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!
PG&E
QUEST
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Newsletter Contributors:
Content:
Heather Cleveland
4CL Consultant
Christina Bay
4CL Contributor
Editor:
Katherine Bracken
4CL Volunteer
Contributing editors:
Lynda Deschambault
Executive Director 4CL
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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4CL is happy to present our latest fact sheet sharing best practices on LED Street lighting. Complete with resources, links and information on how local governments are saving money by converting to more energy efficient street lighting: click here for further information
EBEW News
East Bay Energy Watch
Bay Area city sets high standards for renewable energy
The city of Palo Alto has passed a renewable energy program called CLEAN, or Clean Local Energy Accessible Now. This program allows locals to sell electricity back to their city- thus creating jobs, keeping energy local (eliminating the need for energy transmission lines), and will allow the city to obtain 33 percent of its power from renewable sources. Learn more about this program here
March is the Month of Earth Hour 2012
On March 31st from 8:30-9:30, the world will go dark for Earth Hour 2012. Hundreds of millions of people will turn off their lights in order to save energy and spread awareness on climate change. Help support the movement! Learn more here
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Funding
The U.S. Department of Transportation is making $500 million available
This fourth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants will help fund sustainable local and state infrastructure projects. The deadline for applications is March 19, 2012. For more information,
Planning Money Available to Revitalize Distressed Communities
HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants:
Deadline May 1, 2012
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the availability of approximately $5 million for its Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. These support the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans which transform distressed public and assisted housing, while supporting the surrounding neighborhood and improving residents' health, safety, employment, mobility, and education.
2012 EPA National Award for Smart Growth Achievement
EPA announces its application period for the 11th annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to public and private-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically.
The deadline for applications is April 6, 2012
Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Solicitation
The Federal Transit Administration has announced the availability of $125 million to support state, local government and tribal authorities to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and construct bus facilities.
Proposals are due by March 29, 2012.
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Local City News
City of Pleasanton Adopts Climate Action Plan This marks the City's commitment to sustainability and reducing community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 15% below 2005 levels by 2020.
Large Saturday Morning Gathering in El
Cerrito to Fight Global Warming Perhaps they weren't expecting such a big turn-out, but local political leaders expressed delight Saturday morning when about 170 people showed up at 10 a.m. in El Cerrito to see a documentary and talk about the climate crisis.
Concord approves visionary plan for naval station
The Concord City Council approved a visionary plan for the closed Concord Naval Weapons Station. The adopted blueprint emphasizes walkable neighborhoods with homes that people can afford near transit and services, with decent paying jobs and open spaces protected from sprawl. Moreover, it does so while designating nearly 70 percent of the area - 3,500 acres or three Golden Gate Parks - as protected open space.
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Other City News
You might say the future is now, and the future is here - at UC Davis West Village.
The new campus community is poised to change the way communities are designed, built and lived in throughout California and around the world. That's not an overstatement. West Village is planned as the country's largest "zero net energy" community, which means it is designed to generate as much energy as it consumes. Zero net energy has never been attempted on a scale the size of West Village. It is an experiment, a "living laboratory," as one campus official says.
6 Million Square Feet of LEED Office Space to Hit Manhattan in 2013
The green construction trend is in high gear in New York! How many LEED buildings does your city have? How can CCC cities look to this plan and implement it in their own cities?
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Legislation
EPA's State and Local Climate and Energy Program and Landfill Methane Outreach Program have released a final version of Landfill Gas to Energy:
A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs (PDF, 547 K). Learn how communities can achieve energy, environmental, health, and economic benefits by using landfill gas (LFG) recovered from municipal solid waste landfills as a source of renewable energy.learn more here
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Impacts
A Greenhouse Gas Accounting Framework for Carbon Capture and Storage Projects
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions has released a report designed to help facilitate the development of a common platform to account for greenhouse gas emissions reductions due to capturing and geologically storing carbon dioxide.
learn more here
Linking Weird Weather to Rapid Warming of the Arctic
The loss of Arctic summer sea ice and the rapid warming of the Far North are altering the jet stream over North America, Europe, and Russia. Scientists are now just beginning to understand how these profound shifts may be increasing the likelihood of more persistent and extreme weather.
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Economics ABAG and MTC Awarded major HUD 2011 sustainable communities regional Planning GrantThe Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the region's council of governments and regional planning agency, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Bay Area's metropolitan planning organization, have been awarded a nearly $5 million 2011 Sustainable Communities Grant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This $4.991 million grant is one of the largest Regional Planning grants awarded by HUD this year, and the Bay Area is one of just 29 regional areas nationwide that have received the grants.
The Price of Gas
What's the price of gasoline? In the U.S. it's about $4 a gallon. But some experts say the true price of gas is much higher. What about the costs of pollution, and the global and local problems caused by it? Who pays for those?
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Upcoming Events
Water Conservation Showcase
March 20
San Francisco
Online Registration Closes This Weekend!
next week as we explore the essential connection between water and the built environment.
Community Choice Aggregation - Community Meeting
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
City Council Chambers - 440 Civic Center Plaza
6:30-8:00PM (Light refreshments at 6:00PM
The City of Richmond is continuing its commitment to climate protection and the development of local renewable energy by pursuing an option to join the Marin Energy Authority (MEA) which operates California's only Community Choice Aggregation program
Maintaining Economic Vitality in a Changing Climate
Webinar
Join ICLEI founder Jeb Brugmann
March 22, 2012
Time: 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM EDT
What are the best sustainability practices from across the globe? What makes them successful? What is the evidence that sustainable cities are more resilient? Join Jeb Brugmann, holder of the Millennium Award, Stockholm Partnerships Award and author of "Welcome to the Urban Revolution", and an expert panel from business, government and nongovernmental organizations in this thought provoking and educational webinar.
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Other
4CL wishes Sophie Damerel, our Senior Consultant the best of luck in her new career endeavors!
Sophie has been with us for three years and helped to grow our organization into an organized and functioning team! We are currently searching for a replacement for her part-time senior consultant position. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact info@cccclimateleaders.org or 925-708-9686.
Over the last few years, 4CL has developed a team of informed and dedicated individuals working to educate and inspire Contra Costa County. We are excited to continue our work with East Bay Energy Watch; working on Benchmarking, Greenhouse Gas Inventories and Climate Action Plans. In addition, stay tuned for a workshop on Health and Climate Action in April!
Kaiser Permanente aims to cut GHG emissions 30% by 2020 Kaiser Permanente, which has pledged to green its facilities, energy and supply chain, set a goal today of reducing its carbon footprint by 30 percent of 2008 levels by 2020. "It is an ambitious goal, but we felt we needed to do something significant," Ramé Hemstreet, Kaiser's recently appointed vice president and chief energy officer, told me yesterday. "It will be quite a feat, but I think we can get there."
HUD Announces New Sustainable Communities Resource Center
HUD recently launched the Sustainable Communities Resource Center (SCRC) - a new section of HUDUSER.org dedicated to providing information that supports local and regional strategies, with an emphasis on sustainable housing and planning.
Please visit our website for information on Local Government actions in Contra Costa County www.ccclimateleaders.org |
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