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Sunnyvale is making good progress on their Climate Action Plan, but they want to do more. They want to be carbon-neutral says Mayor Glenn Hendricks. To help them, IDEO, the Palo Alto design company, ran a six hour meeting Saturday, March 3, to gather ideas. Applying the IDEO principles of determining a need with in-depth questioning, followed by rapid-fire brainstorming, a group of over 160 participants came up with some key questions in the format, “How might we …?” With 20 tables of eight or more participants, we did not lack “How might we” questions. Some wondered about conserving every drop of water, some said straws suck- what can we do about that, others wanted easier access to good information, or easier energy audits or incentives to use public transportation. Our table wondered, “How might we make biking and walking in Sunnyvale safe, attractive, desirable, and cool?” Some thoughts- more bike events to make biking cool – city tours, bike riding birthday parties, and traffic-free zones on bike days. We also wanted contests. There’s nothing quite like a winning prize to attract some attention. Sunnyvale will collect all of the good input, and later this year there will be a presentation to the city council with the very best of it. We wish them success, and we will happily copy anything and everything they like and make it our own. ~ Gary Hedden Gary with two fellow participants Don and Cheryl studying the background information Chris, with IDEO, leading the workshop

Our electricity is carbon-free, so let’s use it, but how? GreenTown hosted a smart energy talk Feb. 1 with two presenters. The first, Steve Schmidt, provided some answers. The HomeIntel program run by Steve’s company can use your smart meter data, analyze your energy use, tell you if you are wasting energy – and most people are – and tell you how to stop. Even better, he will do this for free; the service costs are covered by ratepayer-funded programs designed to reduce wasteful energy use. Here’s what you do. Go to homeintel.hea.com to sign up for a Smart Audit of your home’s energy use. The analysis doesn’t even require a home visit since it is able to understand your energy use from your smart meter data. You will then receive customized recommendations. Some may not be surprising, for example, switching to LED lights, but some may. A lot of energy is lost to phantom energy use, the power that is used when you think your electronics are switched off. HomeIntel can help with that. The program is pay-for-performance, so Steve and his team are motivated to get you to actually make some changes. That’s how they get paid! Our second speaker was John Supp with Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Yes, these are the folks who are providing our clean electricity. John reminded us that PG&E still operates the transmission lines and still sends you the bill. Most people are fine with that arrangement, in fact less than 3% have opted out. John asked us to imagine a future of clean electricity with no pollution from burning fossil fuels, and he assured us that it doesn’t mean we will have to suffer. Have you driven an electric car? Try it and you won’t go back. And he had plenty of other ideas. For example, when the time comes, replace your gas-fired water heater with a new heat pump water heater. More ambitiously, switch to a heat pump electric dryer, install connected thermostats, and move to induction cooking, or on-site energy storage or perhaps even a new heat pump furnace. John also offered some fascinating insight into the changing world of renewable electricity. We are now getting so much solar in the middle of the day that supply exceeds demand. That is bad news for solar providers, but the answer is we need to shift our peak energy use to match that supply. The rates don’t reflect that reality, at least not yet. When the rates do change, we’ll be charging our new electric cars in the afternoon, not the middle of the night! ~Gary Hedden Steve – Beneficial Electrification John – 2017, A Good Year. #homeintel #JohnSupp #SteveSchmidt #SVCE

