Northgate Sustainability Forum

California Passes New Auto Emission Rules

2012-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

The California Air Resources Board has unanimously approved a package of new emissions rules for cars and light trucks through 2025.

“The California Advanced Clean Car rules will clean our air, fight climate change and provide cars that save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “The Board’s action today will create thousands of new jobs, transforming California into the advanced car capital of the world. California is now in pole position in the race to provide next-generation ultra-clean cars to the global car market.”

The Advanced Clean Cars program combines the control of smog-causing pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into a single coordinated package of requirements for model years 2017 through 2025. The new rules will clean up gasoline and diesel-powered cars, and deliver increasing numbers of zero-emission technologies, such as full battery electric cars, newly emerging plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell cars, aiming to put 1.4 million electric and hybrid vehicles on state roads by 2025. The package will also ensure adequate fueling infrastructure is available for the increasing numbers of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles planned for deployment in California.

The rules are designed to preserve consumer choice while ensuring the development of a full range of environmentally superior cars from compacts to SUVs and pickups. Many of the technologies that reduce emissions also significantly reduce the operating costs of passenger vehicles on a month-to-month basis for consumers.

"Our research shows a $1,400 to $1,900 car price increase. But over the life of the vehicles, the owners save $6,000 in reduced fuel and maintenance costs," board spokesman David Clegern said. One of the nation's foremost consumer groups, the Consumers' Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, supported the changes.

Companies including Ford Motor Corp., Chrysler Group LLC, General Motors Co., Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and others submitted testimony Thursday supportive of the new standards.

Read more here and here.

Judge Strikes Down Air Quality Rules

2012-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

An Alameda County (California) Superior Court judge recently struck down CEQA guidelines established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). The Guidelines sought to "better protect the health and well being of Bay Area residents by addressing new health protective air quality standards, exposure to toxic air contaminants and adverse effects from climate change." A challenge to the Guidelines was brought by representatives of the building industry, economic development groups and others claiming that the new rules would make the cost of development prohibitively expensive.

As often happens in court decisions, the judge did not rule on the substance of the Guidelines, but rather found that BAAQMD, itself bound by CEQA, had not undertaken the necessary environmental review of the impacts of the Guidelines. Solely on this basis, the rules were determined to be improper.

While the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are claiming victory, it is important to remember that his ruling was based on BAAQMD not following the proper procedures; the agency may promulgate the same Guidelines after conducting the necessary environmental review.

EPA Posts Emissions Data from Industry

2012-01-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the EPA took the bold step of releasing on line comprehensive greenhouse gas data reported directly from facilities in nine industry groups that directly emit large amounts of GHG. The data was also posted for suppliers of certain fossil fuels. The information can now be found online at the EPA's Reporting Program Data and Data Publication Tool.

In making the announcement, Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, stated: "Thanks to strong collaboration and feedback from industry, states and other organizations, today we have a transparent, powerful data resource available to the public. The GHG Reporting Program data provides a critical tool for businesses and other innovators to find cost - and fuel-saving efficiencies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster technologies to protect public health and the environment."

The online tool allows the public to view the data in a variety of ways, including by location, facility type and GHG type emitted.

It will be interesting to see if the transparency of this data will result in a reduction of emissions by these industries. Indeed, this may prove to give meaning to the phrase: "We are watching you"!

The full press release may be viewed here.

New Year's Thought: Young Environmentalists Taking Action

2011-12-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

An interesting lawsuit is making its way through the federal courts. The action was filed in California but was recently transferred to D.C. for procedural reasons. What is unique about the case is that the plaintiffs are children. One of the lead plaintiffs is Alec Loorz, who at the age of 12, started an organization called Kids-vs-Global-Warming. The plaintiff children claim "standing", that is the legal right to bring the action, since they are beneficiaries of the Public Trust to our shared natural resources. The Public Trust Doctrine, simply defined, is that the federal government has a duty to its citizens to exercise the highest duty of care when dealing with natural resources that are necessarily held in common for all. The government holds vital resources in "trust" for present and future generations of its citizens. By failing to control atmospheric contamination that has caused "catastrophic and irreparable damage", the government has breached its fiduciary duty, allege the plaintiffs. The Complaint details impacts caused by climate change, including melting glaciers and rising sea levels. The plaintiffs do not seek to tell Congress how to address these issues, but rather are asking the courts to order the federal government "to do its job."

Regardless of one's view on climate change, or the use of the courts to handle these issues, it is refreshing to see youth engaged and taking action on issues of great importance.

To learn more about this lawsuit, visit Our Children's Trust, an Oregon based group that is also involved in this lawsuit.

Legal Update - 2011

2011-12-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

There were two important legal rulings in 2011 issued by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which, after the United States Supreme Court, is seen as the most influential tribunal for environmental decisions given the sprawling geography and population within its jurisdiction. Both cases involve the Clean Water Act and offer guidance for future interpretation and application of the Act.

In Northwestern Environmental Defense Center v. Brown, 640 F.3d 1063, the Court struck down an EPA rule that purported to exempt runoff from logging operations from the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") permit requirements. The Court ruled that stormwater that flows down logging roads and is then collected by and discharged from a system of channels is, indeed, "point source" discharge, thereby requiring a NPDES permit. This ruling is viewed as either closing a major loophole within the Act, or dramatically expanding its scope, depending on one's perspective.

Another case involving the Clean Water Act is NRDC v. County of Los Angeles, 636 F.3d 1235. There, the Court found the County of Los Angeles liable for discharging polluted urban stormwater into navigable waters. What makes this case important is that the polluted water at issue did not originate on county property. Rather, the county's flood stations and storm water system collection systems were sufficient to establish county control over a "point source" for purposes of triggering the requirements of the Act. The County has appealed this ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Next year will likely see more important environmental decisions from the Ninth Circuit.

EPA Releases Formerly Confidential Chemical Information

2011-12-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

In November of this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made available the results of hundreds of studies of chemicals that had formerly been kept secret on the basis that they represented confidential business information for the manufacturers who used them. The information is available via the EPA’s Chemical Data Access Tool, which some are calling a rather unwieldy search engine, undoubtedly created without the public as end-user in mind.

More on the topic here.

U.S. Army Has Net Zero Vision for National Security

2011-12-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

April 16, 2011 By Tina Casey

With its vast stock of vehicles, ships, planes, buildings, lands, and other facilities, the U.S. Department of Defense could foment a green revolution all by itself – and that seems to be just what it intends on doing, starting with the Army. Working quietly for the past couple of years, DoD has been nudging closer to developing an ambitious net zero program for a group of U.S. Army bases. That applies not only to energy production and consumption, but also to water resources and waste disposal as well.
National Defense and Sustainability

You can go all the way back to General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1948 book about World War II, Crusade in Europe, to find evidence that senior military officials have long recognized the limitations of a modern national defense strategy that depends on fossil fuels. More recently, the Department of Defense has adopted a broader sustainability goal, which recognizes that environmental security is a key element in national security. In other words, the U.S. military has adopted sustainability as a national defense strategy. It’s not going to happen overnight but when you look at military bases around the country, they’re a buzz of new sustainability projects from geothermal, solar, and water conservation to biofuels and green roofs.

