The Climate Protection Campaign, a nonprofit organization based in Sonoma County, seeks a talented team player who’s a quick learner, is excited about helping implement the eCO2mmute program in Sonoma County high schools, and is passionate about climate protection.

The mission of the Climate Protection Campaign is to inspire, align and mobilize action in response to the climate crisis. We partner with business, government, youth and the broader community to advance practical, science-based solutions for significant greenhouse gas emission reductions.

About the eCO₂mmute Project:

eCO₂mmute is an award-winning student service learning project that encouraged alternative modes of transportation to reduce Sonoma County school’s greenhouse gas emissions. This program is designed to integrate with existing high school academics to educate students in personal and environmental health issues related to climate change. Assemblies, guest speakers and in-class education combine within a framework of service learning to encourage and support student leadership and stewardship. By working both in the classroom and with clubs, eCO₂mmute provides a unique experience that is transformative for participants. Program benefits are not just academic. eCO₂mmute also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, saves costs on transportation as well as promotes healthy living, safe commutes, biking, transit ridership, and improved air quality for the entire community.

This pilot is being implemented in Sonoma County with funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Climate Initiative Program. The Climate Protection Campaign works through the Alameda Waste Management Authority to implement this project.

What the Project Coordinator will do:

The Coordinator will jump into a project mid-stream. The program is currently being piloted in two Sonoma County high schools with plans to expand to ten schools in the 2012-2013 school year. The ideal candidate will be agile and embrace the startup challenge. The Coordinator’s job will begin as a part time (about 24 hours/week) position and will become a full time position probably in August 2012. The Coordinator will take charge of suitable pieces of work as skills and knowledge of the project increase.

Examples of activities the Coordinator will do include:

• Initiate, facilitate and follow up with multiple stakeholders via email, phone and in person
• Make presentations to students and community organizations about Climate Change, Bicycle Safety and other topics related to transportation mode shift
• Collaborate with the Project Manager, other members of the CPC staff including staff from the software vendor and other stakeholders to address issues as they arise
• Update social media and blogs related to the program
• Work in the field with school leadership teams of students, teachers and community members to facilitate the smooth functioning of the eCO₂mmute program
• Work with community leaders and businesses to further develop the eCO₂mmute program
• Be open to doing new activities as the need arises.
• Minimum two years relevant work experience including a proven track record of effective leadership, organizing and communicating. We want proof that you can inspire, align and mobilize.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
• Excellent references

Minimum Qualifications:

Desired Skills and Qualities:

The position requires an entrepreneurial, personable, confident team member with a sense of humor who possesses the following skills and qualities:

• Committed to and understands climate protection
• Works and relates well and has experience with young people, especially high school students
• Tech savvy, particularly mobile technology, with a knack for communicating with those who are not
• Superior oral and written communication skills to craft and articulate clear, concise messages
• Ability to inspire and persuade
• Very well organized and a strong team player
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision
• Ability to use good judgment, take initiative and make recommendations in resolving problems
• Ability to motivate people to take action including meeting deadlines
• Skilled in relationship building and networking
• Strong meeting facilitator
• Good listener and a quick learner
• A good understanding of bicycling street skills and bike mechanics

This job requires extensive travel all over Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area. The successful applicant should own a car or have access to a means of transportation required for work. It would help if you either lived in Sonoma County or are willing to move to here.

Terms:

The person in this position will work 60% (24 hours per week) to 100% time, to be negotiated, until August 2012 when the position will be 100% time. Full time salary between $38,000 and $40,000/year, commensurate with experience and prorated for part time. Paid vacations and holidays. No health benefits. Target start date is March 19, 2012. The person in this position will work from the office located in Santa Rosa, California. This position is dependent on grant funding which is expected to run through the end of June 2013. The Climate Protection Campaign is an equal opportunity employer.

To Apply:

We encourage anyone interested in this position to submit an application as soon as possible. Please email a cover letter of no more than 250 words explaining your interest in the job and why you’re qualified, along with your resume, to Amy Jolly at eco2mmute@climateprotection.org. Names and contact information for your last three supervisors or clients (including your current supervisor or client, if applicable) will be required upon request.

Please include “eCO₂mmuteProject Coordinator” in the subject line and let us know where you learned about the position.

The position will remain open until filled. We will start considering applications and scheduling interviews on Friday, February 24. No phone calls, please.

We’ve moved… but not too far!

Office Warming Party
Friday, February 24

·     Check out our new space
·     Say “hi” to staff & board members
·     Meet new folks on our team
·     Help us celebrate!!

