To Kirsch, no signs means smaller carbon footprint

For City Councilman Jim Kirsch, abandoning yard signs, a mainstay of local elections, was just one part of his plan to create a local campaign that looks different than those that have been run in the past.

Kirsch said the decision to ditch the signs, part of his goal to reduce the carbon footprint of his campaign by 70 percent, was also part of a drive to remake local campaigns.

"I wanted my campaign to be more than just a slogan and a name on a yard sign," he said.

So Kirsch released the first of three online videos last week on YouTube.com. The videos, which are found by searching for "Jim Kirsch" on the popular video-sharing Web site. The first installment is "Who Is Jim Kirsch," to be followed by videos on the economy and getting out the vote. The first video had been 374 times Tuesday, according to YouTube.com.

"After Barack Obama was elected I felt it was clear that we could change the way we campaign," Kirsch said.

As to reducing the overall carbon footprint of his campaign, Kirsch said his staff estimated that the yard signs had the largest impact, between the amount of gas required to deliver and pick them up and the actual materials that go into them. That made up most of the goal, they believe, reducing the footprint by about 60 percent. The balance is going to be made up by drastically reducing the amount of direct mail, Kirsch said.

The choice to eliminate the use of yard signs isn't without risks though. "Everyone that's run a campaign told me it was political suicide," he said. He also said he was glad that several other candidates chose to join him in eschewing the signs, but to those that didn't, he said that was their choice.

"If someone chooses to use yard signs, that's not bad, that's their right," he said.