Net Zero Bases for the U.S. Army
The Army has been working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the program, officially dubbed “Army Vision for Net Zero.” With a few tweaks, its mission statement could be applied to just about any green-minded organization or business: “We are creating a culture that recognizes the value of sustainability measured not just in terms of financial benefits, but benefits to maintaining mission capability, quality of life, relationships with local communities, and the preservation of options for the Army’s future.” One standout example is Fort Bliss, which among other programs is looking at taking in waste from nearby El Paso as part of a hybrid solar power/waste-to-energy operation.

Net Zero Water and Waste
A 2008 Defense Science Board report asserted that under the current energy landscape, some bases face “unacceptable risks from extended power losses,” so net zero energy is a priority for the program. However, water resource protection and waste disposal are also critical elements. In the case of waste disposal, part of an individual base’s success will depend on another recently ramped up DoD priority, to reduce or eliminate its use of hazardous or toxic materials such as paints and other coatings, and replace them with safer alternatives.

The idea now is to focus on a small group of bases that are the most likely candidates for achieving net zero in energy, water, and/or waste, and the selections will be announced shortly. They will be used as learning tools by other bases and by the civilian world as well. It will be a big advantage for companies seeking to invest in sustainability, and for local governments seeking public support for sustainability initiatives, to use major military installations as living examples of success. Unfortunately, it appears that not everyone is as interested in environmental security as the Department of Defense is…oh well, you can’t win ‘em all.

Case Set to Challenge EPA’s GHG Regs · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

2011-12-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

Case Set to Challenge EPA’s GHG Regs · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

EPA Acknowledges Link Between Hydraulic Fracturing And Groundwater Contamination

2011-12-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

EPA Blames Fracking for Wyoming Groundwater Contamination
Susan Phillips, StateImpact/NPR, December 8, 2011

For the first time, the US EPA has directly implicated the controversial drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) as the source of groundwater contamination in Pavillion, a small community in central Wyoming. The EPA began investigating water quality concerns in private drinking water wells three years ago at the request of Pavillion residents.

The investigation results (read the draft report here) linking fracking and groundwater pollution could have widespread repercussions. Several states, including New York and Pennsylvania, are in the midst of creating new gas-drilling regulations. But industry representatives insist, along with the head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), that no persuasive or direct evidence exists to link fracking to water quality impacts. DEP Secretary Michael Krancer recently testified in Congress that the idea that fracking pollutes groundwater is “bogus.”

However, the EPA reports that it found high concentrations of benzene, xylene, gasoline and diesel fuel in shallow groundwater aquifers that they linked to wastewater pits. The report also documents a number of fracking chemicals in much deeper monitoring wells, where several synthetic chemicals consistent with gas production and hydraulic fracturing fluids, such as glycols and alcohols, were detected, along with high methane levels and benzene concentrations well above Safe Drinking Water Act standards. Given the area’s complex geology and the proximity of drinking water wells to the groundwater contamination, the EPA is concerned about the movement of contaminants within the aquifer and the safety of drinking water wells over time.

Alberta-based Encana, which owns the Pavillion gas field, told the Associated Press that it has concerns about the study. Encana spokesman Doug Hock said that the compounds EPA said could be associated with fracking could have had other origins not related to gas development. “Those could just have likely been brought about by contamination in their sampling process or construction of their well,” Hock said.

As a follow-up question, the reporter asked the EPA about the health risks of drinking the water. Click here for the EPA's response.

ITRC Guidance for Green and Sustainable Remediation

2011-12-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) has released its document, Green and Sustainable Remediation: A Practical Framework, which aims to educate, inform, and assist state regulators and other stakeholders in the concepts and challenges of green and sustainable practices and their integration into existing site investigation and remediation programs.

Further information is available on the ITRC web page devoted to green and sustainable remediation.

Open Space Jewel Returns to Bayview-Hunters Point

2011-11-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

“With the first tide coming into the recently restored
marsh area, I felt the change that will improve life in
the surrounding community.”
Axel Rieke, Northgate Environmental Engineer on the
Yosemite Slough Wetlands Restoration Project

Candlestick Point wetland reclaimed as key habitat
Peter Fimrite, SF Chronicle, November 23, 2011

Elizabeth Goldstein, the executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, stood in the mud at Yosemite Slough on Tuesday and welcomed the reclamation of the 7-acre site as a wetland.

After years of planning and months of cleanup and construction, two new tidal bays and a sandy shell-covered island designed exclusively for birds are the featured attractions in this $9 million phase of restoration of Yosemite Slough at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. The 10-year-old project by the parks foundation and California State Parks will bring bayside recreation to Bayview-Hunters Point.

The new 7-acre marsh area is part of the Yosemite Slough Restoration plan, which will return 34 acres of shoreline to its natural state, creating the largest contiguous wetland area in San Francisco. Native grasses will also be planted to stabilize the muddy shoreline, and 40,000 shrubs and plants will be added for erosion control. As many as 40 children involved in the local Literacy for Environmental Justice program are raising the shrubbery and are expected to help with the planting.

An additional $10 million will be spent restoring 13 more acres, including 5 acres of wetland on the opposite side of Yosemite Slough, and up to $4 million more will be spent adding an interpretive center, parking, a trail around the site, picnic tables, restrooms and lawns by 2015, when the project is expected to be completed. The parks foundation plans to raise money for the rest of the project given that the park system is broke and Candlestick Point is on the state's closure list.

"This was a very important project for the community - not only for the recreation but because it is an environmental justice project" that involved the removal of contaminated soil and hazardous construction debris, Goldstein said.

Read the complete story on SFGate.

Candlestick Point Volunteer Work Day, November 30th

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Partnering with California State Parks, the California State Parks Foundation will hold an upcoming work day at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco. The work day will focus on improvements in the Windharp picnic area. The day is planned for Wednesday, November 30, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

If you are interested in making a difference at Candlestick Point SRA, please register for this work day at calparks.org/parkchampions and click on the Candlestick Point link.

Judge Orders Columbus Steel to pay for Violating Clean Air Act

2011-11-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Columbus Steel Castings, Inc., of Columbus, Ohio was sentenced to pay $825,000 in fines and install additional devices to prevent air pollution. Columbus Steel pled guilty on July 28, 2011 to six counts of violating the Clean Air Act. The violations include failing to operate air pollution controls, failing to report violations, failing to perform required monitoring, and failing to conduct stack testing to demonstrate compliance with the Clean Air Act.

