CoolCalifornia.org
Encyclopedia
CoolCalifornia.org is a website for Californians with resources to help them reduce their impact on the environment and combat climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...

. The website is geared towards different audiences, including: individuals, small businesses, local government, youth, community organizations, and schools. The website currently features two carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...

 calculators. One is for individuals and households and one is for small businesses; a similar tool for local governments is under development.

History

CoolCalifornia.org was created by a team of California State agencies, universities and a nonprofit organization. Partners include the California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...

, the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the California Energy Commission
California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission is California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission has responsibility for activities that include forecasting future energy needs, promoting energy efficiency through appliance and building...

, Next 10 , and the California Public Utilities Commission
California Public Utilities Commission
The California Public Utilities Commission is a regulatory agency which regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California, including electric power, telecommunications, natural gas and water companies...

.

Tools

CoolCalifornia.org offers a variety of resources for all types of Californians looking to reduce their impact on the environment.
Such resources include:
carbon calculators , ideas and tips to save money, case studies of small businesses and local governments that have "gone green," lists of rebate programs, and resource lists linking to other websites. The site offers guidelines called "toolkits" for small businesses, local governments, and schools. These toolkits help people learn how to create climate action plans.

The carbon calculators are California-specific and calculate both direct greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...

 emissions, such as from fuel burned in your car or a natural gas furnace, and indirect greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...

 emissions, such as those emitted at power plants, or embedded in food or purchased goods. For both the household and small business calculators, all calculations are transparent and references are provided. CoolCalifornia.org's household carbon calculator has been ranked among the most robust available, even though various carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...

 calculators can produce different carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...

results .

Awards

CoolCalifornia.org offered its first Small Business Awards in 2009. One of the awards given out was for Organization of the Year. Another award was given out for Small Business of the Year. Excellence awards were also given out to organizations and businesses.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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