Our CGIU Commitment to Action is to install 26,041 CFL's to low-income communities within Atlanta, GA. As part of our Let's Raise a Million project (LRAM,) a four-year, student-led, policy-driven and community-centered urban ecological initiative, we seek to connect underrepresented communities with leading environmental and climate justice organizations. Harnessing the economic and environmental benefits of the energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb, when successful, our CGIU Commitment to Action of Let's Raise a Million will save low-income households $2,395,772 in direct savings while reducing the air pollution equivalence of 2,021.62 cars (for one year) or offsetting the carbon equivalence of planting 2,241.09 acres of forest (EnergyStar.)

Goals

Why 26,041 CFLs?- Since LRAM is a 208-week or four-year commitment to raise/install one million light bulbs, 26,041 denotes the initial five-weeks that shall serve as the pilot of the larger LRAM program. This scale-able, specific and measurable time span is also known as "The CGIU First 5."



Goals Include:

1. Identifying target neighborhoods.

2. Light bulb installations that will facilitate kitchen table discussions about energy use and efficiency.

3. Conduct household energy audits.

4. Track continued use and replacement of compact fluorescent light bulbs.

5. Connect households with local partners with capacity to conduct weatherization.



Strategic Partnerships Outreach:

1. Make first contact with Georgia Power Company (Atlanta Pilot)

2. Make first contact with DTE Energy (Detroit Pilot)

3. Identify 30 community partners*

4. Register LRAM with Energy Star's "Change a Light, Change the World" Campaign

5. Register LRAM with OneBillionBulbs.com



*LRAM Community Partners (college chapters, churches, community-based organizations, etc.) Responsible for:

-Identifying Target Neighborhoods

-Installation of Compact Fluorescent Light Bubs

-Educational Outreach and Tracking of Households

Plan

Our program will engage communities "where they are" on the grassroots level. In other words, Lets Raise a Million must directly deliver its service to those in need of it. This engagement assumes that simply supplying compact fluorescent light bulbs to low-income households will not fully leverage the resources of this campaign.



To achieve our ambitious objectives, we must screw in the very light bulb that we are supplying! Therefore, a major component of Lets Raise a Million shall be the creation of an extensive field operations team. Our primary engagement arm, the exchange brigade, will: identify strategic partners for outreach; connect with low-income households; conduct light bulb energy assessments; and measure, then report the impact of the program.



With the assistance of Campus Progress and the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative we will design an engagement protocol, in partnership with existing community partners, that will ensure that recipients of LRAM are treated with dignity and respect throughout the entire engagement/installation process.



Preliminary Targets:

- Conduct first large-scale LRAM demonstration (April 2008)

- Assemble steering committee to develop LRAM business plan (May 2008)

- Establish coordinating Office by (July 2008)

-Spring/Summer 2008: Official kickoff and national expansion