In announcing the sentence, Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance, made clear that "EPA is committed to protecting communities from illegal air pollution that threatens people's health. Today's sentence will benefit the local community and shows that companies that fail to operate the necessary air pollution controls will be held accountable."

The company admitted that between 2004 and 2007 it failed to operate air pollution controls for four different sources at the plant for varying periods of time. The company also failed to report malfunctions of air pollution control equipment. Daily visual emission checks, designed to determine if the plant was emitting excess dust or smoke, were not conducted on weekends while the facility was operating. Stack tests, which are necessary to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act, were not conducted as required by the company's air permit. The Company also failed to submit accurate annual compliance certifications.

This is not the first time that Columbus Steel has been fined for exceeding air pollution standards. In 2009, EPA successfully took legal action against the foundry, which makes parts for rail cars, for violations of the Act, which included excessive smoke and dust.

For more information, click here.

San Francisco's Green Energy Claims Questioned - The Bay Citizen

2011-11-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

null (via The Bay Citizen)

Green Tenant Toolkit Launched

2011-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Department of Environment (SFE) and the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) has just released the Green Tenant Toolkit, an online resource to enhance the energy efficiency and sustainability of commercial buildings by empowering collaboration between owners, property managers, tenants, and occupants. While the kit was created to coincide with the San Francisco Existing Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Ordinance, it can be tailored for use in any building.

The Green Tenant Toolkit includes best practices for tenants and building management to engage in win-win environmental initiatives, a guide to integrating green lease language into negotiations, and a scorecard to summarize key sustainability metrics for any property – whether or not it has a green certification. “Split incentives” are a key problem, where the person who pays for an energy retrofit might not be the one that benefits. The toolkit is designed to help owners and tenants mutually benefit. Eliminating barriers to sustainability throughout the life of a commercial lease helps to minimize operating costs, save water, reduce carbon emissions, and increase energy efficiency.

The toolkit was produced by a BC3 working group of twenty-six professionals from leading commercial real estate companies, design and architecture firms, law firms, model tenants, and building trade organizations. The group was facilitated by Northgate Environmental Management’s Sustainable Practice Leader, Jennifer Berg.

The Green Tenant Toolkit is available online at www.greentenanttoolkit.com. As it is intended to be a living, evolving tool, user feedback is encouraged and appreciated.

Sea Level Rise Could Drown Vital Marshes

2011-11-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

Peter Fimrite, SF Chronicle, November 17, 2011

The critical tidal marshes of San Francisco Bay - habitat for tens of thousands of birds and other animals - will virtually disappear within a century if the sea rises as high as some scientists predict it will as a result of global warming.

The study, lead by PRBO Conservation Science and published Wednesday in the online science journal PLoS One, is the first comprehensive look at the impact of climate change on bay wetlands. The researchers started with a 1.6-foot sea level rise this century, a level that scientists consider very optimistic, and then moved up in increments to 5.4 feet.

A 93 percent reduction in tidal marshland would occur over the next 50 to 100 years only if the worst projections come true and assuming the bay does not suddenly become awash in new sediment, according to the report.

Read the SF Chronicle here and the full study here.

Health Costs of Climate Change-Related Disasters in the US

2011-11-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, November 10, 2011

A study published in the November 2011 edition of Health Affairs is the first-of-its-kind to develop a uniform method of quantifying the associated health costs for extreme weather and disease events that are expected to be exacerbated by climate change.

The analysis spotlights six US case studies occurring between 2002 and 2009 that resulted in health costs exceeding $14 billion dollars:

Florida hurricanes in 2004
North Dakota floods in 2009
California heat wave in 2006 and wild fires in 2003
Nationwide ozone air pollution from 2000-2002
West Nile virus outbreaks in Louisiana in 2002 (which were tied to warmer weather and changes in precipitation patterns)

Extreme climate-change related events are projected to increase in severity and frequency. Only 13 US states currently include public health measures in their climate-change adaptation plans.

Read more here.

Johnson & Johnson to Remove Contaminants from Baby Products

2011-11-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

Johnson & Johnson has delivered a letter to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics laying out commitments and timelines for its plan to reformulate all of its baby products worldwide to remove formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, and phthalates.

The commitment to remove these chemicals of concern does not apply to Johnson & Johnson's adult products.

Read the press release here.

Newest Wetland in Salt Pond Restoration Project

2011-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Oldest Bay Area salt flat turned into wetland
Caroline Jones, SF Chronicle, September 14, 2011

A construction crew ripped through an old levee just south of the San Mateo Bridge, allowing water from Old Alameda Creek to flow into the Eden Landing salt flat for the first time since the 1850s. Eventually a levee to the west of that flat will be breached to reconnect the 630 acres to San Francisco Bay.

Tuesday's levee breach was the first salt-flat restoration in the East Bay. It is part of the 15,000-acre South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the largest wetland restoration program on the Pacific Coast, which has so far been concentrated on the salt ponds around Alviso.

"These salt ponds took away the lungs of the Bay. Today we're giving them back," said Carl Wilcox, manager of the Bay-Delta region for the California Department of Fish and Game.

Salt flats have been a fixture of the shoreline at least since the Gold Rush. Ohlone Indians harvested salt along the waterfront, but then commercial outfits such as Leslie and later Cargill took over. In the late 1990s Cargill sold most of its Bay Area salt ponds to the state and federal governments for wetland restoration.

Read more here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/14/MN8L1L44HA.DTL

Sewage into Energy

2011-08-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Infrastructure Sustainability Rating System

2011-08-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently joined together to create the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) to develop a new infrastructure rating system to assess the sustainability of civil-engineering projects.

ISI’s "EnvISIon" rating system aims to do for infrastructure projects what the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program does for buildings. EnvISIon is just one of many initiatives currently underway by a variety of professional organizations (such as SURF) and academic institutions that are studying and measuring sustainability. Through the creation of guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable design, construction, maintenance and remediation practices, these new tools will allow risk managers, corporate executives and directors to make better decisions.

EnvISIon is now available for public comment through December 9, 2011. Practitioners and interested parties may critically review the tool and its assumptions and make comments or suggestions prior to its actual release for commercial use early in 2012. All comments will be reviewed and considered in confidence by the ISI Technical Committee.

ARB Workshop on Draft Changes to California's GHG Reporting and Cap-and-Trade Regulations

2011-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

The California Air Resources Board is holding a public workshop to discuss draft changes to the proposed greenhouse gas cap-and-trade and mandatory greenhouse gas reporting regulations.

