Cool Neighborhoods

Addressing Climate Change – Community by Community

The Cool Neighborhoods program engages residents as voluntary participants in the campaign to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Cool Neighborhoods program acknowledges that, while government at all levels has to act, it cannot succeed without an informed and involved citizenry. Through this program, you and your neighbors can become leaders in the fight against climate change.

Cool Neighborhoods is a project of the Cool Counties initiative adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in July 2007. Cool Counties initiative was jointly developed by Fairfax County, King County Washington, and the Sierra Club. Fairfax County considers community participation an important complement to its own actions as a Cool County, and will recognize each community that qualifies to be a ‘Cool Neighborhood.’

The Who, What, and How of Cool Neighborhoods:

WHO: A Cool Neighborhood can be a local homeowner’s, condo, or civic association, an elementary school district, or even a religious organization--or whatever you consider your community, e.g., even residents of a couple of streets, etc.
WHAT: Each household initially records annual amounts of electricity, natural gas, oil, gasoline and water used by residents on either an Excel spreadsheet or a simple record sheet, and then takes actions over a year to reduce their use.
HOW: Households that reduce their carbon emissions by 2% per year become ‘Cool Households.’ If 20% of households within a community are ‘cool,’ the community becomes a ‘Cool Neighborhood.’

If you are a homeowner in a community that has already pledged to become a ‘Cool Neighborhood,’ please proceed to ‘Becoming a Cool Neighbor.’

Getting Started: A road map for starting the program in your community

Enrolling Your Neighborhood: Communicating Intent to the County

Becoming a Cool Neighbor: Guidelines for Participating Households

Becoming a Cool Neighborhood: Criteria for Recognition

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

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