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Sierra House Cooling Parties and Sierra CERCles
Sierra House Cooling Parties and Sierra CERCles are part of an exciting new Sierra Club BC initiative to help British Columbians tackle global warming in their homes and neighbourhoods.
(Click here to see our CERCles publications)
(Please scroll down to see carbon calculator link and CERCles blog link)
Sierra House Cooling Parties
Sierra House Cooling Parties are part of an exciting new Sierra Club BC initiative to help British Columbians tackle global warming in their homes and neighbourhoods. Volunteer hosts invite friends, co-workers, neighbours, members of their faith group or others to their house for a party. Sierra Club BC supplies a DVD and a package of information about global warming that lists practical steps people can take to reduce household greenhouse gas emissions. The parties are small, informal gatherings, intended to be a fun social evening as well as an opportunity to discuss global warming. At the end of the gathering, party guests are invited to form their own CERCle (Carbon Emission Reduction Club) that will meet on a regular basis so people can support each other in reducing their carbon footprints.
We initiated our House Cooling Parties in January 2008 and are currently looking for more party hosts. Once you’ve signed up to host a party, Sierra Club BC will provide you with all the information and materials needed for your party and will guide you through the process step-by-step. During the parties we will have a Sierra Club BC staff member available to answer questions during a collective ‘phone-in’ session. Please email us to get more information about hosting a party.
Sierra CERCles
Sierra CERCles (Carbon Emission Reduction Clubs) are small groups whose members support each other in taking personal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CERCles provide people with easy-to-use tools for measuring their emissions and help them find ways to shrink their carbon footprint. Sierra Club BC offers training workshops for people interested in hosting a CERCle of family, friends, neighbours, co-workers, members of their faith communities or other groups
CERCles will track achievements, make them public and use the information to demonstrate to decision-makers the deep level of personal commitment that exists in B.C. in the fight against global warming. Interested in starting or joining a Sierra CERCle? Please click here to email us for more info.
Sierra CERCles were the brainchild of Sierra Club BC volunteer Patricia Lane. Lane calculated her family’s carbon footprint and, soon after, she and her husband replaced their two regular cars with a shared Prius. They installed solar panels on their Oak Bay roof, exchanged their oil heating for an energy-efficient heat pump, bought energy-saving appliances and hung their laundry out to dry.
"We want to model the ability to live joyfully in a carbon-constrained world,” says Lane, a member of Sierra Club BC’s Executive Committee. Over the past year, Lane’s family has slashed their personal carbon emissions to one tonne per person annually--far below the national Canadian average of 23 tonnes per person per year.
Calculate your carbon footprint:
1. Go to www.safeclimate.net - to measure your carbon footprint.
2. Please return to this page and fill in our survey, so that we can help support you in your efforts.
3. Thanks for participating!
