Sacramento, CA — March 17, 2008 — CARB Chairman Mary Nichols and the British Council introduced California’s 15 Climate Champions today during a rooftop ceremony at the Cal EPA Building in Sacramento.

California's 15 Climate Champions will participate in a “climate camp” in California this summer and engage in an on-line peer network to share ideas and encourage others to get involved.

Based on a similar program started in the United Kingdom, California’s champions will educate peers, fellow students and communities on the impacts of climate change along with steps they can take at the individual level to reduce their carbon emissions. Typical measures include energy efficiency steps at home, recycling and encouraging carpooling and public transit.

“These amazing, inspirational teens have rightfully accepted global warming as the challenge of their generation, and they want to lead the charge on solutions,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “While ARB will take care of the regulatory approach to cutting California’s greenhouse gas emissions, we’ll be counting on the champions to help effect change household to household.”

ARB and British Council staff interviewed more than three dozen high school students – and reviewed many more applications – in selecting the 15 teenagers who were announced today. The judges selected the winners based on their knowledge of the topic, their enthusiasm to effect change and their communications skills.

Three of the champions (Rebecca Chan, Sophia Angelis and Marvin Salazar) will travel to London next week to meet with other Climate Champions from 12 other countries, and then will fly to Kobe, Japan in May to attend a summit of the G8 environment ministers. All 15 will participate in a “climate camp” in California this summer and engage in an on-line peer network to share ideas and encourage others to get involved.

The Climate Champions are:
• Adam Raudonis, Westlake High School, Westlake Village
• Rebecca Chan, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad
• Arielle Gillman, Oak Park High School, Oak Park
• Patrick Ouziel, Miramonte High School, Orinda
• Devin Finzer, Miramonte High School, Orinda
• Anna Murveit, Menlo-Atherton High School, Atherton
• Jordan Hollarsmith, Lick-Wilmerding High, San Francisco
• Charlotte Poplawski, Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes Estates
• Leah Roh, Marlborough High School, Los Angeles
• Aliya White, Vistamar School, El Segundo
• Isaac Plant, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto
• Sophia Angelis, Rim of the World High School, Lake Arrowhead
• Rachel Tapper Spiegel, Pacific Collegiate School, Santa Cruz
• Alexander Lee, Golden Sierra High School, Garden Valley
• Marvin Salazar, Richmond High, Richmond

Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB32 in September 2006, requiring ARB to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, roughly a 25 percent decrease. ARB staff have accounted for about a fifth of the necessary emissions reductions thus far, and will account for the rest later this year with the release of its “scoping plan.”

For more information on the Climate Champions program, visit:
www.climatechamps.org
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/climatechampions/climatechampions.htm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/lcf-international-climate-champions-about.htm