DATE: Friday, July 15, 2011

TIME: 9 am to 3 pm

LOCATION: Byron Sher Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Cal/EPA HQ
Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento

WEBCAST: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast/?BDO=1

During the workshop, stakeholders may e-mail questions to ccworkshops@arb.ca.gov.

The cap-and-trade program covers major sources of GHG emissions in the State such as refineries, power plants, industrial facilities, and transportation fuels. The proposed regulation includes an enforceable emissions cap that will decline over time. The State will distribute allowances, which are tradable permits, equal to the emissions allowed under the cap. Sources under the cap will need to surrender allowances and offsets equal to their emissions at the end of each compliance period.

The discussion drafts are now available for download.

Staff’s presentations will be posted in advance of the workshop on ARB’s website.

You can also call (916) 322-2037 with general questions about the workshop or the proposed cap-and-trade regulation, or (916) 322-5350 with questions about the mandatory GHG reporting regulation.

Federal Agencies Partner to Revitalize Urban Waterways

2011-06-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

A new federal partnership aims to stimulate regional and local economies, create local jobs, improve quality of life, and protect Americans’ health by revitalizing urban waterways in under-served communities across the country.

Urban waters impact large populations in the adjacent, upstream, and downstream communities. Reconnecting people with urban waterways results in economic, environmental and social benefits to communities. Healthy and accessible urban waters have the potential to be treasured centerpieces of urban revival, help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational, and social opportunities in the communities through which they pass. Many urban waters provide drinking water to cities and towns, but because they may receive pollution from sources like parking lot and roadway runoff, they become vital to protecting the public and environmental health of those communities.

The Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP), an innovative federal union comprised of 11 agencies, will focus its initial efforts on seven pilot locations. UWFP is committed to working with local communities to restore waterways and reconnect people in underserved communities with their rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays, and oceans. Specifically, UWFP aims to:

Break down federal program silos to promote more efficient and effective use of federal resources through better coordination and targeting of federal investments.
Recognize and build on local efforts and leadership, by engaging and serving community partners.
Work with local officials and effective community-based organizations to leverage area resources and stimulate local economies to create local jobs.
Learn from early and visible victories to fuel long-term action.
This partnership aligns with President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, which calls on agencies to support innovative community efforts to provide safe, healthy and accessible outdoor spaces.

Read the fact sheet here and the press release here.

Orange County Wildflower Hikes

2011-05-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

OC Parks is offering several wildflower tours to the public. The next Wildflower Hike is on Saturday, June 12.

Wildflower Hike
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Staging Area, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road
8:30 am to 11:30 am

Call 949-923-2235 to make reservations. Parking $3, plus $2 donation.

Learn more about where to find wildflowers in Orange County with this interactive multimedia presentation.

Also, check out the entries from the Orange County Register’s wildflower photo contest. This year's contest is over, but there's always next year!

Climate Action Facilitator Training

2011-05-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 13, 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Ecology Center

Gain skills for engaging people about climate change. Join the Ecology Center for a free Climate Action Workshop Facilitator training session. You'll receive materials and information to involve your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, or others in taking action on climate change through community workshops. The Ecology Center will also provide ongoing support for you to plan and hold your own workshop series. No experience is necessary to participate.

The Ecology Center is located at 2530 San Pablo Avenue, near Dwight Way, in Berkeley. It is accessible by the 49 and 72 AC Transit bus lines.

RSVP to debra@ecologycenter.org. For more info, visit www.ecologycenter.org.

Via the Sustainable Business Alliance.

Bike to Work - May 12, 2011

2011-05-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thursday is Bike to Work Day, an annual event with the goal of getting people to try commuting via bicycle.

Bike to Work Day was initiated 16 years ago to address congestion and pollution...long before greenhouse gas emissions and climate action plans were incorporated into policies and regulations. With the California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), cities and counties are now required reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are transportation-related, so biking to work has a real and measurable impact towards meeting California’s goals. Plus, you’ll get a little extra exercise and Northgate staff will receive A SMALL GIFT as a token of appreciation for helping to reduce our company’s carbon footprint.

There are lots of freebies and events to enjoy during and after your commute as well. Check out the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s websites for information about energizer stations, free repairs, commuter convoys, raffles, and after parties.

In Southern California you get a whole week to enjoy your bike commute! Check out Orange County Transportation Authority’s website for more information and to sign up for Bike to Work Week--May 16-20, 2011. With your pledge to commute via bicycle at least one day you’ll be entered to win cool prizes, like gift certificates, bicycles, accessories, movie tickets, and more.

California Environmental Health Tracking Program

2011-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

"Map Your County's Environmental Health", via the Bay Citizen.

State of the Air 2011

2011-04-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

In its 12th annual State of the Air report, the American Lung Association found that despite a drop in the total number of days that Californians breathe smog and diesel fumes, the state continues to be plagued by air pollution.

The association analyzed federal data collected between 2007 and 2009 on short-term and annual average concentrations of ozone, or smog - usually generated by car exhaust mixed with heat - and fine particle emissions from diesel trucks, coal-fired power plants and wood-burning fireplaces.

Roughly 50% the people in the US live in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution. Both Alameda and Orange County ranked near the bottom of the list for air quality; both received F's for high ozone days and Orange County received an F for particle pollution, while Alameda county earned a D.

Read the article on the report in the San Francisco Chronicle, or visit the State of the Air website to review the key findings and see how your county scored. The scoring and ranking methodology is explained here.

US Forest Map Released

2011-04-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

A newly released GIS map, created by Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) scientists, is the most precise representation yet of the height and coverage of US forests and woodlands. The data will provide a baseline for understanding both forest resources and carbon flux, study leader Josef Kellndorfer of WHRC said in a statement.

The combined dataset represents the first hectare-scale maps of canopy height, above-ground biomass, and associated carbon stock for the forests and woodlands of the conterminous United States. The multi-year project, referred to as the National Biomass and Carbon Dataset (NBCD), produced maps of these key forest attributes at an unprecedented spatial resolution of 30 m.

According to Kellndorfer, "This dataset will advance our understanding of the United States natural resources, provide an invaluable circa year 2000 baseline against which to assess changes in the future, and help to improve our understanding of the drivers for change, and thus supporting good decision making."

Read more at Science Daily or the project website. The digital raster dataset is freely accessible for download.

TSCA Fails to Protect Kids

2011-04-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

A policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is riddled with flaws and the government's regulation of the introduction and management of chemicals in the US fails to protect the health of children and pregnant women.

The AAP advocates for an overhaul of TSCA. Recommended revisions include requiring companies to test the chemicals they manufacture before they are brought to market, and that such tests provide information on the hazards of these chemicals to children and the developing fetus.

"It becomes a public responsibility after the chemical is out on the market to discern whether it's hazardous or not," said Jerome Paulson, medical director for national and global affairs at the Children's Health Advocacy Institute in Washington, DC, and lead author of the policy statement.

