PRESS RELEASE Sept. 10, 2009
Contact: Tona Barkley 502-320-3275 lightenupfrankfort@gmail.com

Ten Frankfort/Franklin County organizations launch
household greenhouse gas reduction project

To address climate change, ten Frankfort and Franklin County organizations are partnering this fall on a greenhouse gas reduction project that focuses on households. The project, called “Lighten Up, Frankfort!” is being promoted by Frankfort Climate Action Network (FrankfortCAN), an all-volunteer group in the community. Lighten Up, Frankfort! involves residents working together in small groups to reduce their household carbon footprints.

Members or employees of the organizations are forming teams of five to eight households that will meet four times and commit to actions that will reduce each household’s greenhouse gas emissions by 5,000 pounds per year. The teams are using a workbook called “The Low Carbon Diet,” which is available at discount to participants at Poor Richard’s Books.

List of participating organizations:
In addition to FrankfortCAN, Lighten Up teams are being formed at First Christian Church, Frankfort Chapter of the United Nations Association, Franklin County Cooperative Extension Service, Frankfort Electric & Water Plant Board, Frankfort Independent Schools, Kentucky State University, South Frankfort Neighborhood Association, South Frankfort Presbyterian Church Frankfort and the Unitarian Universalist Community of Frankfort. [ Kentucky State University’s Community Education Center was added after press release]

This year, FrankfortCAN decided to focus on household energy use following a recent study for the city of Frankfort that showed household operations produce 56% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the community. According to the study, 13.8 tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere every year for each Frankfort resident.

Americans make up 5% of world population but generate 25% of world greenhouse gas emissions. With CO2 in the atmosphere currently above the level that scientists consider safe, scientists believe emissions must begin to decrease immediately if the world is going to avoid the catastrophic consequences of unchecked climate change.
To introduce the community to Lighten Up, Frankfort!, FrankfortCAN and the Franklin County Extension Office are hosting a Climate Change Café. Members of the participating organizations as well as the general public are invited to discuss their hopes and concerns surrounding climate change and to learn more about how they can participate in Lighten Up, Frankfort! The Climate Change Café will take place Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office, 101 Lakeview Court.  Refreshments will be served.

Ten Frankfort organizations . . . Add One

Irma Johnson, Service Learning Coordinator at Kentucky State University’s Community Education Center, said she decided to lead a team at KSU “because I feel a responsibility to my grandchildren and
all people … yet to come.  How we manage and protect the environment over the next 100-plus years will be directly tied to our ability to enlighten our families, friends and communities at large.  People will support what they understand and value.”

  “We believe this is the first project of its kind in Kentucky,” said Connie Lemley of FrankfortCAN, “and we’re very excited about the organizations that have agreed to join the pilot project this fall.”

Lighten Up, Frankfort! will report the cumulative results of the fall project at a celebration in December. The group hopes to achieve annual greenhouse gas reductions of at least 200,000 pounds or 100 tons through the actions Lighten Up participants take this fall.

“Next year, our goal is to build on this fall’s experience and greatly expand participation,” said Tona Barkley, who is coordinating the project. “As people hear from friends about how fun and rewarding it is to do this, we think many more teams will be formed in the future by people who want to save money and contribute to a global climate solution, and we’ll make a big dent in our community’s carbon footprint.”

FrankfortCAN has been working in Frankfort and Franklin County since 2007 to raise awareness of the climate crisis and promote positive action to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. The group produced Going Green Festivals in 2007 and 2008; worked with the city of Frankfort for two years on the Mayor’s Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Climate Change and the subsequent assessment of the city’s carbon emissions, completed in early 2009; organizes the annual Capitol Area Solar Tour, which takes place on the first Saturday in October; and continues to work to create a more sustainable Franklin County.