4:30 – 5:00 – Special presentation by
Dennis Hunter, Ygrene Energy
5:00 – 7:30 – Appetizers & drinks

520 Mendocino Ave., Suite 260, Santa Rosa

(707) 525-1665

The project involves launching a new service to enable networked groups of drivers and riders to share a ride in a matter of minutes using computers and smartphones. Pilot participants will help establish a functioning community of riders and drivers with the goal of building a sustainable marketplace for empty seats thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and infrastructure costs.

We encourage anyone interested in this position to submit an application as soon as possible. Please email a cover letter of no more than 250 words explaining your interest in the job and why you’re qualified, along with your resume, to Brant Arthur at project-coordinator@climateprotection.org.

Full description (PDF)

Natural gas prices have fallen recently largely because hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is increasing gas supplies. Because much of Sonoma County’s electricity comes from natural gas powered generators, the price of natural gas and electricity are directly related. Electricity rates are now artificially low while the real costs are off the charts.

Fracking is prohibitively dangerous because it contaminates wells, surface water and land. It may also cause earthquakes. Once fracking companies are required to pay for the damage they cause, gas prices will continue their inevitable rise.

We can and must do better than depending on dirty energy produced by fracking. Sonoma County can harness local solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy to generate most of our power. But the task is made difficult when these sources seem expensive when compared with fossil fuel whose true costs are suppressed by subsidies, tax breaks and the ability to keep the accounting of the destruction they cause off the books.

WOODY HASTINGS

Renewable Energy Implementation Manager, Climate Protection Campaign

Published January 16, 2012

Vineyards cover only 6% of Sonoma County’s one million acres, but the county’s $400 million wine industry plays a major role in climate protection.

So it is heartening to read that Jackson Family Wines recently received a Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (“Viticulture Briefs”, 11/27/11, Press Democrat.)

Jackson Family Wines offset 130% of its annual electricity usage by purchasing credits from renewable energy projects such as wind and solar. The company also invested in solar power and energy and building efficiency.

Through their actions, Jackson Family Wines have highlighted opportunities that exist throughout the industry.

Grape growers and vineyards produce greenhouse emissions in a variety of ways: through their electricity and fuel usage (to power tank heaters, water pumps, and equipment, and to package and ship wines), through fertilizer usage, and through land management practices. All these activities offer opportunities for emissions-reducing improvements.

Deforestation and extensive tillage reduce the amount of carbon stored in biomass and soils. Conversely, adding trees, hedgerows, and cover crops increases carbon stocks and revitalizes the land. Wineries’ biomass-filled wastewater ponds generate methane, a greenhouse gas about 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Methane can be captured and converted into electricity.

Frequently improvements that combat climate change also help the bottom line. However, making change requires vision, entrepreneurial action and investment.

It is one thing to know that dry-farming can produce healthy grapes at low cost and with fewer emissions. It is another thing altogether to embark on a multi-year experiment with 30 acres of grapes.

It is simple to say that solar power can reduce energy bills over the long term. More difficult is investing $1 million in capital improvements.

This is particularly true in the wine industry. Demand currently doesn’t reward eco-friendly wines because a bad taste lingers in consumers’ collective mouths left by questionable organic wines in the 70s and 80s. Consequently it is largely up to forward-thinking growers and winemakers to quietly instigate change.

Eventually all growers and winemakers will have to. Like much of California’s agriculture, Sonoma County’s wine industry stands to be severely effected by climate change over thecoming century. A warmer, more variable climate will stress plants and shift growing regions.

“We’re looking at a scenario where there’s no more agriculture in California,” U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has warned.

Fortunately many of the same policies and practices that help lower emissions also help adapt to climate change. Opportunities that are now optional like reducing water usage or insulating buildings will increasingly become necessities as our world warms.

We congratulate Jackson Family Wines and others in the wine industry with the vision and courage to support climate resilient policies and implement climate-friendly practices.

Alex Dolginow handles agriculture, forestry, open space, and adaptation at the Climate Protection Campaign. He is currently on a postgraduate fellowship, having recently completed his undergraduate work at Harvard.

Thank you for publishing comments from Jack Hayes, National Weather Service (“In 2012, let’s plan for worst weather”). Hayes calls for us to prepare for extreme weather events. Adaptation to greenhouse gas impacts from emissions we’ve already put in the atmosphere is a prudent, minimum response in the wake of record weather disasters this year.

 Unfortunately, Mr. Hayes does not mention the importance of decreasing emissions that we continue to pump into the atmosphere. In 2010 global output of heat-trapping gases increased by the largest amount on record despite slow economic growth.

