Los Alamos County picks “Give a Shift” for climate-action campaign

Los Alamos County’s new climate slogan won on style, but the county is betting on substance. “Give a Shift” took 39% of 208 resident votes, and officials say the tagline is meant to push practical changes that could affect utility bills, commuting, waste, and what families buy and eat.

The campaign sits inside the County’s Council-adopted Climate Action Plan, a seven-year effort aimed at a 100% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. County materials say that plan grew out of work by the citizen-led Los Alamos Resiliency, Energy & Sustainability, or LARES, Task Force in 2022. That history matters because the new outreach is being framed not as a branding exercise, but as a behavior-change campaign tied to long-term carbon cuts.

County sustainability staff said the effort is intended to help residents think about actions that can lower costs, improve family health and reduce environmental impact. The survey that shaped the campaign asked what kinds of initiatives people would most likely support, including energy efficiency, alternative transportation and zero-waste. Residents who responded said they were most open to reducing single-use plastics, buying locally grown food, reducing food waste and walking or biking for local trips.

The outreach is being led by Firebrand Creative, which is using a visual style that blends connection and nature with atomic and molecular elements, a nod to Los Alamos’ scientific identity. County procurement documents describe the work as a strategic marketing and engagement plan designed to activate residents to take climate actions that support the Climate Action Plan. Angelica Gurule, the County’s Sustainability Manager, said the county wanted the effort to “spark curiosity” and inspire everyday stewardship.

The first public push will come at the PEEC Earth Day Festival at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 2600 Canyon Road, on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PEEC says the event will be free and include engaging activities, entertainment and food. At the County’s sustainability booth, residents can pick up a climate-action bingo card or download one online for a chance to win a prize.

For Los Alamos, the question is whether a catchy phrase becomes a durable public-engagement tool. County officials are signaling that “Give a Shift” is supposed to do more than decorate a flyer. It is meant to keep climate policy tied to choices residents make every day, from the thermostat to the grocery store to the trip across town.