A Worthy Read
Interesting Domestic and International Articles Discussing the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation
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CALLING VOLUNTEERS!
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 |
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 Rancho Palos Verdes
City of Redondo Beach
City of Torrance
Valued Level
City of Lawndale
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rolling Hills
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of Gardena
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Did You Know?
"But the fact is the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods - all are now more frequent and more intense."
-President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, February 2013 |
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Message From the Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Programs
It is not news to consumers that the spiraling cost of a gallon of gasoline has hit especially hard during the last few weeks impacting all who travel, whether for everyday commuting, business related trips or fun vacation adventures. In light of that fact, there is a birthday this month that deserves special notice.
February 18, 1745 is the birthday of Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, an Italian physicist known for the invention of the electric battery in the 1800s. The battery made by Volta is credited as the first electrochemical cell. In honor of his work, Volta was made a count by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801. Modern day honors go to him for being the father of the electric automobile. Toyota furnished the electric hybrid engine to Italian design house Giugiaro to build the Toyota Volta in 2003. Later on Chevrolet, in 2011, was only able to use the name "Volt" to honor one of the world's most ingenious inventors. Learn more about Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and inquire about South Bay Cities Council of Government's "Drive the Future" BEV pilot program to become a participant driver.
The passion and actions of one scientist in the 1800s made a difference across time that resonates with us today as we seek ways to sustain Mother Earth across the globe. Our behaviors matter! As we peruse the articles that are included in this edition of the newsletter, the question we need to be asking ourselves is not why, but how we can support eco-friendly transportation in the trips we take, the products we purchase and the resources we consume. As Will Rogers quipped, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
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Energy Upgrade California
Survey Request
Help make EnergyUpgradeCA.org the best it can be by taking a brief survey. Your input is valuable and will help make the new website a resource that meets all of our energy needs.
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SBESC
Collaboration Pays Off for Palos Verdes Unified School District
At the January 16, 2013 Board of Education meeting of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) Board Member and Rancho Palos Verdes Council Member Jim Knight and The Gas Company representative Amy Vulin presented a rebate check in the amount of $21,514.85 for the school district's important energy saving work this past year. The rebate funds can be spent as the District chooses. These funds came through the South Bay Environmental Services Center (SBESC), a program of SBCCOG, which provides critical energy and water saving information and assistance to businesses, residents, municipal governments, school districts and other special agencies through its Local Government Partnership with The Gas Company.
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California Public Utilities Commission
Rethinking the Water Energy Nexus:
Moving toward Portfolio Management of the Nexus
The Water Energy Nexus ("Nexus") is the interaction between water services and energy services where energy services rely on reliable access to water and water delivery services depend on access to energy. This co-dependency is referred to as the Water Energy Nexus.
Although the Nexus is well known throughout the energy and water sectors and frequently cited by the media and non-governmental organizations ("NGOs"), the Nexus as a whole is not actually well understood.
CPUC Takes Action to Ensure Long-Term Energy Supplies for Los Angeles
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today
authorized Southern California Edison (SCE) to procure between 1,400 and 1,800 megawatts (MW) of electrical capacity in the Los Angeles basin.
The decision requires that resources be located in a specific transmission-constrained area in Los Angeles in order to ensure adequate available electrical capacity to meet peak demand, and ensure the safety and reliability of the local electrical grid.
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Southern California Gas Company
Carbon Monoxide 101
To help keep your gas appliances operating safely and efficiently, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) or a licensed, qualified professional should check your gas appliances every year. Not performing annual maintenance may result in inefficient appliance operation, and in some cases, dangerous exposure to carbon monoxide.
Learn More
Energy Savings Assistance Program
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) offers no-cost energy-saving home improvements and furnace repair or replacement services for qualified limited-income renters and homeowners.
Learn More
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The Future of Utility Customer Funded Energy Efficiency Programs
in the United States
Projected Spending and Savings to 2025
We develop projections of future spending on, and savings from, energy efficiency programs
funded by electric and gas utility customers in the United States, under three scenarios through
2025. Our analysis, which updates a previous LBNL study, relies on detailed bottom-up modeling of current state energy efficiency policies, regulatory decisions, and demand-side management and utility resource plans. The three scenarios are intended to represent a range of potential outcomes under the current policy environment (i.e., without considering possible major new policy developments).
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Southern California Edison
Billing and Payment - Understanding Your Bill
Knowing how to read your meter can help you track your energy use and use your energy more efficiently. If you've never read your meter before, follow the instructions below. Reading a meter is easier than you think.
Learn More
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Survey to Utilities
Stress Smart Grid Benefits to Win Over Consumers
Multiple smart grid benefits resonate with consumers - it's not just about saving money - and when consumers are provided with information about the benefits and key concerns of smart grid technology, the positive statements are more persuasive, according to a report issued today by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative.
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L.A. Metro
Fall in Love with a Faster Commute - I-10 Expresslanes Open on Saturday, February 23
Sign up by February 17 to receive $14 in free tolls and a chance to win a "$500 Visa" gift card.
Find Out More Here
Vanpool
Vanpool Programs can help your company's bottom line by reducing parking demand and improving your ability to recruit and retain qualified employees. And the Metro Vanpool Program is now making this commute option even more attractive and economical. Learn More
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LADWP
New Solar Feed-in-Tariff Program to Open
for Applications on February 1
Know your target audience. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Drive traffic to your website by entering teaser text for the article with a link to your website for readers to view the full text.The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will begin accepting applications for the first 20 megawatts of its new solar program, the 100 megawatt Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) Set Pricing Program, on February 1, 2013. The application period will remain open through June 28, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Applications for solar projects from 30 kilowatts to 3 megawatts will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. During the first five business days of the application period, all submitted applications will be prioritized on the FiT Reservation List by lottery. Applications received after the first five business days will be date and time stamped. Applications will be confirmed based on the priority of the FiT Reservation List for up to 20 megawatts. LADWP will enter into a standard 20-year contract for each project and purchase the solar power at a set price, starting at 17 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 20 megawatts.
