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We have the results from the Los Altos High School Anti-Idling Campaign! With total idling observed reduced by 79%. So how’d we gather the data? We surveyed idling before and after the installation of anti-idling signs and implementation of the campaign. Which is how we observed that total idling observed was reduced by 79%. At 88%, reduction was greatest at the front pick-up crescent where signs were installed and the driver contact was easy and efficient. Reduction in the back pick up area was less significant. Showing awareness and reinforcement make a difference in action. Interested In Creating A Similar Campaign? Here’s how. What we learned about anti-idling efforts can be used for similar efforts at other schools. Install anti-idling signs in the pick-up and drop-off area(s) Include anti-idling information in messages sent home to parents Implement a short campaign distributing informational flyers to parents and stickers to students (optional) All informational materials should be in the language(s) of the recipients One big takeaway is that even simply putting up signs can make a big difference!! Just that awareness can yield changes. Besides, installing signs can be easy and inexpensive. With the benefits of reducing idling a health and environmental issue, parents can get schools on board with at the very least installing signage. Further benefits are achievable with fuller implementation of the campaign. Additionally, similar results could be achieved in public areas of the town like parking spaces on Main and State Streets and in parking lots. GreenTown Los Altos is available to help other schools as well as help public and private entities reduce vehicle idling so drop us an email and ask away!

Introducing the Carbon Bootcamp! An easy way for us to collectively make an impact at cooling the planet by the choices we make. One choice at a time. So what is it? The Carbon Bootcamp is a program that guides you in lowering your climate impact. You’ll receive free boxes filled with gear and challenges while engaging through an interactive text messaging platform. No app to download or learn! We all know the more carbon em GreenTown Los Altos evaluated the program. Its makes it easy, compelling and (dare we say) fun to make choices in real time that add up to a massive impact by combining deep expertise in climate science with an experience you can engage with on your own time, at your own pace. In other words you do what feels comfortable to you, #OneChoiceAtATime. Best of all? GreenTown Los Altos is sponsoring the Carbon Bootcamp for the first 300 participants in Los Altos and Mountain View (zip codes 94022, 94024, 94040 and 94041).  To join, all you have to do is text the word “CARBON” to the number “474747” and follow the directions.  Each “session” starts June 15, July 13, August 10 and September 7.  Can’t wait to hear what you think!

At GreenTown Los Altos we’re always looking for innovative ways to fight climate change. And we found one. The keyword is Divestment. Both Los Altos and Los Altos Hills invest monies in an array of industries. Including the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuel companies Chevron and Exxon and many offending lenders are in our local governments’ financial portfolios. We’d like to ask that our communities stay clear of all things related to the fossil fuel businesses and are asking your help to do so. What we’d like to encourage? No more investing in fossil fuel companies. No more investing in lending institutions that fund them or to the companies themselves.  The top four offending lenders who’ve funded these companies to the tune of about $500 billion in the last three years alone (source: RAN 2019) ) are Bank of America, Citibank, J.P. Morgan, and Wells Fargo. The idea to divest isn’t unique. Neighboring communities including Mtn. View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Fremont all have divestment ordinances in place already. We’d be jumping on the bandwagon that makes environmental sense. Make your voice heard by writing the councils: Contact Los Altos City Council: council@losaltosca.gov Contact Los Altos Hills Council: dpadovan@losaltoshills.ca.gov

Want to do more to fight climate change? Here’s a simple way to make a mark. Thanks to Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), we have a carbon-free electric power supply. Let’s make it count by building on that. Quite literally. SVCE and other agencies developed amendments to what’s called the “Reach Codes” to encourage healthier, safer, emissions-free buildings. Along with that, new energy efficiency standards for California buildings come into effect Jan. 2020. These codes apply to all construction permits. They promote the installation of solar photovoltaic systems and encourage battery storage and heat pump water heaters. EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS! Los Altos’ Community Center will be all-electric. Which is where reach codes come in. Reach codes form a foundation for greener building practices by: Encouraging all-electric buildings but allow for both all-electric and mixed-fuel buildings. Buildings with gas appliances will need to be more energy-efficient but improvements will pay for themselves in lower operation and maintenance costs Amendments to the EV code will make new buildings more “ready” for EV charging and all electric buildings. Some of the benefits include that it costs less to construct than buildings with gas appliances; offers better indoor air quality; are more energy efficient and best of all reduce carbon emissions. Reach codes for buildings and EV charging stations are cost-effective while also being environmentally sound. And this summer local City Councils will consider adopting the reach codes. Which means if you want to help you can ask Los Altos and Los Altos Hills’ city councils to do their part and adopt the Reach Codes. It’s that simple. It’s not a big ask, but it’s a big reward that will be good for us all. An easy way to do your part to get us to greener living. Their emails are: Los Altos Council is council@losaltosca.gov; Los Altos Hills’ Council is dpadovan@losaltoshills.ca.gov. If you’re curious for more information visit Peninsula Reach Codes here or email GreenTown here.

Sam with Egan Viking For the third year, GreenTown Los Altos led a bike ride in memory of the late Dr. Hardy Jones of Los Altos. Hardy collected scrap metal and turned it into what he liked to call “found art.” As an orthopedic surgeon, he also called it “orthopedic art,” turning broken pieces of metal into artwork. Most of the schools in town have his artwork depicting their mascot. The group at Dr. Hardy’s home We saw Bobcats at Santa Rita, an Eagle at the High School, another eagle at Almond, a Lion at Loyola and Coyotes at Covington. At each stop, Hardy’s good friend Sam Harding would tell us a story or two. Most of the pieces are unfinished, somewhat rusty metal – just the look Hardy enjoyed. The two painted ones got a touch up by Sam just this week. Gary, Jane, and Sam at the studio A special treat this year was a visit to Hardy’s studio. It was clean and well organized. Jane Bryan-Jones explained that a son-in-law and his friend have taken up metal sculpture and the studio still gets a lot of use. They cleaned it up just for us. We had a fun and informative bike ride and we hope to be back next year. ~ Gary Hedden

Gas leaf blower use has decreased in my neighborhood. How about yours? Recently hired Los Altos Police Department code enforcement officer, Karan Malhi has been busy responding to calls throughout our community for the past few months. He encourages residents to call the non-emergency police number (947-2770) when violations are in progress. Officer Malhi has learned to check backyard activity when a landscape service provider tells him he is using electric only. Sometimes there is gas blower use out of sight in the back and side yards. If patterns in your neighborhood are predictable, or if you notice them in parks or school grounds, please log the complaint into the City e-mail system here and they will try to come at the expected time. What happens following a complaint call? The responding officer leaves a bright yellow card for the resident, noting that a complaint was made and citing the code.  In large type in Spanish, it is noted that gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in the City of Los Altos. Then a “Courtesy Notice” from the Police Department is mailed to the homeowner including information on the City ordinance and administrative citation fines. GreenTown Los Altos is supporting this enforcement effort with a public education campaign. Flyers have been printed and you can see them at the GreenTown bike valet tabling at the May 18 Art in the Park and throughout the summer at the Farmers’ Market and other GTLA tabling events. See you at the GreenTown table at these events!

by Cheryl Weiden Deep Decarbonization. The terminology is not exactly widespread but it’s significant because its impact is wide and deep. And Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is addressing this climate change issue by providing you rebates through saving programs. Interested? Read on! Most Los Altans are now receiving their electric energy from SVCE, which has reduced community greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions by more than 16 percent through its carbon-free electricity purchases. But a lot more is needed. On April 4 Green Town Los Altos hosted Don Bray and John Supp of SVCE to discuss the company’s plans to dramatically reduce greenhouse gases in its service area. It’s part of its mission! The audience was very engaged and especially interested in the heat pump water heater and other rebate programs. Some key takeaways: About Silicon Valley Clean Energy Learn more about SVCE in this video. Who does what? SVCE sources clean electricity. PGE delivers it. The customer pays SVCE for the energy and PGE for the delivery. Customer can purchase one of two options: Green Start, 50% Renewable (Solar and Wind), 50% Hydro. Green Prime 100% Renewable Cost of combined bill (SVCE + PGE) is slightly less than PGE alone for Green Start and slightly more for Green Prime Investing in local, utility-scale renewable energy. Initially SVCE procured the clean energy from existing facilities, but is now contracting for the construction of new renewable facilities. It recently signed two long-term agreements for the largest utility-scale, solar-plus-storage projects to be built in California. These projects will combine solar panels with large batteries to store energy that the sun produces during the day so that more clean energy can be discharged onto the grid during times of high-energy usage in the evening. Long-term carbon reduction goals SVCE’s Strategy to Achieve Deep DecarbonizationPlans for the future California has set a goal of reaching 50% reduction in GHGs from 1990 levels. SVCE has a plan to help achieve this. By 2030, Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s programs aim to cut energy-related emissions in half from the 2015 baseline. That would prevent 2 million metric tons of CO2-equivalents from being emitted into the environment each year. Strategy to meet these goals can be seen in the slide to the right. What does this look like in 2019 The FutureFit Home Reach Codes – Building electrification and EV Charging infrastructure All Electric Showcase Grants Future Fit Heat Pump Water Heater Rebates (starting in July) – up to 75% to replace a gas water heater with a heat pump water heater, including upgrading your electrical service panel to 200 Amps Learn More Here Learn more about SVCE’s programs and read its Decarbonization Strategy for our community here. For more information or to get involved with GreenTown’s energy and carbon reduction programs, email us at energy@greentownlosaltos.org.

The GreenTown Los Altos campaign to eliminate these highly polluting gas-powered leaf blowers from our community recently got a major boost. The Los Altos Police Department has hired a code enforcement officer to improve enforcement. Currently, the enforcement is complaint-driven and dependent on residents to call the police non-emergency number to report gas-leaf blower use. Please call 650-947-2770 when you see a gas-powered leaf blower used in your neighborhood. In addition to disruptive and unhealthy noise levels, gas-powered leaf blowers contribute 2 very significant health hazards. They spew toxic exhaust emissions into the air and fill the air with harmful particulate matter.  Insignificant amounts? No way! The California Air Resources Board finds that “For the best-selling commercial leaf blower, one hour of operation emits smog-forming pollution comparable to driving a 2017 Toyota Camry about 1100 miles, or approximately the distance from Los Angeles to Denver.” The CA Air Resources Board predicts that by 2020, leaf blowers and other small gas engines will create more ozone pollution than all of the passenger cars in the state posing “the next air quality threat“. And if you’re wondering how to make changes, ask your gardener to use a rake and broom or an electric blower. Some neighbors purchase electric blowers and/or batteries for their gardeners. Help make the Los Altos community healthier for residents and workers. #Leafblowerban #Banleafblowers #LosAltos #LosAltosHills #LosAltosleafblowerban

Last year’s internships were so successful, we’re proud to announce our slate of 2019 Summer Internships. Click here to watch the video with last year’s interns. Organizational Overview GreenTown Los Altos is a community-based nonprofit focused on educating and inspiring people in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills to embrace environmentally sustainable practices. Started in 2007, GreenTown Los Altos achieves its mission through educational efforts, programs and policy work focused on helping the community reduce waste, water, energy use, and car trips. GreenTown’s success depends on having a strong group of volunteers involved in and helping lead the activities and the programs. Framework Ten week Internships at 20 hours per week for four students working in teams of two.  They’ll work on our summer outreach programs and on an independent project related to our areas of focus. Click on the video to see last year’s interns discuss their experience. Details This is a paid internship, $15/hour for 20 hours/week. The work will be done from home, with meetings and activities each week in Los Altos or Los Altos Hills. The intern will work with our Executive Director Kris Jensen to coordinate activities, handle administration and provide guidance.  They’ll also work with several GreenTown subject matter experts over the summer. A capstone presentation of accomplishments and recommendations is required at the end of the Internship Schedule Application Window:  March 1 thru April 15. Interviews: April 15 thru 30. Acceptance Notification: May 1 thru 5. Term starts as early as May 15 and can end as late as Sept 15. FAQ Vacations can be accommodated during the summer as long as the Intern can work a minimum of 7-8 weeks. Interested? To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Kris at kris@greentownlosaltos.org.

