Visit us on the web! You'll find case studies, issues of the month, workshop materials, archived newsletters and updates on local government activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Contra Costa County
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Join Our Mailing list!
info@cccclimateleaders.org
Contact us:
925.631.0597
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The 4CL Program offers:
Quarterly workshops for education and networking opportunities
Monthly newsletters for environmental updates, pertinent local information, and interesting upcoming events
Ongoing website containing the CCC city environmental developments, archived newsletters, and other educational resources
www.cccclimateleaders.org
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Thank you to our sponsors!
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Newsletter Contributors:
Content:
Heather Cleveland
4CL Consultant
Editor:
Katherine Bracken
4CL Volunteer
Contributing editors:
Lynda Deschambault
Executive Director 4CL
Sophie Demerel
4CL Consultant
Newsletter articles are collected from a variety of sources and are cited via a website reference when applicable
To add content or events to our next monthly newsletter, please send an email to
info@cccclimateleaders.org
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EBEW News
East Bay Energy Watch
Majority of CCC is Benchmarking Buildings!
With the conclusion of our October 24th workshop, sixteen out of the nineteen cities in Contra Costa County have participated in a 4CL hosted benchmarking workshop or are benchmarking their building's energy use. Cities who attended one of the 4CL workshops were qualified for full free consultation services to benchmark all municipal buildings. Thank you to staff and elected officials who helped promote benchmarking efforts in CCC cities!
Utilities Invest Money in Energy Efficiency
A new report comparing the energy efficiency programs of 50 electric utility companies shows wide disparities in how much money U.S. utilities are investing in energy efficiency programs, and how successful those programs are at saving energy. Major utilities, such as National Grid subsidiaries Massachusetts Electric and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), are investing up to $4.80 per megawatt-hour of retail electricity sales in energy efficiency programs. That's nearly 50 times more than some utilities spent in the same year. The 50 utilities evaluated in the report achieved energy savings ranging from less than 0.1% of total retail sales on the low end to nearly 2% of total retail sales on the high end. The 10 highest-ranked utilities all achieved energy savings equal to 1% or more of their annual electricity sales. Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits, from job creation and energy bill savings to air pollution emission reduction benefits. http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/New-Report-Shows-Wide-Disparities-Energy-Efficiency-Programs-50-US-Electric-Utilities
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Funding
Should your city consider Federal Funding for energy efficiency programs? Some conservative Cities still debate the issue. But there's no debating the grant funds for energy efficiency: Despite an outcry from residents, the Lodi City Council approved accepting federal grant funds to create a $120000 climate action plan. In a 4-1 vote
EPA Governors' Institute for Community Design - $2 million Application Due: December 5, 2011 Eligible Entities: States, territories, Indian Tribes, interstate organizations, intrastate organizations, and possessions of the U.S., including the District of Columbia.
The Office of Sustainable Communities in EPA's Office of Policy is seeking proposals to conduct research and studies, analyze state policies and programs, and create and deliver technical assistance programs to leaders of states that are facing air and water pollution, land use, and development challenges. This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks to fund one applicant to operate the Governors' Institute for Community Design. The institute will select and work with interested state leadership to deliver technical assistance that supports state efforts to implement smart growth and sustainable communities development approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, facilitate job creation and economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life. The maximum amount of funding for an award under this RFP will be approximately $2 million over the five-year life of the agreement. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/gov-institute-2011-rfp.htm |
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Local City News
El Cerrito gets creative on greenhouse gas reductions with a "no car challenge"
The city of El Cerrito has been working hard towards reducing their greenhouse gas emissions over the past several years. In the beginning of this year, they adapted goals for their Climate Action Plan and are currently creating a plan to implement them. But the city took another step by hosting their second annual "No car Challenge" to all of its citizens. City officials were encouraged even further with incentives of being entered into raffles to win prizes (who was entered into the raffles - city officals or citizens who went carless?. The event was a huge success resulting in an estimated five tons of CO2 savings in just one month! Other cities are taking notice too; San Pablo is hosting its own "No Car Challenge" this month as well. Maria Sanders, of El Cerrito Environment, said that the results of this challenge "have been very motivating" to both the officials of El Cerrito as well as nearby cities looking to reduce their own greenhouse emission levels.