Read more at LiveScience.

Brown signs law requiring 33% renewable energy

2011-04-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

On Tuesday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law which will require California's investor-owned utility companies to get at least 33% of their power from renewable sources by 2020. The utilities are already required to get 20% of their power from renewable sources, a goal which has not been met yet, but which the new law will enforce by the end of 2013.

Speaking to a crowd gathered at a solar panel factory in Milpitas, Governor Brown framed the law in terms of maintaining California's lead in the green technology industry, improving the state's economy and increasing jobs over the long term.

Many clean-tech companies in Silicon Valley favored the law, saying that it will give investors confidence to continue building new factories and renewable power facilities in the state. PG&E, the state's largest utility, opposed the legislation on the grounds that it would restrict their ability to keep consumers' costs low. Southern California Edison, however, supported the law, expressing faith that prices for renewable energy such as solar power will continue to drop as worldwide production increases in response to increased demand.

Read the full article here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/12/BUA91IVBDL.DTL#ixzz1JQaTfNlY

National Standards for Mercury, Arsenic and Other Toxic Air Pollution

2011-03-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

EPA Proposes New Emission Standards for Power Plants
John M. Broder and John Collins Rudolf, NY Times, March 16, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the first national standard for emissions of mercury and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants.

The rule, which would likely lead to the early closing of a number of older plants, is certain to be challenged by the some utilities and Republicans in Congress.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson pointedly included the head of the American Lung Association and two prominent doctors in her announcement of the rule to highlight that the regulations were designed to protect public health and not to penalize the utility industry.

The EPA estimates the total annual cost of compliance at about $10 billion, in line with some industry estimates (although some are much higher), and the health and environmental benefits at more than $100 billion a year. Ms. Jackson said that households could expect to see their electric bills rise by $3 to $4 a month when the regulation was fully in force after 2015.

The Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, a group of utilities, questioned Ms. Jackson's assertion that the technology needed to reduce emissions of mercury, lead, arsenic, chromium and other airborne pollutants was readily available and reasonably inexpensive. The need to retrofit scores of plants in the same short period of time will tax resources and lead to delays, it said.

One utility executive said compliance would not be unduly burdensome. "We know from experience that constructing this technology can be done in a reasonable time frame, especially with good advance planning," said Paul Allen, senior vice president and chief environmental officer of Constellation Energy. "And there is meaningful job creation associated with the projects."

The new rules bring to a close a bitter legal and regulatory battle dating back to the passage of the 1970 Clean Air Act, which first directed the EPA to identify and control major industrial sources of hazardous emissions. The long delay has meant that emissions of some major pollutants have grown in recent years. The EPA's most recent data shows that from 1999 to 2005, mercury emissions from power plants increased more than 8 percent, to 53 tons from 49 tons. Arsenic emissions grew even more, rising 31 percent, to 210 tons from 160 tons.

Read the complete NY Times article here.

The Human Costs of Contaminated Drinking Water

2011-03-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Cost to clean contaminated water in San Joaquin Valley would be over $150M
Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee, March 16, 2011

A new study, The Human Costs of Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley, a collaboration of the Pacific Institute, Community Water Center, Clean Water Fund, and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, focuses on the household costs of avoiding nitrate-contaminated drinking water connected to community water systems and the costs to these systems of removing or avoiding nitrates.

The study reports that families in the San Joaquin Valley of California are paying more than $100 a month for both water service and bottled drinking water because local drinking water is often contaminated with nitrates and other harmful chemicals.

Tulare County, one of the most productive farming counties in the country, is the epicenter of the problem, the study says. The state tested 181 drinking water wells in 2006, finding more than 70 tainted with nitrates.

The study also suggests key policies and further research needed to better understand and resolve the situation.

Read the complete Fresno Bee article here.

Oakland City Council Adopts Energy and Climate Action Plan

2011-03-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

On March 1st, Oakland's City Council adopted a resolution that accepts the city's first Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP)--with some of the strongest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals of any city in the country--and directs the staff to proceed with appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

The February 22, 2011 Draft ECAP is available for review here.

The purpose of the ECAP is to identify and prioritize actions the City can take to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with Oakland. The ECAP recommends GHG reduction actions and establishes a framework for coordinating implementation, as well as monitoring and reporting on progress.

In July 2009, the Oakland City Council approved a preliminary GHG reduction target for the year 2020 of 36% below 2005 levels. The primary sources of Oakland’s GHG emissions are:

Transportation and Land Use
Building Energy Use
Material Consumption and Waste

The ECAP outlines a ten year plan including more than 150 actions that will enable Oakland to achieve its target reduction and recommends a Three Year Priority Implementation Plan.

Read more here. A video of the Council meeting is available here (skip to about 2:43:00 in the video for the ECAP agenda item).

Illegal Dumping In Bayview

2011-03-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

City Attorney Dennis Herrera has filed suit against Hector Santamaria of New High Protection Roofing Company and Salvador Gonzalez of Salvador Trucking Service for repeatedly disposing tons of roofing material and other debris in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. As part of the City Attorney's larger investigation, administrative subpoenas will be served on other suspected polluters.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera is seeking maximum civil penalties and damages for dumping more than 100 tons of construction and roofing material illegally on the streets and sidewalks of the Bayview since late September 2010.

In partnership with the City Attorney's Office, Supervisor Malia Cohen also introduced legislation that will amend San Francisco's municipal code to declare illegal dumping a public nuisance and empower the City with the ability to recover costs from those who commit illegal dumping.

San Francisco's Department of Public Works has spent more than $36,000 to remove the illegally-dumped waste and more than $25,000 to investigate and document the illegal dumping.

Click here for the press release.

Read more on KTVU.com (click here).

California Call for Hexavalent Chromium Drinking Water Standard

2011-02-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Bill calls for limiting carcinogen in California tap water
Lien Hoang, Associated Press, February 22, 2011

Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose, introduced legislation that would require the state Department of Public Health to place limits on hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium 6, by January 1, 2013.

If the agency does not act in time, California would adopt a limit of 0.02 parts per billion, compared with the federal standard of 100 parts per billion.

In December, the Environmental Working Group found that drinking water in 31 of 35 cities nationwide had more than 0.02 parts per billion of hexavalent chromium. Riverside and San Jose were among the cities with the highest levels.

Read the complete story here.

Where's The Gas?

2011-02-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Teeny Janitors Attack Gulf Spill, Then Vanish
Robert Krulwich, National Public Radio

Last June, oceanography professor John Kessler of Texas A&M University visited BP's Gulf of Mexico accident site and found methane concentrations below the surface that were, "on average about 100,000 times greater than background (usual)." He told Living On Earth, "We even saw a few locations that were starting to push the limits of a million times above background."