 If this increase is sustained, global emissions will be higher than the worst case projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s foremost scientific authority on the climate crisis. Global temperatures would exceed the 4 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100 predicted by this panel. By comparison, 2011 extreme weather impacts will look like a walk in the park.

We need to invest now in reducing emissions as a national security priority. Promoting preparedness and adaptation without requiring significant emission reductions is like building a higher dike of sand to hold back a tsunami. Locally, we need to invest in initiatives like Sonoma Clean Power that reduce emissions by switching to local renewable energy.

For Jack Hayes article>

Trip Tracking Tool RFP >

Required Certificate of Addenda>

RFP Questions from Applicants and Responses

(All questions about this proposal will be answered for all applicants on this web page)

1.    Can we tell you more about the grant?                                                  

The Scope of Work, proposal guidelines and key dates are all included in the scope of work in the RFP. If you have specific questions about any of these things we will be happy to answer them. Our program is part of Climate Initiatives Program which was adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in December 2009 It is an effort that aims to educate, inspire and empower youth and their families to make transportation-related behavior changes that reduce vehicle miles traveled and associated greenhouse gas emissions. We are federally funded through Caltrans. While Caltrans deals primarily in large transportation infrastructure grants and we are considered a non-infrastructure (small education transportation mode shift) grant we still have to abide by the same rules and regulations as infrastructure grants do.

2.    Can we tell you about the budget for this project?

One of the stipulations of a federal Caftans grant is that the budget remains undisclosed. The thinking (by Caltrans) is that if we state our budget then every proposer will just work at the top of the budget. In fairness to proposers we are also prohibited from looking at the budget you submit until after we have evaluated all the proposals on the merit of their content. That prevents us from just automatically choosing the lowest bid.  Please check section L #4 in the RFP on budget guidelines for the proposal.

3.    Can you call us to talk about the grant?

Because this is a publicly funded all communication needs to be open to the public. We cannot give different information to different proposers. For this reason we request that all queries be via email. Email is easy to document and duplicate. It is also an easy way to insure that a single proposer is not getting preferential treatment. Please submit your questions by the December 16^th  deadline. We will be publicly post responses to all questions submitted before that date by December 23^rd at the latest. Please see sections D & E in the RFP for more information regarding communication and questions about your proposals.

4.    Time line

We understand that the time line is tight. We have had some funding delays that have set back the time line for our program. We are hoping that we will be able to use this tool in the current school year for our Earth Day- May eCO2mmute program. We also understand this may not be possible and are flexible. Please do not let this deter you from applying but submit an alternate time line that feels realistic for you and your organization.

5. ‘CPC requires that the professional who signs the proposal as the manager of the professional contract with CPC, shall certify that he or she will be present at all meetings requested by CPC staff members and will fully participate in the day-to-day management of the contract.’ Could you provide input on the likely frequency of such meetings, where they will be held and whether webex type participation is acceptable rather than in person attendance?

I am currently unsure of the frequency of these meetings. I think a minimum of two meetings with the allowance for additional meetings as needed.  Good communication when it comes to planning, information sharing and organizing are key to a successful working relationship.  Because this is a web based project there is no reason why all of the meeting need to be in person. I am comfortable with both SKYPE and phone meetings. I am unfamiliar with webex but not opposed.

6. Please clarify how your agency would like to see DBE utilization for this RFP. Does proposer need to do any general outreach to DBE firms prior to proposal submission or if selected, under contract?

Because there was a very low number of qualified DBE contractors interested in this project the DBE goal was set at 0%. There does not need to be any general outreach to DBE firms prior to submission.  Should the opportunity arise the contractor selected should use a good faith effort to use DBE firms for any subcontracting necessary.

  7.What is the length of the contract?

Please review the key dates for the time line of development and review. The length of the grant is two years.

8. Would you consider hiring a company from overseas?

It states in in section H4. we will be requiring some face-to-face meetings during the development of our program. It will be a minimum of two but really we will require, as many meetings as we feel are necessary to develop the site.  Time differences and distance do play a factor in ease of meeting and cost effectiveness. I do not believe an out of country firm would be able to meet these requirements. Further more I do not know if there are grant stipulations regarding the use of federal taxpayer money for non-US businesses.

9. RFP Section L, page 8, item 4 states: A budget and budget narrative. The budget and budget narrative should be developed in accordance with the Funding Guidelines (Section N) and Scope of Work (Section J) in this RFP. Template and instructions attached as Attachment B. Place one (1) original budget document in a sealed envelope before submitting with the proposal. The budget documents will not be reviewed until the selection committee chooses its top candidate.

