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:
Anne Cavazos
4CL Consultant
Carla Dowell
QuEST 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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East Bay Energy Watch (EBEW) News
Antioch Water Park Audit Indicates Large Potential Energy Savings. Quantum Energy Services & Technologies, Inc. (QuEST) completed an energy audit of the city-owned Antioch Water Park in December 2012. By replacing ten pumps with variable frequency drives the estimated annual energy savings for the project is 39kW and 193,670 kWh with an estimated annual cost savings of $27,094 and estimated payback period of approximately 3.7 years.
Good Progress on Contra Costa County Building Energy Benchmarking. As of December, 178 buildings within Contra Costa County have been benchmarked for their energy use and represent a total of 2,344,612 square feet of building space. Benchmarking your building tracks your energy use over time and helps to identify areas where you can save money on energy use and decide on capital investments. If your city or municipality attended one of the Benchmarking Building Energy workshops, it is qualified for benchmarking assistance from QuEST. If you would like to get started on energy benchmarking of your municipal building please
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Funding
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Pilot Projects: Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessments and Adaptation Options Analyses -
$75,000 to $300,000 per pilot project
Application Due: January 22, 2013
Eligible Entities: State Departments of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Federal Land Management Agencies, and tribes must be leads on the project. Partnerships and collaboration with local governments, public transportation agencies, universities, airport authorities, and non-profits are encouraged. The FHWA is soliciting pilot projects to conduct analysis in one of two areas related to climate change and extreme weather adaptation. For more information, visit the pilot project solicitation.
Economic Development Assistance (EDA) Programs Federal Funding Opportunity - Total funding available TBD
Application Due: Varies by program year; next due date is March 13, 2013
Eligible Entities: State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, non-profits, institutions of higher education. The EDA programs will make construction, non-construction, and revolving loan fund investments. Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America's ability to compete in the global marketplace. EDA's investment priorities include environmentally-sustainable development and economically distressed and underserved communities. For more information, visit the grant opportunity synopsis.
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Local City News
Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Department Releases Draft Climate Action Plan for Public Review and Comment.
The Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) identifies specific measures on how the County can respond to climate change and achieve a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 15% below baseline levels by the year 2020. The Draft CAP includes proposed policies and actions to improve public health and provide additional community benefits, and lays the groundwork for achieving long-term GHG reduction goals. The public review period on the Draft plan and the accompanying California Environmental Quality Act runs to February 1, 2013.
Solar Master Plans developed for Bay Area School Districts. KyotoUSA, a Bay Area non-profit, supports public schools in becoming more energy efficient and acquiring renewable energy systems that provide full economic, environmental, and educational benefits to our cash-strapped school districts. KyotoUSA's effort called the HELiOS Project in developing Solar Master Plans for Oakland, Berkeley, and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts has led to solar projects (installed and currently in development) at 24 schools.
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Other City News
Adapt or Die: Why the Environmental Buzzword of 2013 Will Be "Resilience". New York leaders emphasized the need to rebuild better from Sandy, to ensure that the billions that would go into storm response would also flow to the sorts of global warming adaptation initiatives that would climate-proof cities. The need to adapt to climate change is one of the main messages of a report put out by the New York's NYS 2100 commission, to advise the state and city government on how they should protect themselves even as the weather grows less predictable and their populations grow. View the Full Article.
Megacities Move to Track Emissions. United Nations data suggest that cities are responsible for some 70% of global GHG emissions and that countries with high urbanization rates emit more CO2 per capita. By closely tracking emissions in Los Angeles and other megacities, researchers hope to test GHG monitoring systems that may one day allow scientists to gauge the success of local - and, ultimately, national - climate initiatives. View the Full Report.
Colorado's Community Solar Program Sold Out in 30 Minutes. Colorado's "community solar gardens" program sold out in 30 minutes when it opened, a testament to the pent-up demand for solar among those who don't own a sunny roof. The program allows individuals to subscribe or buy shares in a local solar project, and in return receive a share of the electricity output. California's legislature recently debated SB 843 to allow "virtual net metering," a blanket policy that lets customers share the output from a single renewable energy facility. (SB 843 died in the State Assembly) View the Full Article.
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Legislation
San Diego's 'Visionary' Transportation Plan Tossed By Judge. The first regional plan passed under landmark SB 375 requiring MPOs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has failed a key test. Environmental plaintiffs sued because transit investments were in the future. They won, forcing the San Diego Association of Governments to redo their plan. View the Full Report.
AB 1103 And 531 - July 1st Deadline for Reporting Energy Consumption Data in California.
California Assembly Bills 1103 and 531 require non-residential building owners and operators (including cities and municipalities) to record and disclose energy consumption data to prospective purchasers, tenants and lenders for the 12-month period preceding the disclosure. Benchmarking and disclosure requirements of these bills are scheduled to commence on July 1, 2013. This article provides recommendations for building owners and recipients of the energy consumption data.
Appeals Court Declines to Rehear GHG-Rule Challenge, Tees Up Case For Supreme Court. A federal appeals court today rejected an industry-backed request that it reconsider its decision to uphold U.S. GHG regulations. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was split on the issue with two judges writing opinions saying that the court should have reheard the challenges to the four interlinked rules. View the Full Article.
