Climate Protection Campaign

2nd Annual

Climate All Stars Conference

Bay Area Leaders Present Real Solutions for Speed and Scale

I will make sure staff of my city continues to work on the issue of climate protection—that means measuring our carbon footprint.

• Creation of the City’s Environmental Services Division
• Establishment of El Cerrito’s citizen-based Environmental Quality Committee and staff Green Team
• Adoption of 2005 GHG inventory
• Energy efficiency improvements for residents, businesses and government facilities
• Receipt of a BAAQMD Climate Protection Grant
• Partnership with Strategic Energy Innovations to develop GHG reduction policies for the City

Educate the community; communication—networking and sharing ideas.

Our organization is increasing our program outreach 10-fold, to thousand(s) of middle and high school students; effects will additionally impact their families; on a personal level, I will encourage all of my family/friends to take some action (TBD) to address climate change issues in their homes/communities.

Convert my car to run on bio-fuel.

Design and implement a strategy to make the CA presidential primary a focal point for the nation about the need for bipartisan action on bold climate initiatives.

With my close colleagues and friends, formed an international climate campaign called 350.org.

Develop an RFP for a neighborhood that wants to revision and create itself as a sustainable community.

The Department is now working with a block of Cole St. to become a Green Block. The work began this August.

Help promote sustainability measures within the UCB resident halls.

Lead a campaign for a climate action fund for the Bay Area.

Research solar heating and panels for my new house; use transit and carpool for transportation needs; tell my friends what I’ve learned today.

Pass a green building ordinance for the City of Monterey.

The City passed a Green Building Ordinance following an extensive community process.  The Ordinance establishes a Green Building Program requiring minimum thresholds of green building practices be met for all residential and non-residential development projects.  In addition, new municipal projects are required to achieve a LEED Silver commission.  The Program is serving as a model for other jurisdictions throughout Monterey County with likely adoptions and expansion in the coming months.

Volunteer to help implement Sonoma County’s CCAP; contribute a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer time.

Since last year’s conference, I have volunteered approximately 20 hours to the development of the Plan by providing support for production schedule development, report structure, content framing, content review, presentation review, and clarification of energy efficiency benchmarks in addition to my paid time as technical editor for the Plan.

I will share what I’ve learned w/my school to inspire others to become involved; I will try to set an example of how to help the environment in my own life.

Continue to fight new sources of fossil fuels especially liquid natural gas and coal; work for community choice aggregation in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville.

Through our work with the coalition Ratepayers for Affordable Clean Energy, we have held the line on the construction of new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals on the West Coast. In doing so, we have avoided tens of millions of new greenhouse gas emissions from California, and advocated instead for a rapid build up of efficiency and renewable energy.

Bring the issue of social justice to the SSV Board and request action on developing a social justice initiative.

Lower greenhouse gas emissions and start the fight against coal plants.

An effective city green building ordinance.

I helped promote a person who can, and now will, have the authority to create a mandatory compliance green building ordinance for the City of Sonoma, namely my wife and future Councilmember, Laurie Gallian. Sometimes your goal takes a circuitous route.

Encourage/hasten/enable Petaluma’s commitment to being a model “Green” city; bring together a loose coalition of 10 Sonoma County organizations committed to green building/sustainability/local/organic food/reducing GHG’s.

Give one presentation (An Inconvenient Truth slide show)per week—no matter how large or small the audience w/”standing” date/times.

I missed my mark by 7 presentations. On Sept 24, 2007, I had given 17 presentations on climate change. At this time, I have given 62 presentations. Hence, during the year since the first Climate All Stars I gave 45 presentations. I am going to renew my commitment this year and set up a standing climate solutions presentation at one of the Hayward library branches every other Saturday morning while I continue to do ad hoc presentations and involvement with the City Council Sustainability Committee and Keep Hayward Clean and Green Task Force.

We will do everything in our power to make our school a sustainable energy model and educate/involve our community.

Boldly pursue funding for Cool Business Alliance Proposal.

I did all that I could to fulfill our goal, and that wasn't sufficient to fund the program. Donors did not see the charitable nature of underwriting a service for businesses. Some projects just will not get funded even though you truly believe in them and have a great commitment to them. Perhaps the timing will be better if there is legislation passed on a state level that requires reductions.

Help get the Smart Train passed in Fall 08 elections.