Should this instruction reference Attachment D (which is the Budget Template and Instructions) instead of Attachment B (which is the Scope of Work)?

The instruction reference should be Attachment D Budget and Template Instructions. The reference to Attachment B in this section is a typo.

10. RFP Section C, Proposal Submittal instructions: specifies a delivery address that is a PO Box.  Can CPC please provide a street address for FedEx (or UPS) deliveries?

Our street address is 520 Mendocino Ave. Suite 260 Santa Rosa CA 95401

11. RFP Section L.1 specifies the proposal is to be produced in 12 point font. May a smaller font be used in tables and graphics, provided it is legible?

You can use a smaller font for tables and graphics if necessary and if it is still legible. Please conform to the font size for proposal text.

12. RFP Section L.4 states the Budget and Budget Narrative are to be submitted as a separate document. Are the contents of this section included in the 25-page limit?

The budget and budget narrative would be considered forms and are not part of the 25-page limit.

13.Is your agency looking for a software provider who can customize the web based tools based on feedback throughout the project or an existing out-of-box application? 

I am not sure I understand the question. There are two dates included in the time line for updates and improvements. Our assumption is that some changes and adaptations will be necessary after piloting the program with students in the spring of 2012 and the spring of 2013. There will be site administrators who need to be able to input information about challenges and incentives and need to be able to input school and team data.

14. Is your agency planning to use/promote 511 School Ridematching application? 

While it is our goal to integrate the trip tracking program with 511 and other transportation mode shift programs already created by our partner organizations funding for this is not included in our current scope of work.

15. Is there a need for iphone/ipad application?

We are very curious about this as a future extension or application but our current funding does not include this in the budget. If a proposer were to include budgeting information for such an application we would consider it for future use but it should not be a focus of significant time or resource.

16. Does your agency prefer a price based on licensing of web based tool or own the web based tools developed by the contractors? Your response to this question will help determine if we need to provide the intellectual property insurance coverage. 

Our original thinking was that we would own the program. We understand this might not be possible within our budget and we would like to have unlimited license to the site. If you are able to include pricing for both we would be able to choose the option that best fits our budget.

17.What is a challenge or contest? Exactly how does it work? Who needs what abilities with regard to the site? What does the site need to do?

Different schools have different incentives to encourage participation. This depends on the school and local business donations. Some schools raffle off a bicycle, some schools give away gift cards, burrito coupons or things I have not even thought of yet. ECO2mmute leaders (named Administrators in the Scope of Work) need to be able to communicate challenges and incentives to participants. An example of a challenge is students who log x number of miles in a week get a frozen yogurt from a local shop. Another could be students who eliminate x number of single occupancy car trips during the eCO2mmute challenge time are eligible for a bike raffle. The team that saves the greatest amount of CO2 wins a pizza party. There will be different administrators for different schools and each school should have its own page to communicate to its participants.  Please look at some of the recommended web sites to see other examples of challenges or incentives.

18.What exactly do students do to enter trip information, what is displayed as part of that process, and how is this aggregated into other displays?

It should be as simple and streamlined as possible for students to enter trip information. They should be able to go directly to their school site and it should be fast and easy, once entered it should show how much CO2 they have saved and it should keep track of their total number of trips and distance.  This information should aggregate with information about their team and their school.  Please look at some of the recommended web sites to see other examples of trip tracking tools.

19. Section 1. A. Purpose page 3 …through April 12, 2012 (initial web site launch), with future web site review and updates in June 2012 and June 2013…Can you explain these deadlines Can these be negotiated, or are these hard dates?

These deadlines are dictated by the scholastic calendar. We would like schools to be able to use the sites during the school year and be able to provide feedback after their event. Updates are scheduled during the summer months to maximize the number of schools able to provide input as to desired changes. If the suggested time line does not work for your company propose an alternate with a rational. Please review the answer to question #4 in the RFP questions and responses.

20. Will Climate Protection Campaign (CPC) consider extending the submission deadline?  More specifically, would CPC consider adding a pre-bid meeting/call to allow vendors to ask clarifications for specific scope requirements, timeline constraints, messaging, etc?

CPC considered a pre-bid meeting but felt it would be unfair to companies for whom distance is an issue. By keeping the question and answer period on line we are assuring that all proposers have equal access to both the asking of questions and the answers. Please review the answer to question #4 in the RFP questions and responses.

21.      Administrators should also be able to create and manage the blog, pages, slideshows, events, contests, and users.Would CPC consider a web solution that is hosted in an off-the-shelf Content Management System (ie: WordPress) that allows for embedding disparate components (ie: blog, widgets, forums, links).

