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There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.
You can make a huge difference!
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To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter,
South Bay Watch,
click here |
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Where Does Your City Rank in the
SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program
Platinum Tier
20% Energy Reduction
Stay Tuned
Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction
City of Hawthorne
City of Lomita
Silver Tier
5% Energy Reduction
City of Carson
City of El Segundo
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Inglewood
City of Manhattan Beach
City of Redondo Beach
Valued Level:
City of Lawndale
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of Rolling Hills
City of Torrance
City of Gardena
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Message From the Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Programs
Summer has officially arrived and the countdown has begun for the 2012 London Olympics, with the opening gala on Friday, July 27, 2012. Behind the scenes of the athletic competitions, are lessons to be learned from our brothers and sisters across the shining sea. Specifically, why are the Olympic trials in London relevant to our efforts in fostering a sustainable South Bay?
Answers to that question are found in some of the articles within this newsletter meant to pique your interest. Innovative strategies that are environmentally sound are being "put into play" in such areas as housing and transporting athletes and visitors, food preparation and waste, green building design, and construction of re-usable viewing stands. Planning details take into account the local weather patterns, topography, natural resources, built environment, and behaviors of the locals as well as guests. What we don't know are the unintended consequences, such as the impact of the "text generation" on travel choices, communication venues or even ticket sales. Read on - there is so much more to the story.
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London Olympics 2012
Sustainable Features Lead To Green Games
In 2010, Vancouver set a high standard for environmentally friendly Olympics with sustainability initiatives launched in conjunction with the Winter Games. Now, London's Olympic organizers have an ambitious plan to host the "first truly sustainable" games later this year. That's a bold goal, considering all the other tasks and issues that go with being the host of the world's highest-profile sporting event. Most athletes will have a few minutes or even a few seconds in the spotlight this summer, but London will be on camera for nearly three weeks, with the user-friendliness of its venues, basic services for visitors and event security under the media microscope.
Read More
Read About the 6 Greenest Olympic Buildings This Summer! |
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What is the South Bay Connection to the Olympic Games?
 Revisiting Los Angeles 1984 Olympics and Examining London's Approach towards Sustainability
The current student housing at California State University at Dominguez Hills was actually built for athlete housing for the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics. Green Building standards were not nearly what they are today. A few years ago the South Bay Environmental Services Center, working in Partnership with the City of Carson, pulled together West Basin Municipal Water District, Southern California Edison and The Gas Company to retrofit, at no cost to the University, the student housing. Over the winter break, the Partnership installed compact fluorescent light bulbs, high efficiency toilets, low- flow showerheads as well as faucet aerators. This not only helped to reduce energy and water use but, costs as well.
London's 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games have an entirely different ethic. "Sustainability was an important element of our bid and underpins our preparations and our vision for the legacy of London 2012" London 2012 Chairman, Seb Coe.
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 Loyal SBESC Volunteer Passes
Loretta Anne Brennan Harrison - May 16, 1931 - May 30, 2012 Loretta (Lori) was born to Michael and Flora on May 16, 1931 in Kansas City. She married Deacon Russell Joseph Harrison on March 12, 1955 after only knowing each other for 6 weeks. They were happily married for 46 years before Russell passed away. Together they had 9 children, 24 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Her family and husband were always her top priorities but every stranger became her friend and eventually a part of the family. Her hobbies included sewing and gardening. She worked several hours each week on her beautiful collection of roses and various flowers. In her old age, she became computer savvy and loved catching up with friends on Facebook.
Read More |
AQMD OnThe Air
Jacki Bacharach
As part of the AQMD "On the Air" series, SBCCOG Executive Director, Jacki Bacharach is interviewed as one of the air quailty leaders in the southern California region.
Check It Out Here |
Businesses with Green Practices
greeNG: Greening Northrop Grumman
"It's pronounced 'green N-G'-not 'grung,' " says Northrop Grumman's Christina Kull to a group of high school student interns during her presentation on the company's "greeNG" program.