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Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Ever Wonder What Happens to Your Trash After the Trash Truck Comes By and Picks it Up?
Today it goes mostly to local landfills, but they cannot expand enough to meet our needs. These urban landfills, once they are closed, can serve as open space, parks and golf courses. Chances are that in the future some of your trash will also travel long distances to remote landfills. With your help, all recycled materials will be sorted out and only trash will be hauled away. See the Jouney Here
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Organics Collection, Recycling Drive Job Growth
More 'Green' Jobs in California
According to the Solid Waste Association of North America, increases in organics collection and statewide recycling goals (like California's landmark AB 341) are driving job creation.
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West Basin Municipal Water District
Next Generation of Water Stations to Flow from Leadership Project
This year's Leadership Manhattan Beach class thought of a project that humans and dogs both can enjoy, is in line with the city's green goals and looks like a space-age capsule.
With the Manhattan Beach City Council's approval Tuesday night, the Leadership class will replace five outdated concrete water fountains across town with next-generation water stations available for use on Earth Day...The fountains, which were funded by sponsorships and a grant from the West Basin Municipal Water District...Read More
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More Protection for the Environment in the Future?
Utilities Expect More Environmental Regulations
Some 77 percent of energy and utility professionals expect an increase in environmental regulations during President Obama's second term, according to a survey by environmental software provider Enviance.
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City of Torrance
Sustainable Building Advisor Program
The Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) Program of Southern California invites you to learn about its nationally recognized green building education and certification program, coming to Torrance on March 1, at free information sessions to be held Feb. 14, Feb. 15, and Feb 19.
The nine-month SBA course complements and builds on LEED, CalGreen, and other green building standards and principles, integrating expert speakers, field trips, and real-life project work into a comprehensive sustainable building curriculum. Upon completing the 108-hour SBA program and passing the national CSBA exam, students earn the designation of Certified Sustainable Building Advisor (CSBA). AIA and USGBC chapter members enrolling by Feb. 19 save $565 off the regular tuition rate, which includes all field trips and the certification exam. AIA and LEED professionals earn up to 100 hours.
For more information and to register for an Information Session or the Program, visit here
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Legislation Corner
President Obama challenges America to cut energy waste by 50%
In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama put forth an ambitious energy efficiency goal for America: to cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years. And he envisioned working with states to get this done, offering federal support to states that pursue the best ideas to lower energy bills and create jobs in the process.
Rep. Waxman and Sen. Whitehouse Form Bicameral Climate Change Task Force
Washington, DC - Following President Obama's recent statement in his inaugural address that failing to respond to the threat of climate change would "betray our children and future generations," U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today announced the formation of a bicameral Task Force on Climate Change to address this important issue.
Climate Change Top Priority Waxman Says in Hermosa Beach Talk
Shortly after President Obama's second inauguration last month, the President approached Representative Henry Waxman during a luncheon in Statuary Hall, where the House of Representatives met until 1860. Waxman, a ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee told the President, "I want to thank you for mentioning climate change in your inaugural address."
"I didn't just mention it, I talked about it," the President responded. To which Waxman responded, "Now that you've talked about it, let's do something about it."
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Cities in the News
Ocean Friendly Garden Leads by Example on Manhattan Beach Strand
Construction is expected to begin Tuesday for Manhattan Beach's eco-friendly garden on the Strand.
The project will transform one of the existing planters on Manhattan Beach Boulevard near the pier to a 2,375 square-foot showcase of sustainable gardening practices, said Sona Kalapura, the city's environmental programs manager.
The Ocean Friendly Garden should be blooming by March.
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Manhatttan Beach's Plastic Bag Ban and Reusable Bag Program
According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, approximately 6 billion plastic bags are consumed in Los Angeles County each year. That means that the average Los Angeles County resident takes home 600 plastic bags in one year. That's a lot of plastic bags! According to the US EPA annual Municipal Solid Waste Report (MSW) from 2005, less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled in the United States. And, since plastic bags are lightweight and easily caught in the wind, they make up a significant amount of the litter found in storm drains that lead directly to the beach and ocean.
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El Segundo Teens Urge "Think Before You Toss"
The trash cans on Main Street contain many things. "A lot of newspapers, some in Asian languages, and beer bottles," said Abigail Landers, an El Segundo High School senior and co-president of it s Grades of Green club. "I couldn't tell what language."
"I saw a couple of diapers in there," said Stephanie Nehme, another ESHS senior, and treasurer of its Key Club.
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Charge Your Car in Hermosa Beach
There's no doubt Californians love their cars. The Golden State accounts for almost 10 percent of all car sales in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported recently.
If you're in the market for an electric vehicle, you'll certainly have your pick. With its laws incentivizing car manufacturers to go green, California has driven the push for eco-friendly transportation.
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Hermosa First in Nation to Complete all Blue Zones Well-Being Policies
The Blue Zones Project, a community-wide well-being improvement initiative in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach (Beach Cities), announced Feb. 12 that the City of Hermosa Beach is the first community in the country to achieve Blue Zones Community Policy designation, according to a press release issued by the wellness organization.
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February / March 2013 Events & Workshops
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