Yes

22. The following features will also be part of the site: a forum for teachers; integration of Google Maps for trips or route finding; extending some of the contests to support simple fundraising; and some level of Facebook integration.Some of these requirements are not defined to the extent needed to properly scope the effort required.  Would CPC consider a pre-bid meeting/call for clarifications ?

See the answer to #22 above.

23. More clarification on quantities and locations of any Barcode tags and scanners.

Barcodes, tags and scanners would have to be purchased individually by schools interested in using that technology to track student participation. CPC is interested solely in the prospective cost of including programing that would allow interested schools to use barcode technology and the cost of any ongoing service that would need to be provided with that technology.

24. Any existing legal disclaimers or terms of use for the software? If not, do we need to budget for it?

The terms of use and licensing for software are pieces that will be incorporated into the final contract.  If an open source provider is used this won’t be an issue, otherwise please incorporate licensing and terms of use for software into your proposal and budget.

25. What is the minimum software liability insurance limit required.

In the case of open source software, the professional liability insurance will cover whatever coding the contractor does or chooses to utilize, if the contractor is using a commercial product then that product should come with some insurance.  So long as you have a professional liability requirement built into your proposal, the software liability insurance can be negotiated.  Insurance requirements are listed in Attachment A Service Agreement Section XIII.

26.Would CPC accept a solution that allows administrators to self-maintain online (web browser interface) editable page content?

We want a solution that allows administrators to edit content however we want proposers to suggest solutions that they feel best meets our goals. We understand there may multiple approaches to solving or doing this project.

27.  Does CPC have any specific capabilities that are desired on devices such as smartphones, or is the intent to provide access to the full site via WAP enabled phones?

Please see the answer to #14 in the RFP question and responses section. Right now we do not have a specific goal regarding apps for smart phones, however we would like the site to be accessible as possible. If the cost of enabling smart and WAP enabled phones is significant it should be included as a separate line item in the budget.

28.  “Green goals or challenges can be integrated onto school sites. Goals can be climate, distance, time or health related. Community business sponsors should be able to support contests and challenges at different school sites.” –This would probably be a visual thing only, only represented on the homepage for the school.  From that point of view it would be possible.  But to make this as economical efficient as possible, minimal changes beyond the homepage would be required, so they would not see these targets beyond the homepage, unless it was in editable content

We would like to see that each school has its own home page that has goals challenges and general performance statistics that anyone can access. We would also like to see more detailed information about teams and individual participation that is only accessible to participants from that school. Site administrators would have access to their schools home page and input data and edit information on their home page. Participants have access to information and are able to input personal data only.  We anticipate a template for all school home pages.

29. Is contractor expected to provide routine maintenance of the site other than one year intervals?

Yes. The one-year review dates are for updates and revisions after the end of the academic year when schools have had a chance to pilot the site and provide feedback. Routine maintenance will need to provided as needed.

30. Is the contractor expected to provide data analysis and reports to evaluate expected outcomes? If so, what is the expected number or frequency of reports needed.

The contractor is expected to provide a program that aggregates data for an individual, teams, schools and all participating entities. The data should include the amount of CO2 saved and the VMT saved (Vehicular Miles Traveled) and the number of trips traveled by alternative methods. Data may also include the number of calories burned and the amount of time spent exercising. The data should be updated as close to real time as possible.

31. We recommend that CPC adopt industry guidelines, whereby the CONTRACTOR would notify the client in the event they receive a cancellation notice, or when there is a material change in a policy, which affects the requirements in the contract. 

We have consulted our insurance provider and they have recommended no changes at this time.

32. RFP Attachment A, page 22, Article XIII.E: The last sentence in this article states that: “Also CLIENT has the right to demand, and to receive within a reasonable time period, copies of any insurance policies required under this Agreement.”  We request this requirement be eliminated. Certificates are generally sufficient to document the required coverage.

We have consulted our insurance provider and they have recommended no changes at this time.

Required Certificate of Addenda>

At the moment we’re still working to get phones and internet going but will respond to you as quickly as possible. Thanks for your understanding as we make this exciting transition.

The eC02mmute program will roll out in a few schools in the new year.

The Board Actions include:

• Developing more detailed information about governance structures
• Investigating the incorporation of significant new energy efficiency in order to reduce rates
• Evaluating varying “power mixes” to optimize the greenhouse gas emissions reductions and keep rates low
• Explore the idea of working with the Marin Energy Authority as a way to minimize program start-up costs

Ann Hancock addresses the Water Agency Board with 40 Friends at her back

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