That's a lot of methane. Which is not a good thing. Because methane is a potent greenhouse gas, more potent than CO2. What's more, it's lurking everywhere, not just in the Gulf, but under the Arctic Ocean, the Black Sea. Should large quantities escape into the atmosphere, that would make our warming problems even worse.

Kessler's new paper, coauthored with David Valentine, points out that many methane eaters use oxygen to break down the gas, so says blogger Ed Yong:

Kessler reasoned that the microbes had done away with the methane. He even found the bacteria in question. In September, Kessler recovered several species of methane-eating bacteria from seven different sites. In some areas, these [methanotroph] specialists made up a third of the local bacteria. Back in June, the methane-eaters were nowhere to be found….

Read the complete story on NPR.

California Enters Carbon Trading Market

2011-01-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

California Air Board OKs Cap-and-Trade Regulations
Wyatt Buchanan, SF Chronicle, December 16, 2010

The California Air Resources Board on Thursday approved the creation of the nation's first broad-based program to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and to begin charging large emitters for the excess carbon dioxide they discharge to the atmosphere.

Under the new rules, which take effect in 2012, the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions estimated for California will be capped at the currently-forecasted emissions levels for 2012. Over the next three years, the cap will shrink by 2 percent per year. From 2015 to 2020, the cap will drop by 3 percent per year.

The cap first applies to the some of California's biggest emitters, including utilities and large industrial plants. In 2015, it will expand to fuel distributors. In total, it will apply to 360 businesses at 600 locations across the state.

Read the complete article here.

Environmental Economist Joins White House Staff

2011-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Nathaniel Keohane, most recently the chief economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, has moved to the National Economic Council at the White House to help direct environmental and energy policy.

Mr. Keohane is a vigorous proponent of the market-based system of cap and trade to control greenhouse gas emissions.

The top job at the economic council is currently vacant; the former director, Lawrence H. Summers, resigned at the end of 2010. Carol M. Browner, the White House coordinator for energy and climate policy, is rumored to be moving to a new post, possibly deputy chief of staff.

Via Green, a blog about energy and the environment, at NYTimes.com.

New Life for Old Stuff

2011-01-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Mike Ross’ Big Rig Jig, created using decommissioned tanker trucks, is a marvel in repurposing whose message is about man’s precarious relationship with nature.

The artist describes his monumental, interactive, visually compelling creation as: “Big Rig Jig is constructed from two discarded tanker trucks. The work serves both as a sculpture and an architectural space: Visitors may enter the lower truck, climb through the tankers and emerge through a portal at the top. The rear axles of the upper tanker serve as a viewing platform, 42 feet in the air.”

Read more here, at 1800recycling.com.

Proposition 23

2010-10-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Proposition 23, which would suspend AB32, is on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California as an initiated state statute.

AB32 is known as the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The act, passed by the California State Legislature and signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is California's landmark clean air legislation. AB32 requires that greenhouse gas emission levels in the state be cut to 1990 levels by 2020. The process of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the state is slated under AB32 to begin in 2012.

Proposition 23, if enacted by voters, will freeze the provisions of AB32 until California's unemployment rate drops to 5.5% or below for four consecutive quarters. California's unemployment rate, which currently hovers around 12%, has been at 5.5% or below for four consecutive quarters just three times since 1980.

Read a summary of the ballot measure, a list of its major supporters and those who oppose it, and listings of donors and donation amounts for and against at ballotpedia.org.

Costliest School in the Nation

2010-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Historic L.A. Hotel Finds New Life As School Campus
Karen Grigsby Bates, National Public Radio, September 13, 2010

Several elementary schools, high schools, and K-12 schools now make up the new Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools campus, located in one of the poorest, most densely populated parts of California.

The campus' six schools have been the focus of considerable criticism. The price tag for the entire campus totals approximately $578 million. And in a state awash in waves of red ink, that has attracted a lot of notice.

There have been detailed descriptions of the professional-quality science labs, the giant swimming pool and the chic faculty dining room (on the site of the Ambassador's coffee shop, designed by the city's most prominent African-American architect, Paul R. Williams).

Some critics have said, "They could have built a good school for a lot less."

Georgia Lazo, principal of one of the K-12 schools on campus, says, "It's a great facility and our kids deserve it, our community deserves it," she says.

The schools were built on a site formerly occupied by the hotel where Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Once the hotel was razed, officials realized the assassination wasn't the only bad luck at the site-- a methane gas field was discovered under the building. All told, the city paid $33 million to mitigate the problem.

Most state and local governments do not have the funds or property available to build schools on greenfields, however, as this and the Carson-Gore school case demonstrate, site selection guidelines and proper environmental due diligence can help prevent unplanned and costly investigations and remediation.

New LA School Built on Contaminated Site

2010-10-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

New school campus devoted to environmental themes
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, September 5, 2010

The $75.5-million Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Sciences opened this September for about 675 students. However, critics say the campus' location poses a long-term health risk to students and staff. School officials scrambled to replace contaminated soil with clean fill, remediate groundwater, install vapor mitigation and air monitoring systems, and put a 45 foot barrier in place between the school and a gas station prior to opening, adding up to a cost of about $4 million.

Construction crews were working at the campus up to the Labor Day weekend, replacing contaminated soil with clean fill. All told, workers removed soil from two 3,800-square-foot areas to a depth of 45 feet, which was impacted from over a dozen underground storage tanks that used to serve light industrial businesses in the area.
The underground tanks of an adjacent gas station may be an additional source. In addition, an oil well operates across the street, but officials said they've found no associated risks. Like many local campuses, this school also sits above an oil field, but no oil field-related methane has been detected. Groundwater about 45 feet below the surface remains contaminated but poses no risk, officials said.

Read more here.

A New Type of Hybrid

2010-09-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Building on the success of the first hybrid tug launched into service at the Port of Long Beach in 2009, Foss will retrofit an existing tug with hybrid technology for service in San Pedro Bay, thanks to a $1 million grant from the California Air Resources Board. The project will be implemented through a partnership between Foss, the Port of Long Beach, and the Port of Los Angeles.

Foss will retrofit the Campbell Foss, a conventional dolphin tug currently assisting oceangoing vessels in the San Pedro Bay. The goal is to achieve significant reductions in pollution emissions while enhancing fuel efficiency and operational capabilities. Projected annual emissions reductions per year include:

More than 1.7 tons of diesel particulate matter
More than 53 tons of oxides of nitrogen
More than 1.2 tons of reactive organic gases
More than 1,340 tons of carbon dioxide

In addition, more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel will be saved each year.

Read more here. (Found via TriplePundit.)

