Park City, UT

Local Sustainability Matching Fund Proposal

Spring 2012

Purpose:

Funding will launch a replicable, Latino-specific outreach component of the Low Carbon Diet program. Households will reduce emissions, save money, and contribute to community goals.

Brief description of project goals, strategy, and key activities:

This project will connect with Park City’s Latino population and inspire participation in local environmental efforts, specifically the Low Carbon Diet community challenge that was launched in 2011. While Park City has established itself as a model community for environmental initiatives and sustainability on many fronts, we have failed to include our growing base of Latinos (estimated at 24% of area population) in these efforts. Through a partnership including The Park City Foundation, Park City Municipal Corporation, and others we will overcome past deficiencies and draw on the potential and promise of our Latino population to advance shared sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

The Low Carbon Diet is a community-based program that engages households and encourages them to reduce their carbon footprint while saving on monthly expenses. Emissions reductions are achieved via an assortment of strategies including behavioral changes, energy efficiency upgrades, reduced water consumption, waste and recycling improvements, transportation changes, and dietary choices. This project will adapt currently available program materials, and leverage staff experience in community-based social marketing, to develop a program tailored for our Latino population.

Funding will be used to hire a part-time, bilingual coordinator who understands Park City’s Latino culture and can develop an effective, face-to-face outreach strategy. Additionally, an energy efficiency “Starter Package” and community events will be used to incentivize participation. In addition to driving CO2 reductions, this project will support low-income individuals living with budget constraints and bring together community members around a vision for responsible living at a grassroots level.

Sustainability Priority Area(s):

Large Scale Behavior Change