The Press Democrat has a nice article on a program run by two CCBA partners CCBA Members are helping to implement. Adam Zwick works with Sonoma County Energy Independence Program and Nick Danty works with the Regional Climate Protection Program on the Windsor PAYS (Pay As You Save) water / energy conservation program. "More than 300 residential customers have enrolled in the fledgling program, which is being touted as a model that could take off in other communities....'The Windsor program has gotten recognition at the state and national level. And now the region is looking to expand,' said Lauren Casey, climate protection program manager, who said outreach is under way to get more Bay Area communities to launch their own versions of PAYS."

CCBA Members spent the last two days relaxing and reflecting on their service at the amazing Marin Headlands.

We all had a great time learning job hunting tips, strategizing about workplace challenges, sharing our visions for the future, and playing outdoors in the sun.

Local Community Choice Aggregation Provider and CCBA Community Partner, Marin Energy Authority is featured in San Jose Mercury News for their efforts in Richmond.

"Representatives from Marin Energy Authority told the City Council this week they plan to ramp up efforts this year to educate the public about plans to automatically switch residents and businesses to the renewable energy provider. 'The community outreach is critical,' said Alex DiGiorgio, MEA community outreach representative. 'The purpose is to empower people with a choice they didn't have before.'"

CCBA Community Partner - The City of San Rafael, has gotten some recent attention in the NewsPointer and the Pacific Sun for their Resilient Neighborhoods Program.

As the Pacific Sun article states, "There's a new link in the sustainability chain in Marin. Resilient Neighborhoods has just completed a pilot program that sought to engage households in taking responsibility for reducing their carbon footprints."

Current CCBA Member Chance Shelley spoke to the NewsPointer about the importance of looking at your carbon footprint in Marin County. “Your lifestyle has a big effect on the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere,” said Chance Shelley, program associate with Resilient Neighborhoods. “Generally, with affluence there comes a greater carbon footprint. [Marin County residents] buy more, and that increased effect on the economy translates to an increased effect on the environment.”

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Facebook headquarters and get a tour on which CCBA members learned about Facebook's many sustainability initiatives. We even left our mark on the Facebook wall (see our "CCBA" tag to the left)

CCBA members from the North Bay gathered on the 26th of January at the Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary to spend the day planting native sticky monkey flower where there had previously been invasive geranium, weeding the plant beds of invasive/weeds, and cutting the plant beds into sod fragments to be taken out to Aramburu Island where they will be planted as part of a re-vegetation effort of this important bird habitat in Richardson Bay.

Climate Corps Bay Area Members joined about 150 other service volunteers to help spruce upin Oakland at Lake Merritt's Botanical Gardens in honor of MLK day. CCBA Members had the chance to install a "pollinator" garden designed to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

"Just how much of an impact Resilient Neighborhoods has had with its pilot project is the subject of a study currently underway. Before the start of the pilot, in fall 2011, the organization distributed a survey to participants asking about their lives and habits, where they shopped, how politically active they were, how prepared for a disaster they were. One year later, after completion of the pilot, the organization is sending out a new survey to see what has changed in the behavior of participants."

"And as the new year gets underway, says Tamra Peters, Resilient Neighborhoods is re-working its informational material and seeking to start new eco teams."