GreenTown supports affordable workforce housing because it reduces commuting traffic, a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions, and affordable housing will necessarily be smaller housing, contributing less environmental impact in its construction as well as in the consumption necessary to fill the larger space. The evening started with the nine minute video, Los Altos – A Place to Call Home? because it puts a face on the problem. It shows the very real problems of people who work in our town and finishes with Joe Simitian telling us why this matters. You can find the video at here. Randy gave examples of successful projects in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Redwood City and elsewhere. These projects ranged in size and were designed to blend with the neighborhood by usi Mitali talked about the “missing middle.” We have single-family homes on one side and large urban projects on the other, but not much in the middle. She showed examples of good looking duplex, four-plex and larger units that could fit in a residential neighborhood. She also showed example A video of the discussion will be available in a couple of weeks. It will be on the website above, and also shown by KMVT. What’s next? We need to track developments in other cities, follow State bills and regulations, and of course track anything happening in Los Altos. There is a lot to track so your help is needed. If you are interested, please email here. It can be as little or as much as you like.

We’re all about shrinking our collective carbon footprint (we even have an evening event about it which you can register for here) which is why finding these rebates felt like serendipity! Do you know that there are many sources of FREE Money and FREE Services to help you increase your home’s energy efficiency, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint? Thanks to crownthecrowd rebates for the following list: US Department of Energy Home Energy Score Provides homeowners, buyers, and renters directly comparable and credible information about a home’s energy use. Like miles-per-gallon rating for a car, but energy versus gasoline. There’s a $200 rebate towards Home Energy Score Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) Up to $5000 in rebates for eligible energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, and high efficiency furnaces and water heaters Pacific Gas and Electric Rebates $50 rebate for a smart thermostat that replaces a manually operated thermostat $50 rebate for smart thermostat that replaces a programmable thermostat $300 rebate for high-efficiency electric pump storage water heater Up to $5000 in rebates for energy efficient upgrades that lead ro minimum 10% energy savings California Energy Commission Askdrpower.com Easiest Way to Save on Electric Bill No hardware installation or purchases & few lifestyle changes as possible Available as an app or on web browser HomeIntel Audit funded by Pacific Gas and Electric Services are no cost Focuses on reducing energy & utility bills throughout the year through simplest possible steps for each unique home The following two offers have income caps: Sacred Heart Community Energy Service FREE house energy analysis from specialists who assess energy saving opportunities FREE energy-efficiency upgrades, including the possibility of big ticket items PGE Energy Savings Assistance Program FREE house call from energy specialists to assess energy savings opportunities FREE energy-saving upgrades, including the possibility of bit ticket items · #Carbonfootprint #rebates

Hope. That was one of the main messages of a GreenTown-sponsored talk on “Ocean Plastics: Circular Economy and Green Chemistry Solutions” on Wed., Jan 23 at the Los Altos Library. Julie Noblitt, a long-time advocate for reducing plastic waste, and the Energy and Climate Director of Acterra, a Palo-Alto based regional environmental organization, presented facts on plastic waste, the dire state of the oceans, and offered a glimmer of hope. The crux of Julie’s talk was to highlight, not only what we can do as individuals to address the problem of rampant plastic waste, but what companies and creative entrepreneurs are doing to help mitigate the problem. In addition, Cambria Bartlett, a 14 year-old youth advocate active with the organization Heir to Our Oceans spoke about the work of their organization in educating people and policymakers about sustainable alternatives. If you don’t know about them, you should. The problem: Since the advent of plastics, and in particular, single-use plastics, 8 million metric tons have entered our oceans. Nearly 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year Only about 10 percent is recycled in any meaningful way The solutions: Julie highlighted a few big solutions that she is watching evolve. Good alternatives to plastic More and more bioplastics, plant-based plastics and edible/degradable substitutes are becoming available. Examples include styrofoam substitutes made out of mushrooms, from Ecovative and straws made out of marine-edible seaweed, from Loliware. Back to the drawing board: paper straws from Aardvark and other manufacturers. Dealing with existing plastics Forty (40) percent of clothing is plastic. When these plastics are washed, microfibers are released into our waterways. The CoraBall, can be thrown in with the laundry to collect these fibers before they go out in the wash water and into our waterways. Adidas has found an answer, teaming with Parley, to create shoes and jerseys made of plastics collected from the ocean