The Foundation
Since 1990, Generation Green (a 501c3) has sought to inform and encourage environmental action in CCC. The mission of Generation Green is to educate and inspire local residents and stakeholders in Contra Costa County to Reduce Our Impact on the Earth, to Reuse Our Materials, to Respect Our Planet and to empower citizens to implement sustainable actions to reduce our carbon footprint.
In 2007, Generation Green launched the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders Program. 4CL’s first action was a collaboration with ICLEI, to get cities to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection agreement and take up the ICLEI five step process to reduce GHGs.
We are proud to announce that as of September 2012 we have been Green Business Certified by the California Green Business Program. As part of our application we have developed and adopted an Environmental Purchasing Policy.
Acting as executive director, former Moraga Mayor Lynda Deschambault provides project oversight. Funding is provided from corporate donations and grants.
The Project
The mission of the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders Program (4CL) is to help cities take action and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in Contra Costa County (CCC). To facilitate regional action, we monitor activities, provide free resources and tools and a multimedia communications strategy that ensures best practices are shared and implemented. Joined by elected officials, paid staff, volunteer advocates and grassroots organizations, we are ALL climate leaders in CCC.
The Purpose
The 19 cities in CCC are some of the fastest growing areas in the Bay Area. It is critical that CCC utilize smart growth opportunities and cities share best practices for many reasons:
The County’s emission rate in tons/person is the highest of all the Bay Area counties.
- The population is significant in size (1 million as compared to Alameda’s 1.4 million).
- The growth rate of CCC (8%) is much higher than the other counties and higher than California as a whole (6%).
With the passage of AB32 and SB375 these numbers become significant, and our organization becomes even more important in achieving regional goals.
The Benefits
There are no dues or fees or to use the tools and resources provided. We are all volunteers working for the same cause: to reduce GHG emissions in our cities. We provide the following:
Collaboration opportunities to share best practices
- The monthly newsletter
- Regularly updated website
- Periodic workshops
To sign up, please email info@cccclimateleaders.org.
Board Members
Lynda Deschambault, President & Co-founder
Co-Founder of Generation Green, Lynda holds a degree in Soil Science, with a focus on Environmental Chemistry and an M.B.A. in Management/Organizational Development. She has more than 37 years of experience as an Environmental Scientist and Educator. She has served 5 years on the East Bay Regional Park District’s Parks Advisory Committee. The first 21 years of her career was focused on environmental analysis, identifying and informing communities about the concentrations and types of contamination found in soil, water, air and fish tissue. Lynda then made a career shift and spent her next 20 years trying to do something about it. Concentrating on community outreach, inspections, enforcement pollution prevention and environmental cleanup for the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Lynda often focused her efforts on working with schools, tribes and environmental justice communities. She participated in two overseas activities in African third world countries with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). Lynda established EPA Region 9’s first Green Cities Program. Lynda also founded the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders (4CL) Program in 2007, providing outreach tools and assistance to local government decision makers to address climate change. Recognizing that local actions move the world: Lynda also served as an elected official and Mayor to the Town of Moraga. She is currently studying Spanish, meditation and seeking employment opportunities to inspire the next generation to address climate change. In her spare time, she likes to travel, scuba dive, garden, study herbology, and walk her Siberian husky!
Linda Flower, Director
Linda was born in Ann Arbor Michigan to an academic family. She earned a BS in zoology from the University of Michigan in 1976. Following graduation, she trained to become a respiratory therapist at the University of Chicago. She worked as a respiratory therapist for five years at hospitals in Michigan and California. Upon moving to California she pursued a teaching certificate through the Los Angeles Unified School District. She taught high school biology for 10 years at LA Unified while achieving her masters degree in plant eco-physiology At Cal State University Los Angeles.. Linda and her family uprooted to the Bay Area where she continued to teach science. Linda retired after 40 years of work and immediately focused her attention on understanding and mitigating the climate crisis. She completed a Climate Reality Leadership Training program in Miami, started and now partly run by vice president Al Gore. Since then she has volunteered tirelessly in the community and around the country through climate presentations, speaking up at municipal and state governmental meanings, tabling at climate expo events, etc. Linda enjoys the outdoors especially when skiing, hiking or running. She lives with her husband in Lafayette, California.
Peggy Hall, Director
Peggy was raised in a family of five kids in a small desert town in Southern California. She started her college career as a Banana Slug at UC Santa Cruz, and went on to receive her BA from Saint Mary’s College. Peggy has owned a tax preparation and planning business for over 35 years with over 500 clients. She is an Enrolled Agent (EA) licensed by the US Treasury. To become an EA there is a gruelling 4 part test and continuing education requirements every year. Peggy has been very involved in the community. Serving as the local EA board President for two years and on the Board of Directors for many years. Peggy has served 5 years on the Moraga Chamber board of directors and 2 years on the Lion’s club Board of Directors. For several years she serves as the Lamorinda Rep of the Mt Diablo League of Women voters . She also spends a lot of time volunteering for various organizations in many different capacities. One of her favorites: Inner City Outings (ICO) volunteering let’s her take inner city kids hiking, camping and backpacking. Peggy’s current household includes the most wonderful and beautiful cat and dog which entertain her and each other. Her passion is backpacking the great outdoors.
Wietske Medema, Director
Dr. Wietske Medema is fiercely committed to bringing communities into a regenerative and equitable green economy. She is a co-founder and the Environmental Equity Director of Frontline Catalysts – a Bay Area-based women-led organization that empowers frontline youth through community science projects and civic engagement. Wietske has worked for more than 15 years in environmental projects with various organizations across the world. Her strong interest in water and the environment has centered around applied research – where science serves to resolve socio-environmental issues affecting specific groups or communities. Medema is a co-author of the Bay Area Green New Deal and a co-founder of the Bay Area Green New Deal Alliance, which brings together environmental groups, labor, and civic officials. She is a tireless organizer of public town halls, educational forums, and city official workshops. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Wietske loves to take her two children to see family and friends back home. She holds a PhD in Integrated and Adaptive Water Resources Management from Cranfield University in the UK, and a Postdoc in Water Resources Management from McGill University in Canada.
Mark Van Laduyt, Director
Mark Van Landuyt is the Outreach Projects Director for the Healthy Work Campaign. Mark is excited to help form a national coalition of workers, labor, and business around Healthy Work. Mark is also co-founder of the California Bay Area Green New Deal Alliance and a director of Generation Green. Mark has worked as policy director for Barack Obama and countless other campaigns. A former Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, Mark has forwarded progressive policies on the state and grassroots level. Mark is former executive producer of the Jimmy Dore Show, an online program with over a million YouTube subscribers originating on the Pacifica Radio Networ. Co writing of the bes selling book: Your Country is Just Not that Into You.