More Open Space

2010-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

East Bay district opens new Dublin Hills park
Caroline Jones, SF Chronicle, July 22, 2010

The East Bay Regional Park District has opened its newest park, Dublin Hills. The park, Dublin's largest, is 520 acres of grassy ridgetop just west of downtown. It boasts views of San Francisco, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo and all points in between.

For a century, much of the land has been ranched by the Machado family. But over the past 20 years, the park district chipped away at the acquisition with easements and negotiations that culminated in this month's $2.5 million purchase.

Dublin Hills was a critical acquisition because it potentially will link to Pleasanton Ridge and the Calaveras Ridge Trail, a 30-mile ridgetop path from Las Trampas in Alamo to Mission Hills in Fremont.

Read the complete article here.

Making the Case for Ecosystem Services Valuation

2010-06-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Nature, Volume 465, Pages 985–986

On June 14, 2010, BP pledged $20 billion to an escrow account to pay for damage caused by the April 22, 2010 sinking of its Deepwater Horizon drilling platform off the coast of Louisiana. The beneficiaries of this fund are expected to be fishermen, hoteliers, charter-boat operators, and other Gulf-coast business owners who have lost income, as well as states and other entities with clean-up costs.

However, whether payment will ever be made for the loss of 'ecosystem services' is unknown. Ecosystem services benefit everyone but are owned by no one, such as the carbon sequestration provided by marsh plants and ocean plankton, or the buffering that coastal marshes provide to nearby communities from the Gulf's many hurricanes.

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska raised similar questions, and sparked a flurry of research in the once-obscure discipline of ecological economics, which seeks to estimate quantities such as the 'replacement cost' of an ecosystem — or even an individual organism. (For example, killer whales cost $300,000 at the time; cormorants were $310.) The Gulf oil spill seems likely to inspire another surge of research in this field.

Ecological economist Robert Costanza at the University of Vermont in Burlington has already estimated a $34 billion to $670 billion price tag for the loss of Gulf ecosystem services.

Read more in "A Full Accounting", in the June 24, 2010 issue of Nature.

EPA Sets Stronger National Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide

2010-06-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a final new health standard for sulfur dioxide (SO2). This one-hour health standard will protect millions of Americans from short-term exposure to SO2, which is primarily emitted from power plants and other industrial facilities. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma and cause other respiratory difficulties.

The EPA is setting the one-hour SO2 health standard at 75 parts per billion (ppb), a level designed to protect against short-term exposures ranging from five minutes to 24 hours, revoking the current 24-hour and annual SO2 health standards in the process.

The EPA is also changing the monitoring requirements for SO2. Any new monitors required by this rule must begin operating no later than January 1, 2013, and modeling as well as monitoring will determine compliance with the new standard.

EPA estimates that the health benefits associated with this rule range between $13 billion and $33 billion annually. These benefits include preventing 2,300 to 5,900 premature deaths and 54,000 asthma attacks a year. The estimated cost in 2020 to fully implement this standard is approximately $1.5 billion.

Read the full press release.

Pug Goes Green

2010-05-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Another Reason to Buy Organic Strawberries?

2010-05-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

(besides that they typically taste better)

The State of California has proposed approving the strawberry fumigant methyl iodide. The state would require further, stringent regulations on the use of the soil fumigant, going beyond the federal rules that allow for its use in other states. But the stricter measures have done little to quell the fears of opponents.

Methyl iodide is a replacement for methyl bromide, a pesticide that is known to contribute to depletion of the ozone layer and is being phased out under the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances. Methyl iodide is an effective pesticide and ozone-friendly, but it is a known mutagen, and it could cause cancer, nerve damage or fetal-development problems among workers and people living near fumigated fields.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the fumigant in October 2007, finding it safe for use. But a report by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) concluded in 2009 that the compound posed "significant health risks". The DPR commissioned an independent review, which stated amongst its findings that "adequate control of human exposure would be difficult, if not impossible". Nevertheless, the DPR decided on 30 April that further restrictions would make methyl iodide safe enough for use.

Read more here, in Nature News.

NREL's Top 10 List of Green Power Programs

2010-05-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its annual assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as wind and solar.

According to the NREL analysis, more than 850 utilities across the US now offer green power programs. Utility green power sales in 2009 exceeded 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), and represent more than 5% of total electricity sales for some of the most popular programs. Wind energy represents approximately two-thirds of electricity generated for green energy programs nationwide.

Using information provided by utilities, NREL developed a Top 10 list of utility programs for 2009 in the following categories:

total sales of renewable energy to program participants
total number of customer participants
percentage of customer participation
green power sales as a percentage of total utility retail electricity sales
lowest price premium charged for a green power program using new renewable resources

Ranked by renewable energy sales (kWh/year), Austin Energy in Austin, Texas sold the largest amount of renewable energy in the nation through its voluntary green power program. Rounding out the top five are Portland General Electric (OR), PacifiCorp (OR and five other states), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (CA), and Xcel Energy (CO, MN, WI, and NM).

Ranked by the percentage of customer participation, the top utilities are City of Palo Alto Utilities (CA), Portland General Electric, Madison Gas and Electric Company (WI), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and the City of Naperville (IL).

NREL analysts attribute the success of many programs to continued efforts to raise awareness of the availability of green power options and the decrease in the rate premium that customers pay for green power. The average net price premium for utility green power products has decreased from 3.48¢/kWh in 2000 to 1.75¢/kWh in 2009.

See additional rankings and read the full press release here.

State of the Air 2010

2010-04-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Cities across the US are showing success in the fight for healthy air. But despite these gains, the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2010 report concludes that healthy air remains elusive for most US cities.

The 11th annual report finds that 58 percent of Americans – more than 175 million – live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. A decade of cleanup measures, including reductions in coal-fired powered plant emissions and the transition to cleaner diesel fuels and engines have paid off in cutting levels of deadly particle and ozone pollution. But some cities, mostly in California, had air that was more polluted than in the previous report.

Read more about the State of the Air report at the American Lung Association website. Also read the AP article about the findings here.

New California Geologic and Fault Maps

2010-04-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

In honor of the agency's 150th anniversary, the California Geological Survey has issued new geologic and fault maps of the state.

The new maps are interactive and linked to Google Maps, enabling users to select faults and specific geologic areas of interest. The agency is preparing even more high-tech versions that will enable users to better zoom in to specific areas and specific faults. The new maps will be released online to the public soon.

Read an article about the new maps on SFGate.

Earth Day (or Week or Month) Events Near You

2010-04-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

April 21 (Wednesday) - Earth Day Eve 2010: Creating a Healthy Future. Featuring John & Ocean Robbins, Mark Dubois, food, wine and live music. 7:00 pm Wed. $15 at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley.

