The Ventura Experiment: Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Carbon Footprint Reduction

In the recent VCCOOL newsletter, I learned about The Ventura Experiment. Newsletter editor Rachel Morris writes:

A group from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB will feature Ventura as a model city in a three part project that addresses the questions a community faces when it tackles its carbon emissions: what to do, how to do it, and what will it cost?

Around the world a selection of “Pioneer Cities” are undergoing similar projects. Ventura will be linked to Wuxi, a city on the Yangtse River in China.

The study will have three steps. Bren students will evaluate our carbon footprint as a community. They will design a menu of strategies for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Then they will develop a feasibility analysis of the political and economic factors of our community. In addition to a set of recommendations for Ventura they hope to create a toolkit adoptable to other communities. We can look for the results in the spring of 2010—right around Earth Day. But you can check out the project on their web page.

Not Your Father’s Climate Change
Looking at Climate Crisis from the vantage of sea-level rise

By Bill Fulton, Ventura City Council Member

“I attended two panels today where speakers dealt with adaptation and sea level rise. Both had a handful of people – in contrast to the throngs that went to the emissions reduction panels, which is what we’re used to thinking about in regards to climate change.” Read the complete article.

Looks like a fascinating and important project. I’ll certainly keep you readers updated!

PS Thanks Rachel for putting together such a fabulous newsletter this month and every month! You’re doing great work!