Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter: November

 
Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter
November 10, 2009
 
 
Sunnyvale Greening:  Sunnyvale Organizations Act to Protect Environment
 
Some of Sunnyvale's faith communities are  increasingly taking action to protect our environment. At least three religious organizations have installed solar power (St. Cyprian Catholic Church,  Congregational Community Church in Sunnyvale, and the Chung Tai Zen Center). Others are making their buildings and appliances more energy-efficient (St. Thomas Episcopal).  One, Sunnyvale Presbyterian is Green Business Certified. 
 
The Muslim American Society hosted the Second Annual Muslim EcoFair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQOf431Mxg on October 11 in Santa Clara, with tables by Acterra, the Sierra Club, Sunnyvale Cool, the Water District, the City of Sunnyvale, and many others.  The event  included an interfaith panel discussion on environmental stewardship with representatives from the Jewish, Catholic and Protestant traditions.
 
On the International Day of Climate Action, October 24, the Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale hosted a Green Action Day and Interfaith Forum on Environmental Ethics and Responsibility with representatives from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. This was the first inter-faith event ever sponsored by the Center.  The Center also created and distributed a Green Booklet, full of ideas for  living more lightly on the earth.  Their electricity needs are fully met with the huge array of PV solar panels. 
 
The Unitarian Universalists are studying the ethics of food, including showing the documentary The Future of Food.
 
Schools are also making efforts to become sustainable.  On October 23, the Fremont High School club, Acting to Protect the Environment (A.P.E.) hosted a small 350 event at the school, the only other Sunnyvale climate action that day besides the event at the  Zen Center. This active group is currently planning a trip via train to the Green Festival this weekend in San Francisco. 
 

The Homestead High Marching Band actively and systematically works to reduce the waste produced at its events through its Garbage Busters program  http://www.hhs.fuhsd.org/aboutus (Although Homestead High is just across the border in Cupertino, a large proportion of its students live in Sunnyvale.)
  
The E3 Council http://e3council.org/  is working to fund its first project, a solar lab at Cupertino Middle School.  (Cupertino Middle School is located in Sunnyvale.  A large proportion of its students live in Sunnyvale.) 
 
The Fremont Union High School District is installing PV systems in each of its 5 high schools.  When the installation is complete, the district will save a million dollars each year in energy costs with clean, renewable energy.
 
The Sunnyvale Elementary School District has hired a Texas firm to improve the energy-efficiency of each of its buildings.
 
Both Fremont High and  Homestead High offer environmental science classes.  Homestead also offers AP Environmental Science, the first in the district, thanks to the efforts of one teacher, Richard Carmona.
 
The recent Art and Wine Festival, hosted by the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce this past summer strived for zero waste by collecting and composting organic materials, providing compostable cups and utensils, and asking Sunnyvale Cool to organize volunteers to staff the recycling stations.  The Downtown Association's outdoor music events last summer also aimed for zero waste.
 
If you know of other local actions to protect our air, land, water, or atmosphere taken by community groups, please let us know.
 
Sunnyvale Government and the Environment. 

• Carbon Audit results.  City staff recently completed a carbon audit of Sunnyvale's city government to quantify greenhouse gas emissions.  Our city government facilities and operations currently generate 8.1% less carbon emissions than they did in 1990. The City is working on further reductions, but they have proved that a large organization can roll back carbon emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy.    
• The Revision of the Land Use and Transportation  Element (LUTE) of the General Plan, now in progress, will shape our city for years to come. This document will strongly influence what kind city we will be in 2030 and whether we will prepare for the environmental, economic and social changes predicted. There is one community outreach meeting on the Land Use and Transportation Element remaining in this first set.   http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/News+Releases/2009+News+Releases/10+14+09.htm  
• As part of the revision of the LUTE, the city will conduct its first community wide carbon audit to determine how much greenhouse gas our community generates and where it comes from. This audit will serve as a baseline against which future reductions can be measured.  (Our Council unanimously adopted the Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement on September 11, 2007 which called for 7% reductions in community emissions by 2012.  About 1000 communities nationwide have also signed onto the Agreement. This citywide audit will give our community the metrics to determine whether we are meeting our commitment.) We will then create a  plan for reducing community carbon emissions. (Many local cities have already completed their carbon audits and climate action plans.) Stay tuned for community outreach meetings after the new year. 

 
 
There will be no Sunnyvale Cool general meeting this month, in hopes that people might attend some of the many good events listed below.  If you haven't heard Don Weden speak, it is worth a trip to Los Altos to hear him.  All are welcome to the free Sierra Club workshop on creating climate friendly communities. And please consider attending the final city outreach meeting on the Land Use and Transportation Element of the General Plan.
 
Upcoming Events

• City Outreach Meeting: Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) Revision.  Thursday, November 12, 7-8:30 PM, Fair Oaks Park Building. Third of a series of three meetings to gather resident input.  Staff presents brief power point, providing background information about the city and the general plan.  Residents are then free to suggest ideas under five general headings:  neighborhoods, citywide, health, economy and sustainability. Attendees then may "vote" for their three highest priorities.
• San Francisco Green Festival, November 13, 14, 15:   http://www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco/
• Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and Acterra host Dr. Stephen Schneider, 1:30 PM, Roche Palo Alto, 3431 Hillview Avenue, $25.  Seating limited.  For more information and to register:  http://paloaltocacoc.weblinkconnect.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=807
• Building Climate Friendly Communities:  Sierra Club worshop.  Saturday, 14 November 2009, from 9 to Noon, Menlo Park Council Chambers, 701 Laurel. Sign-in/refreshments at 8:30.This training builds upon the earlier trainings given this year focusing on climate friendly communities, the city's general planning process, and effective community organization. For more information and to RSVP:  http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/calendar.asp?eventid=1307
• Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition Annual Meeting.  Saturday, November 14, 8 AM-5 PM, Quinlan Center, Cupertino. For more information and to register:  http://www.sccreeks.org/index.php/conference
• Transition Silicon Valley hosts Movie Night, Monday, November 16, 6:45-8:45 PM, Cedar Room, Santa Clara Central Park Library,  2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara.  The film:  "The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil."  Discussion follows.
• Winds of Change:  Adpating Our Communities to the Changing Realities of the 21st Century.  Don Weden, visionary planner, speaks at GreenTown Los Altos Meeting, Tuesday, November 17, 7:30-9 PM, Hillview Community Center (Room 17 ), 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos.  Mr. Weden makes the case that we are entering a period of profound structural change--demographic, environmental and economic.  He will show how by anticipating and understanding the coming changes and preparing for them, we can enable our communities to thrive under the new conditions these changes will bring. Mr. Weden will offer his advice on how we can plan our local communities to help us prepare for and adapt to this new future. Free. All welcome. http://www.greentownlosaltos.org/drupal/events
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) meeting. Thursday, November 19, 6:30 PM, West Conference Room, City Hall. The Stevens Creek Trail will be discussed.

Interesting Read:  What Really Happens When You Turn on the Light by Dominique Brown:   http://blogs.edf.org/personalnature/