About

This website is devoted to exploring the great breadth in the variety of ways in which cities, counties, other entities of local and regional government, tribal governments, etc., can plan, and – more importantly, act – to play a meaningful role in the planet’s fight against global warming and climate change. To achieve breadth, it admittedly makes sacrifices in the area of depth, by providing the reader with just one or perhaps a few links to each subject it introduces. The website is intended to assist the efforts of individuals involved at any stage of city climate planning and action to better understand the great range of existing and emerging ways that carbon and other greenhouse gasses can be reduced, and fossil-free sources of energy can be more fully utilized. These individuals can include mayors, city and town councilors, relevant city department heads, managers of school districts, members of local citizens organizations acting in pursuit of higher levels of climate action, regional planning agencies, county personnel, councils of government, tribal leaders – people like that. The information that comprises the content of this website is extensive but is by no means complete, and it is anticipated that further relevant information can be added, by ourselves and by crowd-sourcing as well.

The website has been divided into six separate areas, with some overlap here and there out of necessity. All are arranged alphabetically. The six areas are:

1. Organizations of many types that have something to say with regard to climate action in cities;

2. Cities throughout the world leading by example;
3. Emerging and underutilized technologies;
4. What cities can do, specifically;
5. Topics and terminology to be familiar with; and
6. Financing the desired climate actions.

This website was conceived and developed by Mark Dullea. Mark is a retired urban planner residing in Peabody Massachusetts USA. Mark’s interest in renewable energy – primarily solar – began several decades ago while he was working as a Principal Planner in Cambridge MA, and learned that open lunchtime meetings of the just-formed New England Solar Energy Association were being held on a monthly basis at the MIT Faculty Club, just a few minutes walk from Cambridge City Hall. He began attending on a regular basis, and soon came to realize that solar energy just “made sense”. Mark’s work as a planner also included other eastern Mass. cities and towns, including Lowell and Arlington, and well as several years work with the planning arm of the U.S. National Park Service. He is a graduate of Boston College, holds a Master’s in City Planning from the University of Rhode Island, and received a U.S. Navy commission from the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport RI. In more recent years he has been writing articles on city and metro area climate planning, from BOSTON Magazine in the northeast to TUCSON LIFESTYLE Magazine in the southwest. Trying to Walk-the-Walk in addition to Talking-the-Talk, Mark and his wife Donna’s home has been 90%+ powered by rooftop solar panels – electricity, heating & cooling via heat pumps, and electric hot water – since 2012. Their remaining power is provided by the Peabody MA Municipal Light Plant, which is currently about 40% carbon-free. One note of caution to those of you planning to use rooftop solar. The home’s system has run flawlessly since 2012, EXCEPT TWICE, when it was attacked by squirrels, who (a.) like to nest beneath the panels for protection from the rain and snow, as well as protection from predators; and (b.) who must continually chew on items like wiring to keep their constantly-growing teeth from becoming too large. After the first attack, a perimeter screen guard was attached to the perimeter of the solar panel array. Unfortunately, it was poorly installed, so when the family of squirrels called again, they were easily able to breach the perimeter guard system, and again moved in. After their removal and relocation the second time, a much sturdier perimeter guard was put into place, and the tree branches which had been hanging over the house’s north roof – enabling easy squirrel access to the beckoning shelter of the solar array – were removed by a professional tree trimming service. These defensive actions combined to prevent any further aggression by squirrels over the past few years. But further cutting back of tree branches will probably be required in another year or two.