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Sustainable Contra Costa Outreach Director Laura Wehrley stated that Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri "really wanted a fun and friendly sustainable competition between the three Lamorinda cities, so we came up with this idea. He really wants Lafayette to win, so we are hoping to get a healthy number of registrants to make it a fun competition."
Wehrley explained, "Through our workshops, the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge website, our SLIA (Sustainable Leaders in Action) youth team and more, we help Contra Costa residents reduce their CO2 footprint by saving water, energy, waste and more."
According to a Feb. 15 Lamorinda Weekly article, Anduri guesstimated that Moraga led the way with nearly one million points, Orinda has approximately 500,000 points, and the largest of the three municipalities, Lafayette, trails at approximately 300,000 points.? Moraga Council Member Steve Woehleke was quick to credit Campolindo High School as leading the challenge in the group category for all of Contra Costa County.
As of March 24, as noted on the cleanercontracosta.org/moraga webpage, out of a suggested 915 homes, Moraga has 718 participating in the challenge, and out of a 390 tons of carbon dioxide reduction goal by December 2023, Moraga is nearly there at 92%. Orinda has reached 67% of its 300-ton reduction goal, with 290 homes participating, and Lafayette is currently at 52% of its 250-ton goal with 314 households signed up.
Some of the many ways challenge participants can reduce their carbon dioxide footprint is to adjust thermostats, shut off lights in unoccupied rooms, dry clothes wisely, switch to LED lights, replace air conditioning filters, weatherize the home, insulate the attic, carpool, recycle, plant trees, take shorter showers and fix leaky faucets.
Lafayette's challenge letter to Moraga and Orinda involves two competitions: the 2023 Lamorinda Sustainability Challenge to determine which city's residents take more actions to save carbon dioxide and water and therefore have a higher cumulative score on the CCCC dashboard on Dec. 31; and the 2023 Lamorinda Zero Waste Challenge to determine which city's residents reduce waste more between April 3 and May 14.
Lafayette had scheduled a Countdown to Zero kickoff event at the Lafayette Library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 28 at the Don Tatzin Community Hall.
To sign up for the Sustainability Challenge and help your town/city win visit:
www.sustainablecoco.org.
The gauntlet has been thrown. Let the games begin!
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA