Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors: 0; Planet Earth -19 on Vehicle GHG

Despite a February 2008 grant and signed agreement with the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD), today the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted unanimously, with negligible debate, to walk away. The grant and project is to determine County mobile GHG emissions and devise 'policies and programs' to reduce or eliminate them. The RTC will now perform the study. It apparently took the County 19 months to realize they couldn't do it. BOS: 0; Earth -19.

According to John Presleigh of the SCC Public Works Department the reason was that MBUAPCD had awarded a $10,000 grant for a project that would cost Ecology Action, a partner on the project, $50,000 to do. He did not know the reason for 19 month delay.

However, upon examining public information later made available by the Public Works Department, a slightly different story is presented. For the County, Thomas Bolich of SCC signed the "Grant Acceptance Agreement" with MBUAPD which had these features:

-"total cost" $23,250; $10,000 from the grant with remaining $13,250 that "Grantee attests having secured the balance of $13,250"

-though a 2 year grant, the document specifies the project should have ended 3/31/09

-Attachment 1 "Sources of Other Secured Funds, $13,250 - Ecology Action" ($12,750 for "personnel" and $500 for "grant administration")

-Attachment 2 "Grantee has secured all other funds necessary to implement the Project"

I was also shown a 6/24/08 MBUAPCD letter informing the County and CEO of Ecology Action that the agreement would be extended the agreement by 3 months through 4/30/10 because of fires and smoky conditions.

To a non-lawyer it is clear that the funds were in place; a deal had been made; partners in place; and now the County wants to walk away.

The Public Works Department had no further information. Attempts to reach Supervisors Coonerty and Stone, or John Presleigh were unsuccessful. Questions submitted in advance to the BOS meeting were not answered. The RTC staff I spoke with were only vaguely aware that this project was coming their way and had no further details.

• Is this a breakdown of so-called "public-private partnershp"?
• A BOS abdication of responsibility for acting on climate change?
• A failure of government oversight?
• Is this why the Commission on the Environment, chaired by Ecology Action CEO Johnson, would not answer questions about specific GHG emissions, targets, policies - despite knowing EA,a private organization, had exactly this obligation (and couldn't do it)?

We look forward to the answers.

Graywater in Santa Cruz

Probably few people can deliver a perky introduction to the subject of graywater and residential codes, but Sherry Lee Byran pulled it off last night at Ecology Action's September Green Drinks.

Officially, Ms. Bryan is Senior Program Specialist, Pollution Prevention/Zero Waste Group at Ecology Action.   Last night she explained that, with a 3rd year of drought and a snow pack 39% below normal this past spring, California had the impetus to revise and approve a graywater residential code in just 6 months and put it into effect August 4.  (It may be revised.)

What does this mean for us?  A more sustainable and efficient way to water our gardens and foilage.

Graywater, by California's legal definition, explained Bryan is everything but blackwater (toilet) and not dishwater water, i.e. laundry, bathroom sink, showers are all fine.   (Dishwater is barred because it can contain fats and animal products. )

For single source applications (i.e only laudry or only shower water ), residences may use graywater for plants by labeling the line and being sure it enters the ground 100 feet from the house (avoid backflow) and 2 inches deep .   That's just about it:  No Permit required!  Bryan stressed, in her entertaining way, not to use boron soaps, no salts, no bleach (toxic to plants), or bloody shirts and keep the water away from root crops like carrots.  The law requires that graywater and storm water never mix.

For irrigation, drip-irrigation or more complex systems, Bryan encouraged using a professional and that a permit is required.  (Currently the County is deciding how to award permits:  start with Environmental Health)

The code is here.

And before anyone time to reach for another beer  (or nod off), she finished.   Good job and good job for California for taking an important step toward efficiency and sustainability.  But now it is up to us.


More Links:
Sherry Lee Bryan


Graywater Research & Advocacy
http://www.greywateralliance.org

Green Drinks
www.greendrinks.org


Graywater Research & Advocacy
http://www.greywateralliance.org

Planting for Thanksgiving with CASFS; Green Drinks, Greywater

Farming:

At the UCSC Farm this Saturday, August 30 10am - 1pm, there will be workshop about fall planting:  "Planting for Thanksgiving."   This is run under the umbrella of CASFS ("The Center" - Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UCSC)

CASFS has a "friends" program for community members who want to learn how to be better "stewards of the soil."

Green Drinks, Greywater(now legal)
===
From Ecology Action:
This month's Green Drinks will showcase grey water and
rainwater catchment systems. Ecology Action¹s Sherry Bryan will be
discussing the latest political developments in residential grey water
regulations within the Monterey Bay area and all of California. In addition,
local businesses will be in attendance to assist with questions on how to
create these systems, and homeowners will offer firsthand advice on living
with these systems.

Join the discussion

Location: Cypress Lounge, 120 Union St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 2, 5:30pm-7:30pm

This event is free

Appetizers will be provided by Ecology Action

Local Renewable Energy Summer Research Program (at UCSC)

For the past 4 weeks, students from Denmark, Iceland and several European countries have joined with students from UCDavis and UCSC for a program of lectures, field trips and final project on the topic of renewable energy.

Last evening at Ecology Action's "Green Drinks", several students gave us a glimpse of their team projects. They are young, articulate (in a 2nd language!) , focused and clear eyed. We need to listen to what they have to say and we'll have an opportunity to do this Friday morning at UCSC. Here are some of their wide ranging projects:

• Desalination - in Jordan and California
  
• Solar - from Sahara to Europe
• Rentable electric bikes on UCSC - can't wait!
• Data centers - backup electricity stored in molten salts!
• Airships in LA - yes, it's can be true - hop/skip/jump between airfields around the city
• Methane in barns - capturing and using it
  

Special thanks to Ali Shakouri, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering, Baskin School of Engineering, UC and his staff and counterparts in Denmark and the US for organizing this.

Ross Clark (or here) City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Coordinator, also spoke about 31% reduction in residential green house gas emissions since 1990 levels, but stopped short of discussing in detail other segments of Santa Cruz's efforts, including transportation, which he later acknowledged has been no better than California's overall increases of 1.5%, in response to a question.

I know Mr. Clark is a good guy, but as a political leader we must look to him for straight facts, good or bad, and an honest assessment of what must be done and the WILL- not just optimism. Hope to hear more of his plans soon.

Green Drinks

Next Green Drinks, arranged by Ecology Action, is scheduled for September 2, 2009

BUT this coming Monday, August 17th, 5-7 pm there presentations at the Cypress Lounge from students/researchers attending the a summer UC-Denmark program on renewable energy. Free (but no bar I guess.)

More details.