April 22 (Thursday) - NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences, 6:00 - 10:00 pm. This NightLife is an extension of the Academy’s week-long Earth Day celebration. Among the activities included are a “green games” competition where you can test knowledge of environmental topics such as recycling and the carbon cycle to win some fabulous prizes, including tickets and signed baseballs from the SF Giants. Features music from DJ and Producer Michael Anthony and Drunken Monkey DJing downstairs in the Aquarium.

April 22 (Thursday) - The Oakland Public Library will give free reusable canvas tote bags. All library branches, Oakland. (510) 238-3134.

April 23 (Friday) - Bike-In Movie Night at Whole Foods, Oakland, 7:00 - 11:00 pm. A night of film and bikes benefiting the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Featuring the films FOOD INC. at 8:00 pm and SILENT RUNNINGS at 10:00 pm.

May 1 and 2 (Saturday/Sunday) - Oakland Museum of California Re-Opening Celebration, Oakland, 2:00 - 6:00 pm. Continuous (31 hours!) round-the-clock free programs and events. Valet bike parking available.

May 2 (Sunday) - Urban Assault Ride, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. A truly unique cycling event, quickly becoming one of the biggest in country. You and your teammate will set out on a city-wide quest for 'checkpoints' on your favorite two-wheeled steeds. At each checkpoint, you'll drop your bikes and complete a funky/adventurous obstacle course, then remount your bikes and hit the streets for more. The goal is to complete all the checkpoints in the shortest amount of time. Starts at Martin Luther King JR Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley, California.

May 13 (Thursday) - Bike to Work Day. Urban cycling workshops, raffles, energizer stations, bike convoys, free repairs, and a pancake breakfast at Frank Ogawa Plaza. From 5:30 - 8:30 pm there is also the Bike Away from Work party on Telegraph Avenue in front of the Fox Theater. Features the Crucible's Art Bike Program, Beyond Bikes Art Exhibit, Cyclecide Heavy Pedal Bike Rides & Show, music, raffle prizes, awards, food and beer from Trumer Pils Brewery in Berkeley.

ARB’s Updated AB32 Scoping Plan Economic Analysis

2010-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

A revised version of the EAAC Economic Impacts Subcommittee Report on ARB’s Updated AB32 Scoping Plan Economic Analysis is now available.

A public meeting to update the Board on AB32 Economic Analyses will be held on April 21, 2010 as a continuation of the March Board Meeting Agenda Item 10-3-6.

Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Time: 1:00-5:30 pm
Location:
Sierra Hearing Room, 2nd Floor, CalEPA Building
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

ARB staff, experts and stakeholders will discuss several economic analyses relating to AB32. This Board agenda item will include an overview of recent economic studies of the implementation of the AB32 Scoping Plan and an opportunity for public comment. The agenda for the Board meeting can be found here.

Click here for further information on the EAAC.
Click here for additional information on ARB’s Updated AB32 Scoping Plan Economic Analysis.

The Green Chamber Sponsors An Evening with Bill McKibben

2010-04-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Green Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an evening with author Bill McKibben on Thursday, April 22, 2010.

Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different.

Bill McKibben is the author of The End of Nature, Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, and Deep Economy. A former staff writer for the New Yorker, he writes regularly for Harper's, the Atlantic, and the New York Review of Books, among other publications.

The event will be held at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. There is a special reception at 5:30 pm at Creekside. Doors to Angelico Hall open at 6:00 pm and the lecture begins at 7:00 pm. The lecture and book signing are free. There is no RSVP, and seating is limited.

Report on AB32's Health and Economic Benefits

2010-04-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Minding The Climate Gap: What's at Stake if California's Climate Law isn't Done Right and Right Away
Manuel Pastor, Rachel Morello-Frosch, James Sadd, and Justin Scoggins, April 2010

Minding the Climate Gap: What's at Stake if California's Climate Law isn't Done Right and Right Away details how incentivizing the reduction of greenhouse gases—which cause climate change—from facilities operating in the most polluted neighborhoods could generate major public health benefits. The study also details how revenues generated from charging polluters could be used to improve air quality and create jobs in the neighborhoods that suffer from the dirtiest air.

The report is published by PERE, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity.

Northgate Sustainability Forum

California Passes New Auto Emission Rules

Judge Strikes Down Air Quality Rules

EPA Posts Emissions Data from Industry

New Year's Thought: Young Environmentalists Taking Action

Legal Update - 2011

EPA Releases Formerly Confidential Chemical Information

U.S. Army Has Net Zero Vision for National Security

Case Set to Challenge EPA’s GHG Regs · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

EPA Acknowledges Link Between Hydraulic Frac­tur­ing And Ground­wa­ter Contamination

ITRC Guidance for Green and Sustainable Remediation

Open Space Jewel Returns to Bayview-Hunters Point

Candlestick Point Volunteer Work Day, November 30th

Judge Orders Columbus Steel to pay for Violating Clean Air Act

San Francisco's Green Energy Claims Questioned - The Bay Citizen

Green Tenant Toolkit Launched

Sea Level Rise Could Drown Vital Marshes

Health Costs of Climate Change-Related Disasters in the US

Johnson & Johnson to Remove Contaminants from Baby Products

Newest Wetland in Salt Pond Restoration Project

Sewage into Energy

Infrastructure Sustainability Rating System

ARB Workshop on Draft Changes to California's GHG Reporting and Cap-and-Trade Regulations

Federal Agencies Partner to Revitalize Urban Waterways

Orange County Wildflower Hikes

Climate Action Facilitator Training

Bike to Work - May 12, 2011

California Environmental Health Tracking Program

State of the Air 2011

US Forest Map Released

TSCA Fails to Protect Kids

Brown signs law requiring 33% renewable energy

National Standards for Mercury, Arsenic and Other Toxic Air Pollution

The Human Costs of Contaminated Drinking Water

Oakland City Council Adopts Energy and Climate Action Plan

Illegal Dumping In Bayview

California Call for Hexavalent Chromium Drinking Water Standard

Where's The Gas?

California Enters Carbon Trading Market

Environmental Economist Joins White House Staff

New Life for Old Stuff

Proposition 23

Costliest School in the Nation

New LA School Built on Contaminated Site

A New Type of Hybrid

More Open Space

Making the Case for Ecosystem Services Valuation

EPA Sets Stronger National Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide

Pug Goes Green

Another Reason to Buy Organic Strawberries?

NREL's Top 10 List of Green Power Programs

State of the Air 2010

New California Geologic and Fault Maps

Earth Day (or Week or Month) Events Near You

ARB’s Updated AB32 Scoping Plan Economic Analysis

The Green Chamber Sponsors An Evening with Bill McKibben

Report on AB32's Health and Economic Benefits

EPA Acknowledges Link Between Hydraulic Fracturing And Groundwater Contamination