Making Petaluma an Even Cooler City
When Petaluma recently received a $1M Cool Cities Challenge grant alongside LA and Irvine, it raised some eyebrows. But according to Natasha Juliana, Campaign Director at Cool Petaluma, those larger communities have a lot to learn from us – and the Cool Cities project intersects with Friends’ initiatives in promising and exciting ways.
We’re a much smaller community than the other awardees. How did Petaluma compete with those cities?
You could turn that around say they’re competing with us! We’re so ahead of the game on climate initiatives that our LA colleagues have coined a phrase: “the Petaluma effect’.
Part of what makes us unique is our size. Petaluma is big enough to feel like a city but small enough to have a strong sense of community. While you don’t know everyone, you probably know someone who does. That gives us the critical mass and grassroots network for Cool Cities to succeed.
Another feather in our cap was the consistent action we’ve taken over the years. We’d already set ourselves apart by setting a goal to become carbon-neutral by 2030. Our city was a leader in passing a climate emergency resolution, which set the stage for our Climate Action Commission and Climate Emergency Framework. We couldn’t have done this without the support and advocacy of Petaluma residents, key decision-makers, and vibrant organizations like Friends of the Petaluma River.
2030 is right around the corner. What motivated Petaluma to set such an ambitious goal to go carbon-neutral?
We’ve had the fortune of being spared during recent fire seasons, but residents of nearby towns often evacuate to Petaluma. Many of us know someone who lost a home to fire, and we’ve all faced drought and smoke. For us, climate change isn’t theoretical – we’re living it now. I find a short-term goal powerful and empowering. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road; now is the time to act.
How will Cool Cities advance carbon neutrality?
When it comes to achieving our goals, we need “top-down” measures like ambitious goals, but we also need “bottom-up” approaches to activate our community. The Cool Cities project is recruiting 300 Cool Block leaders across Petaluma. We already have 50 Cool Block leaders recruited and another 57 about to begin.
Together with their neighbors, the Cool Block leaders will take meaningful action in five areas: disaster resilience, carbon reduction, water stewardship, neighborhood livability, and empowering others. As you might imagine, water stewardship is an area closely related to the work of Friends.
How do Friends and Cool Cities work together?
Our missions are closely aligned, so Friends and Cool Cities are natural partners. I think of us as allies and thought partners. The Upper Petaluma watershed is critically important to all of us. Like most of us, I haven’t explored the area, and when I started envisioning what the area could mean for Petaluma, I was excited. In Sonoma County, 60% of our emissions are from transportation. Since the watershed is flat, it could become an enjoyable, safe place to walk, bike, and hike, whether that’s for recreation or as a way to move between parts of Petaluma.
We also share the concern in flood control. Our sea level could be 1.9 feet higher in 2050, when a child born today would be just 28 years old. Rising water levels would threaten homes and our historic downtown. Protecting the Upper Petaluma watershed would help prevent that scenario from coming to pass.
If you’d like to join us, we continue to welcome Cool Block leaders and offer additional volunteer opportunities. We’re particularly looking for leaders in the eastern side of Petaluma and in surrounding areas. As long as you have a Petaluma mailing address, you’re eligible to participate.
What would success look like for Cool Cities?
I would love to have all of Petaluma on board by 2025. We want everyone to have a way to be involved. It’s incredibly energizing to have a positive vision of where you want to go and be part of a large movement striving to get there. While climate change can feel overwhelming, we can make a meaningful difference together.