Why Andy Hattala applied to be a Cool Block Leader:

The Climate Crisis has no simple solutions, all manner of solutions at all levels and degrees must be employed to effectively combat it and establish a truly sustainable society and world. Due to the severity, coordinated mitigation and adaptation strategies and efforts must be developed and enacted. These approaches engender and undergird a truly sustainable city, which is also a resilient city. The establishment of such a city and society requires change and change requires leadership. Although I am an engaged citizen and activist-member of multiple environmental organizations, I understand that I can and must do more. I also believe that I can assist others within my neighborhood, environmental chapter(s), university and city to take additional action to become resilient, modify their lifestyle(s) and lessen the crisis. I am prepared if given the opportunity to work alongside others to transform society, action by action, building by building and block by block until cities, nations and societies are remade into a sustainable if not regenerative iterations. I would like to participate in a grass roots, bottom up, community approach (like that of the Cool Block program) to the climate crisis and associated effects-drought, wildfire, etc., further proving the effectiveness of the approach. I agree that communities can and will change/become more sustainable as needed, but also model and inspire successive and greater sustainable change. In turn, this will influence and lead to top down change as community members will expect and demand sustainable government, policies and infrastructure as well as sustainable businesses and consumption. Organized and structured change (like that espoused by the Cool Blocks Program) is more effective than ad hoc or organic change, and I would like to be a leader providing such organization and catalyzing such change and transformation.