Bay Area Climate News – February 2015

February News from the Bay Area Climate & Energy Resilience Project 

A Project of the Bay Area Joint Policy Committee

 

  1. Sign up now for 2 great BACERP webinars on March 4 and 11. RSVP to bruce@bayareajpc.net.
  • Ohmconnect: Getting Paid to Cut Pollution — Presentation and Q&A with Curtis Tongue, Co-Founder and Executive Director — March 4, 11am – Noon

Curtis Tongue will show us Ohmconnect, the smart new business that pays you to reduce electricity use during peak demand periods, thereby helping to keep dirty, expensive “peaker” power plants off the grid. More than a great idea, Ohmconnect is up and running using mobile alerts, smart meters and PayPal accounts to reduce GHGs and produce cash for you or your favorite charity.

 

  • Proven and Promising Climate Measures from U.S. Communities — Presentation and Q&A with Stacey Meinzen and Ann Hancock, Center for Climate Protection (formerly Climate Protection Campaign) — March 11, 2015 — 9:30 am – 10:30 am

The authors will present highlights from their recent report on U.S. cities that are achieving measurable success in reducing GHGs. Specific projects are spotlighted for renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation and land use, solid waste, carbon sequestration, financing, tracking progress, and building awareness & support

 

  1. The Air District is hard at work developing the new Regional Climate Protection Strategy. View the latest presentationsto their Board on the big gap analysis for 9 GHG sectors and more. As part of the same PDF, see UC Berkeley’s Ron Cohen’s fabulous Bay AreaCO2 monitoring project—BEACON.

 

  1. Check out ABAG’s terrific new Regional Resilience Programfor a host of projects on climate change, earthquakes and other disasters. Of particular interest, is the new Housing & Community Risk Projectthat is directed by ABAG and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

 

  1. Our favorite recent report (not just for wonks!) is the City/County of San Francisco’s new Guidance for Incorporating Sea Level Rise in to Capital Planning.  OK, it sounds wonky but staff have done a great job of translating sea level rise science and policy into on-the-ground facility/service planning. Includes a checklist for department heads and more! Highly recommended.

 

(Next month, we hope to be able to show off Benicia’s and Sonoma’s big new climate vulnerability assessments.)

 

  1. Community Choice Energy is shooting ahead in the Bay Area! Marin Clean Energy now includes Richmond, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Benicia and Napa County. Congratulations! Sonoma Clean Power is up and running. Alameda County and San Mateo County have formal studies underway. San Francisco looks like they have finally turned the “CCA” corner as well. One of the best LOCAL climate actions that can “move the needle.”

 

  1. Governor Brown’s State of the State addresslast month hit climate change hard, calling for new bolder GHG goals for energy production, building energy and transportation. Now, SB 32has been introduced by Fran Pavley to make the “80% by 2050” goal into LAW. And, legislation has been introduced on mandating the Governor’s proposed goals, coal divestment and more. We are very fortunate to live and work in the #1 state for GHG action. (New bills have also been thrown in the hopper in Sacramento for climate adaptation. More on this next month.)

 

  1. It already needs updating, but JPC BACERP’s latest Bay Area Climate Asset Mapis up on the web—spotlighting more than 100 projects on GHGs and adaptation. This latest map was produced with funding from the San Francisco Foundation.
Tags: , ,