positive context for change. |
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Mission Statement
SNCA is a grassroots neighborhood organization dedicated to creating a strongly connected community working together to foster a sustainable future.
We are taking action to effect positive change by:
• Empowering neighbors to make lifestyle changes that support a sustainable future.
• Recognizing our individual and collective responsibility toward the natural environment, our resources, and our community.
• Providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information related to the environment and our impacts on it.
• Promoting environmental stewardship by increasing awareness, local action, and global thinking.
• Encouraging environmentally sustainable practices in daily decision making.
Leading by example throughout the neighborhood and beyond. |
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