Our Purpose and Vision and Strategic Plan

Our Purpose: Nevada County Climate Action Now is a group of people dedicated to addressing global warming and its causes and effects through mindfulness, education, and action, and to challenging the systems that are creating global climate change.  To fulfill this purpose, it is our intention to:

Inform and educate our members and the general public about the crisis of global warming and its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

Stay connected with national and global grassroots organizations that are addressing climate change, and coordinate actions with these groups.

Initiate programs, forums, workshops, and retreats to deal directly with climate change.

Plan local and regional actions that help raise awareness, defeat denial, spread truth, and seek to limit greenhouse gas emissions, both locally and global.  

Support actions which will influence climate policies at local, state, and federal levels.

Act in solidarity with vulnerable peoples who are experiencing the effects of climate change first and worst. 

Our Vision and Guiding Principles:

We seek to be a community, open to all, that is guided by a vision of our planet healed and made whole.

We value an approach to our shared concerns that is non-violent, compassionate, and respectful of each person and of all life.

We see ourselves as a group of people who want to be engaged with others who care about the planet, see the crisis, and want to address these issues together.

We desire to be a community of persons that welcomes and respects a variety of viewpoints. We affirm in our process of decision-making an approach that is by consensus, where agreements that are made can be affirmed by all.

Coalition participants are encouraged to initiate ad-hoc groups or committees for addressing specific concerns or actions that are in keeping with the spirit of the Coalitionʼs stated purposes.

Leadership will be shared and rotated as determined by the needs and desires of the coalition.

Nevada County Climate Action Now Strategic Plan Summary 2017-2020

Goal 1: Action-based Education

Objective

Maintain and advance public awareness of the urgency of galvanizing around our climate-change mission

Related Strategies:

Present regular educational events on topics relevant to Nevada County (e.g. oil trains, Centennial Dam, logging, sequestering/no-till farming, what one person can do for climate change, etc.)

Make additional educational presentations when appropriate, in collaboration with other organizations, to expand the collaborative aspects of the education work (e.g. participate in the film/discussion series at Sierra Cinemas and other artistic exhibits or public presentations)

Maintain the website as a community resource; keep it updated and link relevant blogs and new climate change resources to the site

Objective

Present an educational camp that prepares youth for their role as climate change agents using collaboration

Related Strategies:

Adapt each summer’s curriculum to the goal, integrating character, community service, sustainable development concepts and specific service/advocacy goals, to nurture altruistic identities, especially among high-potential underserved youth

Offer youth opportunities for role modeling with adult mentors in the coalition and community

Offer opportunities to NC-CCC members to contribute resources to the camp

Goal 2: Issues-Related Advocacy/Social Action

Objective

Lobby state, regional and local representatives to invoke needed changes or opposition to threats

Related Strategies:

NC-CCC members volunteer to report on upcoming action

Create a list of suggested response options for each action (based on Indivisible Report)

Organize NC-CCC members to implement actions they feel most comfortable with (letter writing, direct action, demonstrations, etc.)

Objective

Coordinate support among allied organizations and individuals around specific topics and issues

Related Strategies:

Create a web diagram of local organizations that share concerns on each specific topic

Research already-existing actions of collaborators for overlap

Join forces where possible; for new actions, invite leaders or liaisons to join in social actions related to particular issues

Objective

Create a public awareness campaign through letter-writing, public speaking, and opinion pieces

Related Strategies

Announce seasonal or quarterly task force meetings to choose relevant topics

Create and float talking points to NC-CCC members with suggested venues (i.e. editorial page, specific decision makers, etc.)

Revisit strategies on how to promote change, in writing and public discussions, from Indivisible document

Goal 3: Creation of a Nevada County 100% Renewable Energy Plan

Objective

Solicit organizations/citizens to support or participate in the creation of a 100% Clean and Renewable Energy Plan that will guide all sectors of the cities and rural areas of Nevada County in the elimination of the use of fossil fuels. Goal is 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Related Strategies

Identify each potential organization that can contribute to the 100% Nevada County Renewable Energy Plan creation. Interview energy experts and leaders in the field for insights into energy solutions for the plan.

Contact and interview the organizations regarding sharing their current renewable energy goals. Document interview results and create contact page of organizations that would be willing to support its work

Identify a liaison for each organization.

Objective

Help initiate and foster the Renewable Energy Committee

Related Strategies

Convene an initial meeting of Renewable Energy Committee participants

Participate in meetings with the other organizations as they confirm tangible goals for various energy use sectors, and plans for implementation and timelines

Publicize the progress of the Renewable Energy Committee in NC-CCC meetings, and to the broader community and potentially for other regions seeking to create renewable energy plans

Encourage organizations to share new innovations and host workshops, over time, to increase the fostering of positive models for change

Encourage organizations to allow for shifts in civic or business leadership and awareness of new technologies