Small Cities Collaborate to Overcome Barriers and Take Action on Climate Change
El Cerrito, Albany, Piedmont, and San Pablo, California
Federal Funding: $497,488
Project Timeline: February 2010 - December 2011
Actions taken by small communities are instrumental in achieving GHG reductions. Over two-thirds of U.S. citizens reside in jurisdictions with populations under 100,000 and these small communities can move quickly to execute plans with the proper resources. At the same time, their small scale and limited staff and resources hinder action in small communities. To overcome these obstacles, the City of El Cerrito is partnering with Albany, Piedmont, and San Pablo to implement the Small Cities Climate Action Partnership (ScCAP).
http://epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/small-cities.html |
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Other City News
Are clotheslines banned in your city?
Some communities ban clothes lines claiming they are unsightly. In a time when energy, money and resources are so limited, this seems to be counter intuitive. Click on the link below to see how your community can make sure to promote line drying and help to conserve energy and money,
http://daily.sightline.org/2011/07/28/unbanning-clotheslines/
Sonoma County pushes forward with power agency studies
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, October 18, authorized further study of the possible formation of a public power agency.
The board voted unanimously to move ahead with six more months of work focused on what a program would look like, a step that all supervisors said was needed before any final decision is made to become a power supplier to local homes and businesses.
Has your city banned plastic bags?
It was an exciting summer for all of those who want to protect wildlife, preserve our beaches, and clean up the ocean by cutting plastic pollution: A bill to phase out Styrofoam made it to the state Legislature; Environmental California's Research & Policy Center reported that more than 80 governments worldwide have taken action against single-use plastic bags; a California Supreme Court verdict paved the way for even more communities to get on board; and Environment California activists and staff spoke face to face with more than 100,000 people from San Diego to Santa Cruz to Sacramento, with thousands joining the campaign to cut plastic pollution by banning single-use plastic bags.
Supreme Court victory may turn the tide
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Legislation
U.S Green Building Council strengthens it's presence in Sacramento
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The U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) California Advocacy Committee (CAC), representing NCC, the seven other Chapters across the state and thousands of green building professionals, continues to build a public policy presence in Sacramento. They are proud to see their first two sponsored bills and a number of supported legislation becoming law.
The California Legislative calendar wraps up at the end of September. Bills that have traveled through committees and have passed both the Assembly and Senate go to the Governor.
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http://www.usgbc-ncc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=625&Itemid=309
States urge major changes at key air group for consensus on EPA rules
Officials from 22 states are urging the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) to make major changes to its process for crafting policy positions on EPA rules, saying the group must strengthen the process for how it reaches consensus on policy positions -- steps which Ohio says are vital to drop its plan to leave NACAA.
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Economics
Global Investors Managing $20T in Assets Urge Climate Action
It will require $500 billion a year in clean energy investment to keep climate change from increasing global temperatures by two degrees Celsius. If global warming increases by that amount, not only will some of the impacts become irreversible as climate scientists have been warning for yearsand impacts such as extreme weather events will multiply.
It is because of this impending crisis that world leaders agreed to a two degrees Celsius limit in global warming at the COP16 meeting in Cancun last year. But the agreement has been followed by an absence of regulatory enforcement, especially here in the US, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2010 were the highest ever recorded.
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/10/21/global-investors-managing-20t-assets-urge-climate-action
The Fracking Divide: Who Will Prevail in N.Y.?
A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found residents of New York State almost evenly split on drilling, with 44 percent in favor because of economic benefits and 43 percent opposed because of environmental concerns. That represents a modest trend toward skepticism. In August, the poll found 47 percent to 42 percent in favor.
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Upcoming Events
Is your city Considering a way to address or ban Plastic bags?
Join Green Rheem at the screening of "BagIt" on January 17th
Sustainability Leaders Forum, Water Infrastructure and Best Practices
When: November 3rd, 2011, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Where: Intuit, Mountain View,
Re-inventing California Water Infrastructure & Water Conservation Programs for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Customers click
here for more information.
Cagreen power & renewable energy webinar
Aligning Green Power Partners (GPP) with New Renewable Energy Projects Webinar
When: Nov 10th, 2011, 1 PM - 2:30 PM (EST)
Hosted by: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership
The webinar session will provide a forum for GPP's network of GPP to learn about new renewable energy projects that may align with Partners' energy and environmental objectives.
To join the audience for the webinar, please visit the webinar registration page .
webinar registration page
New this year: Contra Costa County businesses, public agencies, and organizations are now eligible to apply.
The 2012 categories are: Environmental Project, Environmental Innovation, Sustainable Built Environment, and the Acterra Award for Sustainability.
The early-bird deadline is November 15, 2011 and all applications are due on December 9, 2011. For more information, visit contactawards@acterra.org.
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