| Action | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Removing Hazardous Waste | LA - Stormwater Hazardous Waste |
Los Angeles S.A.F.E. Centers accept unwanted household hazardous waste, such as fertilizers, pesticides, paint and used motor oil, free of charge. Here you can find the contact information of different SAFE Centers throughout the city. |
| Eliminating Litter with Teamwork | SF - DPW - Community Clean Team |
Community Clean Team is San Francisco Department of Public Works’ longest-running and largest volunteer program that keeps SF beautiful through landscaping and gardening projects, graffiti removal and litter cleanup in our neighborhoods. |
| Preventing Crime | SF - SAFE |
The Safety Awareness For Everyone (SAFE) agency manages the Neighborhood Watch Program for the City & County of San Francisco. |
| Creating a Block Party | SF - NEN Neighborfest |
The Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN) offers the Neighborfest program, which provides a step by step approach to organizing your community to produce the best block party ever! Apply to this program also to have your city block party fees paid. |
| Installing a Rain Barrel | LA - Tree People |
You can get rain barrels through TreePeople and take a workshop in your neighborhood to learn how to harvest rainwater. Rain barrels are available for reduced prices and rebates are offered. |
| Making Your Water Heater Efficient | Palo Alto - Electric Heatpump Water Heater Rebate |
Replace you old gas water heater with a new electric heat pump water heater, and save big bucks! Palo Alto residents can earn a $1500 rebate for replacing an old gas water heater with an efficient new electric heat pump water heater. Water heaters can account for up to 17% of the energy used by a household. By going electric residents can reduce their carbon footprint as CPAU’s electricity is carbon neutral. Visit the HPWHpilot website or call (650)329-2241 for more information. Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions with electric water heating! |
| Cutting Emissions from Heating | SF - Single Family Energy Upgrade |
Energy Upgrade CA Single Family Rebate Program: Are you living in a single family "detached unit" home? Check out these energy upgrade rebates! |
| Cooling Your House More Efficiently | LA -Air Conditioner Rebate |
LADWP offers a variety of rebates and programs for our residential customers (tenants, homeowners, and landlords). As a publicly-owned utility, the LADWP makes these programs available to assist our customers in using energy and water more efficiently as well as saving money and resources while improving our environment. Go to this website and click on "Heating and Cooling". |
| Creating Sustainable Landscaping | SF – Water Wise Gardening |
Look over this guide before you begin your next garden project or to find out how to make changes to your maintenance and irrigation practices that can save water and money. You’ll find lots of helpful tips and resources on each page. This guide is provided by the SF Public Utilities Commission. |
| Bringing your Footprint to Zero | Carbon Offsets for Air Travel |
Check out this Smithsonian article: Can Eco-Conscious Travelers Do Anything To Fly Green? Buying carbon offsets won't stop global warming, but if you're traveling, it's your best individual option for reducing your carbon footprint. |
Our neighborhood. Our planet.
Resources
“Cities are the platform for change in our world today. The Cool Block links the challenges facing our planet to the intimate, personal, social scale of the city block. This program starts and ends with the premise and promise—that the individual, household, and neighbors are the way forward in the face of seemingly insoluble global problems.”