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Impacts
Climate change may bring another mosquito-borne illness to U.S. A serious mosquito-borne virus, with no known vaccine or treatment could migrate from Central Africa and Southeast Asia to the United States within a year, new research suggests. The chances of a U.S. outbreak of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) varies by season and geography, with those regions typified by longer stretches of warm weather facing longer periods of high risk, according to the researchers' new computer model. View the Full Report.
Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange Showcases Case Studies, Shares Information.
Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) aims to build a shared knowledge base for managing natural systems in the face of rapid climate change. The CAKE website provides a virtual library, case studies, a directory of people and organizations, and tools. |
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Economics
Mosaic Plants Crowdfunding Flag for Solar Projects. Four of Mosaic's five initial projects sold out in less than 24 hrs, with more than 400 investors putting up between $25 and $30,000 - in total, over $313,000 with an average investment of $700. Mosaic CEO acknowledged the "pent-up demand" by "people [who] want strong returns and want to know what their money is invested in... ". Seeing an opportunity, Mosaic officially unveiled its online investment marketplace with more investment opportunities in solar-installed housing complexes across California. View the Full Article. Perceived Timings of Economic Crisis And Climate Change Prevent Action. With economic and environmental stresses playing out over different time-frames, deep-rooted biases in the way we judge risks may mean we are too preoccupied with firefighting short-term economic problems to tackle longer-term climate threats. The Global Risks 2013 report is based on an annual survey in which experts share their perceptions of how global risks may unfold over a 10-year time horizon. View the Full Report. Taking on Climate Change, Infrastructure Will Create Clean Economy Jobs. On January 4th, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the December unemployment numbers, showing the economy gained 155,000 jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.8 percent. There's still work to be done though. A new session of Congress which started yesterday holds tremendous potential to make the strategic investments in our economy that will translate to long-term gains. View the Full Press Release.
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Science
Book It: 2012, The Hottest U.S. Year on Record. NOAA announced that 2012 was "likely" to be the warmest year on record in the 48 states, based on temperatures through November. At some point, however, likelihood turns into certainty. Does a warm December push the nation to the point where it is impossible for 2012 to be anything but the warmest year ever recorded in the U.S.? View the Full Report. How Bad Will Climate Change Get for the Eastern U.S.? Latest data comes from a recent study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, which used a high-resolution climate modeling system to project down to the local level, examining what we might see in the 20 largest cities east of the Mississippi by the late 2050s. Heat waves in New York City could be 3.58 degrees Celsius hotter in intensity than they are now, with the average one lasting nearly two days longer. Projections show that heat waves will grow worse across the Northeast and Midwest, bringing the North and South to roughly equal hot-weather fates. View the Full Report.
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Upcoming Events
Community Preparedness Workshop. Contra Costa Climate Leaders (4CL) will hold a workshop on community preparedness in February 2013, in Pinole CA. Date to be announced.
Climate Ready Water Utilities 101 Webcast. January 23, 2013 10:00-11:00 AM (PST). This webinar is an introduction to EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities initiative and climate change adaptation planning. Learn about the history of the initiative and the tools and resources available to the water sector, including an adaptation guide, an extreme events workshop planner, and comprehensive risk assessment software. Webcast registration in the "Training Calendar" Tab.
Community Shared Solar Project Development Tool Webcast. January 23, 2013, 10:00-11:00 AM (PST). Community-shared solar energy holds great potential for increasing investment in solar power by customers that cannot host a system onsite. The University of Oregon's updated and expanded Community Solar Tool is a web-based decision support tool designed to help community groups, businesses, nonprofits, government and utilities in Oregon and elsewhere select the best business model and design for constructing and operating a community solar system. Webcast registration.
Senior Health-Living Long and Prospering in San Mateo County Forum. January 31, 2013 5:30-8 pm, Millbrae Community Center, Room E/F, 477 Lincoln Circle, Millbrae, CA. The health of the County depends on the health of its seniors. The senior population now makes up 13% of the county and is projected to increase to 18% by 2030. How can we make our communities more resilient for this ever-changing population? How can we make housing, transportation, food, and recreation more accessible for the aging? RSVP here for this forum.
12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. February 7-9, 2013. Kansas City, MO. Like other parts of the country, Midwestern states are wrestling with the challenges of defining and achieving a future that transforms low-density, car-oriented communities into healthier, more walkable and economically vibrant places to live, work and raise a family. This conference will explore practical strategies for identifying and overcoming barriers to more sustainable development in the Midwest and the rest of the nation. Click here for more information about the conference.
2013 Climate Leadership Conference. February 27 to March 1, 2013, Washington, DC. This conference provides for an annual exchange for addressing global climate change through policy, innovation, and business solutions. Register now to join forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community as they discuss best practices for integrating climate change strategies while improving the bottom line. Click Here to Register.
Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World. March 13-15, 2013, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This international conference will examine the critical relationship between urbanization and food security throughout the world, and strategies to provide a sustainable, nutritious, and affordable diet to the world's burgeoning urban population. Speakers and attendees will delve into the interrelated issues of supply, demand, environment, geography, and governance, as well as urban food access, price, and distribution.Click here for more information about the conference.
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