Davis Low Carbon Diet - FAQ's
Q1 What is the “Low Carbon Diet: A 30 day program to lose 5000 Pounds of CO2”?
A1. The Low Carbon Diet is a workbook designed to help households save energy and make a real, measurable difference in the fight against global warming. Using this workbook, the City's Sustainability Program is kicking-off a pilot project on October 12, 2008 to challenge households across the community to "lose" 5,000 pounds of carbon. This 30 day "Low Carbon Diet" is intended to raise awareness of the importance of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) and to provide households with a menu of options to lose those carbon pounds. Each household will structure their diet according to what works for them. The City hopes to build on this pilot program to eventually engage thousands of Davis households to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste, and continue on a path toward a low carbon future for the community.
Q2 How will this First 100 Households pilot program work?
A2. The City has recruited 100 households from across the community to participate in this pilot program. The City hopes to learn which strategies work best in Davis so the program can be tailored for the next group of participants. The 100 households will be broken into support groups of 10. Each household will receive a complimentary Program Workbook from the City of Davis which shows households how to calculate their current CO2 “footprint”, select actions, and track progress along the way. Each of the 10 groups will have a volunteer leader who will provide support for their groups and help the City conduct a mid-point check in meeting with all households and gather results.
Q3 By participating in this program, will I have an impact on reducing green house gas emissions?
A3. This program begins to address one of the most consistent comments we hear from community members: "I want to do something (now), but I don't know what to do and if it will make any difference."
According to a recent inventory of local GHG emissions conducted by the City, about 23 percent of emissions within Davis are directly related to the energy we use in our homes. An additional 55 percent of CO2 emissions come from vehicle travel. The Low Carbon Diet shows how to make real change in residential energy use and transportation. When combined with the actions of other households, the results can be substantial and are critical in helping Davis meet its GHG reduction targets.
Q4 Why is this program important to the Davis community?
A4. As a recognized leader in the sustainable communities movement, Davis has an important role to play in showing how a community can organize, plan, and achieve the carbon reductions that all Californians (and US citizens) must if we’re to avoid the most severe consequences of climate change. Along with other GHG reduction measures being considered by the City, the Davis Low Carbon Diet Challenge is one action Davis can take to achieve real results.
If you are interested in participating, or have questions or suggestions please email lowcarbondiet@cityofdavis.org or call (530) 757-5607.
This page provides documents in PDF format - a standard for electronic publishing. Please use Adobe Acrobat to view these files. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click on the "Get Acrobat" button to the right to get this useful program.