Kull chairs the greeNG Employee Resource Group at Northrop Grumman's aerospace operations in El Segundo, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. Since it began in 2008, greeNG has combined employee engagement (more than 800 employee volunteers locally) and company sustainability goals. The 'Big Three' of Northrop Grumman's green goals are:
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 Energy Upgrade California
So Cal Gas Incentives for EUC
There is exciting and timely news for our Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) friends! Southern California Gas Co has increased its incentives for customers served by municipal utilities in the Los Angeles County area who participate in Energy Upgrade California (EUC). The incentives being offered by So Cal Gas are in addition to the rebates currently offered by LA County.
Read More
Commercial Clean Energy Financing Alliance to Standardize PACE Financing for Energy Upgrades
Los Angeles--In an effort to make Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing more widely available and accessible, a multi-jurisdictional Commercial Clean Energy Financing Alliance (Alliance) is launching, bringing together leaders and experts at the forefront of PACE financing programs to share knowledge, skills, and tools with interested communities in California. A partnership of the C40-Clinton Climate Initiative, San Francisco, Los Angeles County, the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, and the Florida Green Finance Authority, the Alliance marks a major step forward in the green building movement.
Read More |
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The Gas Company
Discover How Energy Efficiency Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Learn how energy efficiency can be your best option for reducing GHGs at your business. Our energy-efficiency rebates and incentives make saving energy even easier.
Let us know your GHG reduction goals. We can help you achieve them at no cost to you. We're experts at finding heat recovery, condensate return, insulation and other opportunities.
Find Out More |
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Southern California Edison
Be Summer Savvy
Summer's here, and with it, opportunities to save energy. A few simple tips will help you get started and stay in control of your energy use. You can also earn bill credits on Save Power Days, get a customized program with the Home Energy Advisor, and make efficient upgrades and investments with rebates and incentives. Taking advantage of all your summer savings options will help keep your cooling costs down and your home efficiency up.
Read More |
L.A. Metro
South Bay Employers Can Ease Their Employees Ride to Work
The South Bay Environmental Services Center (SBESC), a program of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, in partnership with Los Angeles County Metro, encourages residents and employees in the South Bay to consider vanpooling. Businesses should also know about this option for their employees. Vanpoolers that participate in Metro's program can save up to 70% off their usual commute costs if they switch from driving alone. With the rising fuel costs, vanpooling is a cost savings strategy for any household and eases the ride to work.
Find Out More |
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Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Green Energy from Waste
More than 128 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough for about 170,000 homes, are produced by ten of the Sanitation Districts'
facilities. This not only makes the Sanitation Districts one of the top producers of green energy from waste in the country, it also
reduces the net energy consumption for the entire agency to almost zero.
See Detailed Infographic |
West Basin Municipal Water D istrict
Update: Water Efficiency Master Plan 2011-2015
West Basin Municipal Water District has updated its Water Efficiency Master Plan, calculated water savings achieved under the 2010 Conservation Master Plan, and collaborated with all of its customer agencies to create individual master plans for its customer retail agencies that help achieve the State-mandated 20% by 2020 water conservation targets. Learn More |
 City of Torrance Centennial Parade Application -
Parade Date: September 16, 2012
Applications Due: August 16, 2012 The City of Torrance invites you to participate in the Downtown Torrance Centennial Parade! This community event is an exciting way to celebrate the past, present, and future of Torrance, California. Click Here for More Details and to Register |
Sabrina Bornstein is our new Environmental Programs Specialist working on climate action planning in the South Bay. Sabrina joins the SBESC with expertise in a range of green economy sectors, having worked most recently on waste and recycling policy as a Policy Analyst with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy and on the clean technology attraction strategy for the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Before moving to Southern California in 2007, she worked on housing policy and land use projects in New York City and San Francisco. She holds a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from Stanford University and a master's degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. Outside of work, Sabrina enjoys exploring the amazing hikes that the region offers, shopping at local farmers' markets and learning to cook and bake new recipes. She is excited to collaborate with the South Bay cities, communities and partners in realizing the vision for a sustainable South Bay. |
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Legislation Corner
Energy Commission Approves More Efficient Buildings for California's Future - Better Windows, Whole House Fans, Solar-Ready Roofs Considered
SACRAMENTO - In a move to reduce energy costs, save consumers money, and increase comfort, the California Energy Commission unanimously approved energy efficiency standards for new homes and commercial buildings.