A packed crowd of 100 gathered at the Los Altos Library on Wed. evening, Jan. 17, because they’d had enough. Enough PLASTIC, that is! GreenTown hosted a showing of the inspiring short film: STRAWS: A Documentary for a Sea of Change – One Straw at a Time. Following the film, we learned about the actions that students at Bullis Charter School are taking through their #Decarbonize/Decolonize club. The team that joined us focused on a pilot campaign to reduce plastic straws in school and are taking it school-wide this Spring. We also heard from the Los Altos High School Green Team about its January 27, Students for Green High Schools Conference organized by and for students. The conference hosted representatives f A GreenTown committee to develop a No Straws campaign is now forming, in cooperation with Silicon Valley for America. If you are interested in being part of the committee to develop and implement a campaign to eliminate straws in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, please let us know at info@greentownlosaltos.org. Also, if you are interested in spreadin To get started right away, Resources on Eliminating Plastic Straws A list of straw alternatives Leave-behind place cards that you can take to businesses asking them not to eliminate plastic straws or at the very least, provide them only on request. (attached) Script for interacting with businesses. Ocean Pollution Prevention Organizations Heirs to the Oceans. Watch their video!! Blue Mind – Wallace Nichols featured in the movie Ocean Conservancy – Organizes coastal cleanups Plastic Pollution Coalition – Many take action options, e.g., the 4Rs pledge Algalita Foundation – Marine research and youth programs 5 Gyres Foundation – Science, education, adventure Inspirational Individuals Lauren Singer – Lives a zero waste lifestyle outlined in her Tedx Teen Talk. Started a company. Blogs on Trash is for Tossers. Bea Johnson – Author of Zero Waste Home lives a zero waste lifestyle with kids! Beth Terry – lives a plastic-free life. Writes blog and book My Plastic-Free Life. Beth spoke at a GreenTown event a few years back. Check out her Tedx Talk. Proposed Calif. Legislation re Ocean Pollution Follow Californians Against Waste to keep up with advocacy efforts re waste in Calfornia. They worked hard to uphold the statewide single use bag ban, for instance. AB 319  – Connect the Cap. Requires that plastic bottle caps be tethered to plastic bottles. Plastic bottle caps are a threat to many marine species, including the Albatross. Speak out. Email your representatives asking them to support the bill. Upcoming legislation limiting straw use in restaurants.

The first one ‘sold out’ almost immediately, so we scheduled two bike rides this year. One the day before the Winter Solstice and one on the day itself. We had over 20 riders each night, and with our bikes all tricked out with twinkly lights, we were a festive couple of groups. It was cold though, so the stop for hot chocolate was much appreciated. Along the way we sang a few Christmas carols and when it was all done two and a half hours later, we were happy and in a good holiday mood. Gary Hedden

Panels at Blach Intermediate School and Loyola Elementary are already up! By the end of December, installation of panels at all the schools should be complete. (You may see some on the GreenTown Los Altos “Winter Solstice Bike Ride“.  The project will reduce the District’s carbon footprint significantly and generate electricity bill savings of more than $175,000 annually. ForeFront Power, will provide an online portal for students and staff to remotely monitor the solar production at each campus and provide energy curriculum materials and training to students and faculty. With GreenTown’s help, volunteers at each school are working hard to increase walking, biking and carpooling, reducing traffic and building new habits during construction and beyond.

Long commutes for school teachers, city staff, restaurant workers, merchants and the list goes on and on for those who are part of an important work ecosystem. When jobs don’t get filled or turnover is high, it impacts everyone’s quality of life. What to do? A panel on the “Invisible Housing Crisis” sponsored by the Women’s Caucus of Los Altos and co-sponsored by GreenTown Los Altos and other groups discussed the issue Nov. 15. There are a lot of things that can be done, and Los Altos Mayor Mary Prochnow says we need to do more than we are doing right now. If you’re interested in the topic, here’s a link to the full meeting and some challenging words from Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.

Join GreenTown Los Altos on an 12 mile winter solstice night bike ride. A little early. Instead of starting on Dec. 21, for logistical reasons we’re doing the ride a day before the actual solstice. Think of it as extending the fun. Starting Point We start at Peet’s on State Street in Los Altos, decorate our bikes with lights (we have some to share) and take quiet streets to Christmas Tree Lane in Palo Alto. This is a family-friendly ride and last year we saw amazing lights and enjoyed a stop for hot chocolate. Registration starts at 6:30 and we expect to be back by 9:00. We’ve got you covered Wear your helmet and it will be dark – so make sure your lights work! The pace is slow and GreenTown provides a leader and a sweeper, but there is always some inherent risk in riding a bike and by joining this ride you understand and accept that risk. This is a fun ride, and a nice way to enjoy the holidays. Sign up at Eventbrite & get wheeling!