When I made this commitment at last year's All Stars Conference, it was two months before this whole Solar Sonoma County business blasted off. While I absolutely count my efforts with SSC toward my personal commitment to climate protection, I don't think I can honestly claim to have fulfilled the commitment. The SMART Train may be headed for success in spite of me!

Climate recovery is my highest priority until the challenges are solved.

• I consider greenhouse gas reduction in every decision I make.
• I do my best to influence my fellow Council members.
• I ran for County Supervisor to advance Climate Recovery awareness, and have added a Climate Recovery focus to my website  www.VeronicaJacobi.com
• I focus on optimal effectiveness for climate recovery in my work with many environmental groups and Santa Rosa residents
• My household of three occupants currently averages around 1kWh per day...always below 2 kWh per day average, and around .5 therms per day...year round.
• We went from our already downsized mini refrigerator to unplugging it entirely.  (We planned ahead to use up almost everything first and not waste food.)  We currently mainly eat vegan at home, though recently a farmer friend is providing eggs from happy chickens in small enough doses.
• We bike, bus and train. We have started keeping track of when we drive to try to avoid having our car battery die again from lack of use, as well as offering to carshare.
• I successfully avoided flying. 

I still think a Youth Energy Efficiency Corps as a point of a decentralized internet based, but large scale nation-wide service system is a critical long-term solution.

Create a regional forum for elected officials to learn about and make a commitment to addressing CO2 emissions.

Sharing information and concerns w/other members of Santa Clara government; encouraging job and like meetings among cities around us to begin planning.

Ongoing discussions with staff and elected officials in Santa Clara have resulted in a number of efforts to reduce green house gasses:  establishing our carbon footprint - our starting point; planning regionally with other cities that has led to the adoption of green building standards for civic and private developments that includes a "green" checklist applied to all new construction and large-scale renovation; ongoing City commitment to the purchase of hybrid vehicles; significant achievements and practices from our City-owned electric utility (Silicon Valley Power) that include establishing a power source portfolio already above the state and federal goals for renewable resources.

Give a ride for climate presentation @ five schools.

Work through association of air districts to complete guidelines for addressing GHG under CEOA by the end of October.

The paper, "CEQA & Climate Change: Evaluating and Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Projects Subject to the California Environmental Quality Act" was released on January 2, 2008.

Sending an e-mail to friends and family about presentation re coal and impact of one sea level meter rise on the Bay Area.

Make sure our general plan update has a climate protection element; promote alternative water resource principles to cities and counties.

Work w/the Sierra Club Cool Cities Campaign to commit to adopting architecture 2030 green building goals to aggressively reduce energy use by buildings.

1) Work w/a regional task force to develop greener building policy and action items to present to the Santa Clara County Cities Association, and 2) Develop a proposed solar energy plan for the City of Sunnyvale.

I will run a light bulb exchange @ school and run a Step-It-up Rally/Ecommute.

Reduce my household impact by 25% below 2006 levels by 2008; get Climate Champions built; vote climate protection as #1 priority; help other families get engaged.

Replace incandescent bulbs; take bids on solar installation; look @ hybrid cards.

• Replaced incandescent bulbs with fluorescent where ever possible
• Took bid on solar installation - on hold due to the status of stock market
• Purchased a new Prius

1) Host two “know your neighbor” teas before October 20; 2) talk about “no coal” daily; 3) talk about “nuclear power” daily.

Reduce energy use by 50% this winter; create, work, volunteer for @ least two more marketing/RP global warming/education projects.

1) Find mayoral and council candidates (Vallejo) that will incorporate green aspects to Vallejo Plan; 2) draw/assemble plans for mini-turbine @ my home.

Promote measurement of energy efficiency in IT forums.

Launch a campaign on the transportation and climate change connection; we will propose a plan for how the Bay Area can better use its transportation dollars to achieve GHG reductions and improve quality of life in the Bay Area; propose a new climate fund for transportation through an impact fee on vehicle fuels to help fund expanded transportation options, etc.

Through TALC, led campaigns:

• To influence the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 2009 Regional Transportation Plan, and
• To create a Transportation Fund for Climate Solutions that would be supported by a regional greenhouse gas mitigation fee. Although enabling legislation did not pass adopted this year, the effort will continue in the coming legislative season.

To carpool as often as possible and to drive separately as little as possible, to recycle, plant trees and use eco-friendly products and methods.

I’m part of an Ecommute group that awards students to walk, ride a bike, or carpool to and from school, but I also want to influence other schools to try this program also.

