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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth Communications Office
Mayor Roger J. Reinert
411 West First Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information, please call 218-730-5309
DATE: 6/23/2010
SUBJECT: Mayor Ness to announce June 24 that 3 Sister Cities are teaming up for 'Climate Idols' challenge for citizen sustainability
BY: Pakou Ly

Mayor Ness to announce June 24 that 3 Sister Cities are teaming up for ‘Climate Idols’ challenge for citizen sustainability

 

When leaders from Duluth’s Sister City of Växjö, Sweden, are in town June 24-30, one of the highlights of the official visit will be a three-Sister-City announcement with Duluth Mayor Don Ness and a representative from Thunder Bay, Canada, of a “Climate Idols” challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Details of this community sustainability project will be announced by Mayor Ness, Växjö’s Lord Mayor Nils Posse and Thunder Bay Community Environmental Action Plan Coordinator Sarah Kerton at 11:00 AM, Thursday, June 24, 2010 in the Mayor’s Reception Room, on the fourth floor of Duluth’s City Hall.  The public is invited to attend.

 

“Climate Idols,” a version of a similar effort developed in 2007 in Kalmar, Sweden, will include four families from Duluth “competing” against four families in Thunder Bay with the Duluth and Thunder Bay families being coached by families from Växjö.

 

The households will take up the challenge to test and find new ways toward the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  The families will have a chance to discover if it is possible to live “climate smart” in Duluth and Thunder Bay in 2010-2011.

 

The project goal is to help the Duluth and Thunder Bay households to be aware of their climate impact in different areas. The families will receive coaching on how to set goals and change things in their everyday lives to achieve reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Hopefully, the Climate Idols will serve as inspiration for others and be good examples of how it is possible to combine a climate-smart lifestyle and still have a good life.

 

The Climate Idol families in Duluth and Thunder Bay will receive four challenges during the timeline determined by the Thunder Bay –Duluth Climate Idol Project Committees. All four challenges are based on three steps: getting knowledge of the topic, making a survey of the current situation and finally making a  change/challenge. The next step allows the Climate Idol families to make some kind of reflections of their present situation. Finally, the families receive help from the Swedish coaches to set goals and make a change that can help reduce their output of carbon dioxide emissions.
 

But the “Climate Idols” announcement is just one part of the weeklong official SisterCity visit. In addition to the Lord Mayor, other leaders in the nine-person delegation from Växjö will include the Vice Mayor, the Climate Protection Engineer, the Police Department Process Manager, a representative from the Swedish Federation of Business Owners and others.

Below are some of the many activities planned during their stay:

 * Friday, June 25, 2:00 p.m. – Green City meeting with City Administration; Mayor’s Reception Room; 4th floor, Duluth City Hall.

 

* Monday, June 28 – American Volunteerism & Charity Awareness Day, to include Expanding Horizons Tour through CHUM, Second Harvest Food Bank & Habitat for Humanity
 
*Tuesday, June 29,
            9:00 a.m. – Presentations at Sansio and APEX

Noon-2 p.m. – a Green Jobs Dialogue lunch at Zeitgeist Café.

7:00 p.m. – Public presentation at Peace Church, 1111 North 11th Avenue East, on what Växjö has done to be named “The Greenest City in Europe”

 

The Official Delegation’s visit is sponsored by Como Oil & Propane. For additional details on any of these activities, please contact Melissa Kadlec, Duluth Sister Cities International executive director, at 218/269-5156.

 
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