Holiday giving is fun for many reasons, including the excitement of gift giving. With the challenge of what to get the kids always top of mind, it is rare for the issue of waste coming on the gift giving radar screen. We consider toys, books, a new computer, a phone, clothes and more. How about doing everything in our power to leave an Earth to call home when they are adults as the best present of all? Because we don’t usually think in those terms when we think of presents, it takes a bit of work to achieve that gold. We can become engaged in all kinds of sustainability efforts with some simple actions to simply reduce waste, especially during the holidays. Reduce paper. Use a free service. Start by considering how many catalogues you receive during the holiday season. Do you  simply pitch them (hopefully into recycling bins)? You could probably reduce unwanted catalogues all year round by using a convenient tool like Catalog Choice which can opt you out of all the nuisance catalogues you receive. Go direct to the website. Alternatively, you can go to the website of the company sending the catalogue, click on “contact,” and send an email asking them to take you off the catalogue distribution list. Take on the wrapping paper challenge. The easiest solution to abundant waste is to use wrapping paper wisely.  Foil wrapping paper is not recyclable and the petroleum based inks in most wrapping paper emits dioxin, a deadly compound. So what to do? Use and reuse gift bags which brings on the welcome challenge of unwrapping with care. BYO (Build Your Own) wrapping paper out of repurposed materials, creating endless fun while getting the creative juices flowing. For other ideas, check out GreenTown Los Altos’ post here and New Dreams’ More of What Matters. #HolidayWaste #PaperRecycling #Waste

Kathleen Santora started collecting gently used bikes 20 years ago at St. Nicholas School in Los Altos Hills. Her good friend Lori Johnson has been helping over the years and she commented, “Every time we always wonder, will anyone come?” They always do. GreenTown Los Altos started helping 5 years ago, and this year we were at Los Altos High School and we had lots of help – students washing bikes, filling tires and doing minor repairs. We collected 80 bikes! Two schools in Mountain View, Castro Elementary, and Graham Middle School will get 40, Los Altos High School will get 17 and the rest will go to Hope Services, an organization that helps the homeless and disabled. GreenTown is proud to be part of this wonderful tradition!

A team of intrepid hikers braved the beauty of Russian Ridge on Sunday, October 22 as part of an auction item from GreenTown’s 2016 Farm to Table Dinner. Debbie Mytels, a docent for the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District and long-time leader at Acterra, led the group through a spectacular hike on the Ancient  Oaks Trail and onto Borel Hill, which afforded gorgeous views of the whole San Francisco Bay. It was magnificent! We also shared stories about ecology and the environment and capped off the journey with wine and cheese at the Audrey Rust overlook.