Individual goals: For a start take my Carbon Emissions Profile and find ways to reduce it by 50%; investigate ways to inject “Climate Change” into my work/office and nonprofit activities.

To take the time to “walk the talk,” e.g., the food plus supplies we use @ are quarterly meetings will be local/green; make meetings accessible via the web.

Map sustainability efforts to make connections visible in Sonoma County.

As a member of Petaluma’s DCAC, I will bring zero carbon building to the table as we discuss mandatory green building and other code updates.

Encourage students to take part in the Environmental Programs offered @ our school on a day-to-day basis.

To develop an approach to communicating the issues within our local community so as to galvanize the community’s willingness to act; to help this by sponsoring a community sustainability event.

Pass a green building ordinance in Menlo Park in 2008.

The Green Ribbon Citizen Committee (GRCC) I have been spearheading for 2 years has made significant progress on other fronts. After our initial Report, the GRCC got the City Council to obtain a community-wide GHG emissions sources report from ICLEI, join PG&E ClimateSmart to make all City energy used carbon neutral, and adopt 14 short-term GHG reducing recommendations. By the end of this year staff will finalize a Climate Action Plan. The GRCC continues its advocacy and has focused on targeted community outreach to help residents and businesses reduce their GHG footprints.

I made more rapid progress the Green Building front in my role as Chair of the San Mateo County Planning Commission. There I helped develop and gain Board of Supervisors adoption of an innovative Green Building ordinance in the Spring of 2008.

Finally, on the personal front, my family won a Menlo Park Environmental Quality Award for the extensive Green Remodeling project we completed this year on our 1938 home.

I will reach out to and partner w/@ least 5 cities and 15 businesses, 5 schools and 5 communities of faith to achieve GHG reductions via climate smart and energy efficiency.

By March 2008, five Cities had joined PG&E’s new ClimateSmart program to make their energy usage climate neutral.  Hundreds of businesses, and dozens of schools and communities of faith also joined this program during 2008.  The total number of early adopters is now over 30,000, and their voluntary contributions have already supported two initial rounds of contracts for GHG reduction contracts.  The program is unique in that it offers tax deductibility as well as independently verified results, under the strict protocols of the California Climate Action Registry. Through PG&E’s local partnerships, we are working hard to help Cities, schools, faith communities and businesses explore a full portfolio of climate solutions beyond ClimateSmart, including on-site renewables as well as targeted energy efficiency approaches to reduce their energy bills and their GHG emission footprints.

Developing a regional youth outreach effort.

Communicate the climate change benefits of recycling/green building/Bay friendly landscaping; empower kids to participate and take action; convert mutual funds/stock holdings to clean tech companies/funds.

Be conscious on a daily basis of energy use/ways to help accelerate climate protection; suggest firm stop utilizing Styrofoam cups.

Report our progress on a portfolio of projects: data center energy efficient demonstrations; employer commute competition; plug-in hybrid education campaign, green building. Local policy collaboration and solar PV Center of Excellence.

1)Involvement and promotion of Focus the Nation on January 31, 2008; 2) helping to green the annual solar energy conference; 3) continuing discussion in the solar energy industry about ways for companies to reduce their carbon emissions; 4) joining a local Northwest Earth Institute Climate Change study group; 5) send my relatives in the mid-west info about climate change, renewable energy, sustainable living, green building; and 6) look @ doing a presentation somewhere on climate change/green building/sustainable living, etc.

On October 20th the city is hosting “Sustainable Walnut Creek: Going Green Together;” a community gathering designed to explore solutions to personal and community greenhouse gas emissions.

I am going to research buying a hybrid vehicle; if I can’t afford it, I will look into a Vespa or other scooter; I will do something in the next year.

Begin a climate change conversation w/our sister city by December 2007; in 2008 hold/organize three public art events that focus on the climate story.

As an architect, I will express the goals/design of my projects in quantifiable terms of GHG/carbon reduction, to meet or exceed the 2030 challenge.

My architectural work has pressed harder for more significant results towards GHG reduction and sustainability. However, my ability to quantify specific values for carbon reduction or energy savings has been challenging, especially for single-family residential projects. Pursuing this effort has introduced me to the European model of the Passive House, considered the most energy efficient home energy concept.

Give out $1.5 million in grants for climate protection.

I gave away two times the money ($3 million) for climate protection than I pledged.

Distribute one million compact fluorescent light bulbs in PG&E service territory.