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| Cities in the News
Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach
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A Tale of 2 Transit Systems
Battery-Powered Buses Enter the Mainstream
Better lithium ion batteries have led to an increased availability of plug-in passenger cars. And now, thanks to relatively cheap electricity and the simplicity of the electric drivetrain, electric vehicles have even more potential for use in the extremely cost-sensitive public transportation arena-a concept that is only just taking root.
Read More |
California Energy Commission Awards $35M for Alternative Fuels Development
$10.1 Million to Propel Biofuels, Inc.
Propel Biofuels, Inc., will receive $10.1 million as a share of the cost to install 101 new E85 (ethanol) fueling facilities at existing gas fueling stations statewide. As there are currently just 51 publicly accessible E85 fueling stations in the state*, this project will greatly enlarge the network of stations that can serve the approximately 500,000 flex fuel vehicles in California. Propel Biofuels is based in Redwood City.
Read More
* 2 of these are located in the South Bay: Wilmington and Harbor City. Click here to see where.
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It's clear that energy-efficient features can increase a property's value. But what's not so obvious is how each element contributes to the overall boost -- and how property owners can use this information to maximize their efforts for the largest payoff.
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The People's Choice: An All-in-One, Mobile Utility Meter
Deemed the "energy bill of the future" by its developers, VELObill gathers all of the data on your utility usage - electricity, natural gas and water - into one view, available on a Web page, tablet or smartphone. The app is driven by so-called Green Button data, which many utilities are now starting to offer to their customers.
Read More |
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June / July 2012 Workshops & Trainings
Greening Your Home with Energy Upgrade California and WR 2020
June 27, 2012
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
SBESC Office
20285 S Western Ave, Suite 100, Torrance 90501
Retro Commissioning, Operations, Maintenance Training
June 28, 2012
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
SBESC Office
20285 S Western Ave, Suite 100, Torrance 90501
CA Advanced Lighting Controls Training
June 28, 2012
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
SBESC Office
20285 S Western Ave, Suite 100, Torrance 90501
Ocean Friendly Garden Workshop
June 30, 2012
10:00am - 1:00 pm
Michael Landon Centerat Bluffs Park
24250 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu 90265
Greening Your Home with Energy Upgrade CA and Water Reliability 2020
July 9, 2012
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
South Bay Adult School
701 S Peck Ave, Manhattan Beach 90266
Title 24 Non-Residential Compliance Training
July 12, 2012
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
SBESC Office
20285 S Western Ave, Suite 100, Torrance 90501
Energy Efficiency Workshop (en espanol)
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
7:30 am - 9:30 am
Centro Comunitario
14700 Burin Ave, Lawndale 90260
Flyer
Register Here |
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June / July 2012 Events
Water Reliability 2020 and Other SBESC Programs Presentation to Gardena Brownfield Community Relations Committee
June 21, 2012
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Gardena Municipal Transportation Facility
13999 S Western Ave, Gardena 90249
17th Annual Lennox Family Festival
June 23, 2012
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Moffett Elementary School
11050 Larch Ave Lennox, CA 90304
Lawndale Health, Safety and Pet Fair
June 23, 2012
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Civic Center Plaza
147th St and Burin Ave, Lawndale 90260
City of El Segundo 4th of July Celebration 2012
July 4, 2012
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Recreation Park
Pine Ave and Eucalyptus St, El Segundo 90245
Flyer
City of Rancho Palos Verdes Annual Independence Day Celebration
July 4, 2012
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
RPV City Hall
30940 Hawthorne Blvd, RPV 90275 |
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