One of the night’s honoree, Kacey Fitzpatrick (in red). On Sept. 23, GreenTown celebrated its 10th Anniversary at the Fourth Annual Farm-to-Table Dinner & Auction. More than 100 movers and shakers from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills came together celebrate local environmental heros and raise money to support the important work GreenTown is doing in our communities. Honoring Environmental Heroes The night wouldn’t have been complete without our special honoree, GreenTown’s founder Kacey Fitzpatrick, sharing a recap of the genesis of GreenTown Los Altos. Folks new and old to GreenTown thoroughly enjoyed her tale! Two incredible volunteers were also honored as our Environmental Heroes for 2017: Barbara O’Reilly and Linda Ziff. Barbara O’Reilly Barb O’Reilly receiving her award from GreenTown Los Altos’ Kris Jensen. Barbara O’Reilly, a.k.a. “Garbage Girl,” is one of GreenTown’s most passionate and enduring volunteers. Barbara has been with GreenTown since the very  beginning. She has led efforts to increase community awareness of overflowing landfills and immense plastic gyres in the ocean. She spearheaded GreenTown’s twice yearly creek cleanup and this year’s Farmers Market recycling and composting efforts. Don’t let the white hair fool you, Barbara O’Reilly is a true force for sustainability in our community! Linda Ziff Linda Ziff is a dynamo, a genuine wonder woman! She has all four GreenTown W’s covered: Linda Ziff, as GreenTown’s Gary Hedden discusses her many accomplishments. Water. This is her favorite W. She leads creek cleanups and organized one just last weekend on Permanente Creek. She walks the walk, too. Her house has never had a lawn, instead it has lovely drought tolerant landscaping. WoW! That’s our walk or wheel program. While Linda doesn’t ride a bike, she promotes biking by finding good yards for the Lawn-Be-Gone bike tours. Waste. Garbage is a pet peeve of Linda’s. Together with Barbara, she has been spending her free time at the Farmers Market, setting an example of how to divert waste form the landfill. And it’s working! Linda was a founding member of GreenTown and ten years later she is still leading the way and providing inspiration for us all! Prior years’ Environmental Hero Awards include: 2015: Vicki Moore, Founder Living Classroom 2016: Mary Clark Bartlett, CEO and Founder, Epicurean Group and Karl Danz, Volunteer with Citizen’s Climate Lobby. People like Barbara, Linda, Mary, Karl and Vicki inspire us to keep up the good work building a more sustainable community. A special part of the evening was a presentation by leaders of the Los Altos High School (LAHS) Green Team, Anya Gupta and Sarah Chang. They provided inspiration and hope for the dinner guests, sharing stories of their passion f Beautiful artwork by GreenTown Los Altos’ Linda Gass were one of many auction items that were met with a wow. or the environment and how they are helping to create a greener LAHS campus. Guests enjoyed delicious food prepared by Catered Too, wine from Portola Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty Winery, and beer donated by Laugunitas Brewery. Throughout the evening attendees bid on our incredible silent auction items culminating in a live auction led by Deb Kilpatrick. Many generous donors provided auction items like a dinner at Bumble, a party at Honcho, a cooking class with “Silicon Valley’s Best Personal Chef” Joni Sare, and a beautiful art print by GreenTown member Linda Gass! Many businesses and community members donated generous gifts from vacations to private parties to gift baskets. A beautiful Northern California raffle basket, donated by Connie Miller of Alain Pinel Real Estate and Jim and Jim from Present of Los Altos, went to Mary Clark Bartlett, a long-time supporter of GreenTown’s work and recipient of last year’s Environmental Hero award! The Valerie Jay Band played delightful background music throughout the evening. None of this would have happened without the dedicated work of our organizing committe: Pat Hedden, Jana Schlansker, Margie Suozzo and Deb Torok. We also owe a huge thanks to our event sponsors Epicurean Group, El Camino Hospital, California Water Company, Avalon Enterprises and Mission Trail Waste Systems in addition to our table sponsors.

It’s fall. Some people are ready to roll, but we hope even more are ready to stroll! Fall is a perfect time to walk in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Cooler days bring out bold fall colors making walking to many local events attractive. Unlike bicycling, most walking activities can start right out our front doors and enjoyed by anyone. Wherever you live, you can walk to one of our community’s shopping districts, local parks and schools to enjoy the outdoor beauty.  The Trust for Public Land says that everyone deserves a great park within a 10 minute walk of their home. We agree, and this is the month to go explore all those destinations within 10 minutes of your home. If you’re a new resident, the City’s Bike Map is a useful resource and includes all the secret passageways that join many of our neighborhoods. Additionally, our neighborhood schools are an easy walk for most residents. And this year is a special year for walking to school – the 21st anniversary of Walk to School Day – so make sure you walk with your child on October 5th! We asked Suzanne Ambiel, BPAC Chairperson her thoughts. “Take a walk! And if you’re out and about at dusk or after dark – remember to bring a flashlight and wear some reflective gear.  Stay safe – be visible – morning, noon and night!” In addition, check out these helpful resources to get your walking juices flowing: City of Los Altos Bicycle Map (includes all of the secrets passages between neighborhoods) Los Altos Hills Pathways Map (can be purchased at LAH City Hall) City of Los Altos Pedestrian Master Plan – with suggested routes to school Bay Trail Map Mid Peninsula Open Space Maps So join with us in celebrating the beauty of walking in one of the most beautiful cities around.