Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter: September 2009

Sunnyvale Cool Green E- Letter
September 24, 2009
 
Local Conservation News 

• Energy Efficiency Stimulus funds help save money, reduce pollution.

The City will use energy-efficiency stimulus money to replace existing street lights with energy-efficient LEDs.  Replacing the existing lamps will reduce the City's energy use and therefore save tax dollars and reduce air pollution and carbon emissions.  LED  street lamps had already undergone field-testing on Fremont Avenue. 
 
The City will also direct stimulus dollars toward expanding Acterra's Green @ Home program in Sunnyvale. The program trains volunteers to "meet with residents in their homes to install simple energy-saving devices and create home energy conservation plans." These basic energy-efficiency audits are free of charge. In addition to training volunteer energy-efficiency auditors, Acterra matches volunteers with interested residents, supplies the needed equipment and devices, and follows up with the resident. This program provides Sunnyvale with the opportunity to create our own trained team of home energy-efficiency experts, able to help their neighbors save energy and money at home and help reduce air and global warming pollution.  To learn more or to volunteer in this community effort, contact Acterra:  
http://www.acterra.org/programs/greenathome/index.html
 

• Plastic bag bans on the roll.  A plastic bag ban made a smooth debut in Palo Alto, September 18. http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_13369637  On September 22, San Jose's City Council voted to ban most single-use  plastic and paper bags starting in 2011.  http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_13369637   According to Save the Bay, plastic bags clog wetlands, strangle wildlife, harm water quality, force downtime when fed into recycling equipment, and take hundreds of years to break down in the landfill.  "Californians use about 19 billion plastic bags each year, 3.8 million in the Bay Area. The average use time for the bags - made using about 12 million barrels of oil each year in the United States - is about 12 minutes."   http://www.savesfbay.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspxc=dgKLLSOwEnH&b=673127&ct=7496215

Sunnyvale City Council Election Key Dates:

• First City-Sponsored Candidate Debate: Thursday, September 24, 7 PM, Council Chambers  http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/News+Releases/2009+News+Releases/08+15+09.htm
• SNAIL Candidates Forum: Saturday, October 3, 5-7 PM, Fair Oaks Park Building.
• League of Women Voters Candidate Forum: Thursday, October 8, 7-9 PM, Council Chambers.   
• Second City-Sponsored Candidate Debate: Tuesday, October 13, 7-9 PM, Council Chambers
• Election Day:  November 3

Next Sunnyvale Cool General Meeting:  Thursday, October 22, 7-8:30 PM, Toyota Sunnyvale, Second Floor Classroom.  Guest Speaker:  Dustin Clark, Sunnyvale's Sustainability Coordinator. 
 
Also of  community and local eco-interest:

• State of the City Celebration:  Saturday, September 26, 11-2, Heritage Park Museum, 570 E. Remington Drive.  Annual event including community awards, $4 BBQ lunch and music.  http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/News+Releases/2009+News+Releases/09+05+09.htm
• The National Parks: America's Greatest Idea:  Sunday, September 27- Friday, October 2, 8 PM with rebroadcast at 10 PM.  http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/nationalparks/
• West Coast Green (Green Building Expo):  October 1-3, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. http://www.westcoastgreen.com/  $45 at the door for floor show only/or volunteer
• GreenPoint Showcase Home Tour.  Sunday, October 4, 10 AM-5 PM. $10.  http://www.ktvu.com/builditgreen/index.html
• Commuter Tax Benefit Workshop, Wednesday, October 7, 8 AM-noon, Sunnyvale Community Center (550 E Remington), Ballroom.  Learn how to implement pre-tax benefit program.  http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/Office+of+the+City+Manager/Communications/GreenSunnyvale.htm
• Free Water-Wise Landscaping Class, Saturday, October 10, 9 AM-noon,  Sunnyvale Community Center (550 E. Remington), Neighborhood Room.  http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/Office+of+the+City+Manager/Communications/GreenSunnyvale.htm
• Dr. Tim  Flannery, Chair of Copenhagen Climate Council Speaks at Commonweath Club event:  Wednesday, October 21, 6:30 PM, Cubberley Community Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.  $18 for non-members. Reservations and tickets: https://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=17&shcode=1364
• International Day of Climate Action, Saturday, October 24. http://tcktcktck.org/events/major-moments/350org-s-international-day-climate-action
• United Nations Climate Change Conference:  December 7-18 

Armchair Activist

Huge decisions greatly impacting our national and international response to climate change will be made during the last few months of this year.  If there was ever a time to get involved at the national and international level, this is it. 
 
The US Senate will soon consider climate and energy legislation. (The first climate bill ever to pass either house has already been approved by the House of Representatives.)  A strong Senate bill and a strong conference bill is needed to improve the chances of a fair, ambitious, and binding international agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 7-18)
 
An easy way to keep up with these world-changing events and weigh-in supporting decisive action to minimize climate change is to regularly sign on to or register at a climate change activist site and receive regular updates and options for further action (usually letter writing and calling).  The movement needs you to help protect our planet for future generations.  Some choices:
 
http://tcktcktck.org/
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Signup_Hotline&autologin=true
http://www.350.org/
http://repoweramerica.org/
http://www.edf.org/home.cfm