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Post by David Lawrence Chang When I first learned that I was going on a school service trip to New Orleans (NOLA) to help build houses and assist with hurricane relief, my initial thought was, "Wasn't Hurricane Katrina more than 20 years ago? Why do they still need help recovering?" But as I looked deeper, I realized that the city has endured more than just Katrina. Hurricanes Ida (2021), Laura (2020), and Zeta (2020) have all caused severe damage, leaving lasting impacts on homes and infrastructure. Katrina, the deadliest hurricane in U.S. modern history (and way before I was even born), caused catastrophic flooding after levee failures, and more recent disasters like the 2011 Mississippi River floods and the 2017 New Orleans tornado outbreak have further devastated communities. I arrived with no expectations, only a mindset focused on learning about the local culture and the specific needs of the people. I sought to understand how hurricanes and other disasters affect both the built environment and the natural landscape, and what steps could be taken to prevent future catastrophes. As I learned more about the lasting impacts of hurricanes on NOLA from a LSU Marine Biology Professor, I realized recovery wasn’t just about rebuilding homes; it was also about protecting the environment. One of the most critical defenses against future storms lies in the marshes, which serve as natural storm barriers while also preventing pollution. Building hurricane-resistant housing for disaster survivors with the Saint Bernard Project The marshes of NOLA are crucial for sustaining the land where people live and also for preventing pollution from reaching the ocean. The Mississippi River, which collects water from 31 states, plays a vital role in supplying sediment-rich nutrients to these marshes. It’s quite a reach for one river. Since the Mississippi is also a major trade route, city planners built levees to control its flow, whereas previously, the river’s path would shift naturally over time. While the levees protect cities from flooding, they also block essential sediment from reaching the marshes. Along with damage due to sediment loss, over the last 25 years on average, Louisiana’s marshes have lost about a football field’s worth of land every hour, making marsh protection more important than ever. The question that often arises is: Why protect the marshes? First, if they disappear, many neighborhoods and communities will be forced to relocate due to land loss. Some communities have already been moved because the city can no longer maintain their roads. Second, marshes help prevent pollution. The Mississippi River carries fertilizers that flow downstream. The trees and plants within the marshes trap these nitrates, stopping them from entering the ocean and preventing pollution in the Gulf. Without this natural filtration, local fish populations could suffer, impacting the large fishing industry that depends on them. Most importantly, marshes protect against hurricanes, serving as a natural buffer against storm surges and high winds. With climate change fueling stronger, more frequent hurricanes, marshes are one of the last lines of defense for coastal communities. The loss of marshland means greater vulnerability to storms, increasing the risk of flooding and destruction. Understanding this connection between hurricane mitigation and marshes became even more apparent when our group got incredibly lucky. One of our chaperones had a brother who did research at the LSU Center for River Studies, so we had the rare opportunity to visit the facility. Seeing the massive Mississippi River model firsthand gave us insight into how sediment transport, levees, and marsh erosion impact hurricane resilience, deepening our appreciation for the importance of coastal protection. LSU’s Lower Mississippi River Physical Model. Photo by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority ( CPRA ) Many efforts are underway to preserve and restore the marshes. Advanced technology is being developed to visually monitor rivers using AI , detecting bands of visible light that indicate different sediment levels. This method is far more effective than older in-water sensors, which are expensive and difficult to maintain. AI-driven satellite imagery allows broader, real-time monitoring, making research more accessible despite funding cuts. In addition to sediment tracking, active recovery efforts are taking place. In certain areas, dredging is being used to reroute the river, delivering much-needed sediment to struggling marshes. Walking away from this trip, I realized recovery is about understanding the bigger picture: how the land, water, and people all rely on each other to survive. The marshes might not look like much, but they’re the unsung heroes of coastal protection, shielding homes, roads, and entire communities from the worst of the storms. Without them, NOLA is left wide open for whatever chaos the next hurricane brings. Fixing a city isn’t only about rebuilding what’s broken. It’s about protecting what’s still standing, like the marshes and the neighborhoods they safeguard, because without action, even they won’t last. Back home in Los Altos, I don’t worry about hurricanes tearing through my street or the land literally disappearing into the ocean. But this trip made me realize that just because a problem isn’t right in front of me doesn’t mean it’s not mine to care about. The marshes may not be my backyard, but the fight to protect them is one that affects all of us. And I’m not about to sit back and let them vanish.

A Tree Talk with Nikki Hanson GreenTown hosted the Native Tree Talk for the first time (June 1st, 2025) in the Google Gradient Canopy Huddle Room. It was a fitting space as we prepared for a native plant and tree tour around the building. Nikki Hanson, Native Plant Landscape Ecologist, led us on a thoughtful journey exploring “Trees in Our Neighborhoods” challenging our assumptions about the familiar trees around us and shining a light on the often overlooked native species that support local ecosystems. Through engaging visuals and surprising stats, Nikki revealed that many of the most common trees in urban areas are not native and more importantly, they don’t support local biodiversity the way native trees do. Her talk illustrated just how many insects (yes, the good kind!) a single native tree can support critical food sources for insects, birds, and beyond. The green space was vibrant, fully thriving around the Google campus—monarch butterflies, bees, lizards, and birds—all depending on native trees and plants. Did you miss the talk? View her full presentation Download the handout about sudden oak syndrome

At GreenTown Los Altos, we aim to highlight local businesses that are making a difference in their community. Our eating-green lead, Cary Anderson, recently interviewed a local couple who own and run the only 100% plant-based bakery in the area. Photo by Jen Lo Photography Wendy Chan and Keith Johnsgard are partners in life and baking. A strong sense of community, family values and a passion for plant-based baking led to the opening of their baking project, Tai Zhan bakery in Saratoga. Prior to opening their store in late 2023, Tai Zhan started in 2018 as a pop-up business. They quickly built an impeccable reputation for quality and variety of Asian-inspired and other baked goods, rivaling any non-plant-based bakery. Honoring Wendy’s family, Tai Zhan was the name of Wendy’s grandparent’s former butcher shop in Hong Kong. While Wendy and Keith juggle second careers and two children, the closeness of family extends to participation by Wendy’s mom and Keith’s brother, who taste-test and help run the bakery. At her Saratoga bakery, Wendy Chan points out her Hong Kong family storefront, also named Tai Zhan. With an impressive background in commercial baking, Wendy decided to share her sweet and savory baked recipes, using only plant-based ingredients. On her own and no longer limited to using the standard butter and egg portions that people expect from non-plant-based recipes, Wendy created multiple butter and egg substitutes tailored to each recipe. The result is a more refined, subtle and satisfying baked good than you may find from traditional bakeries. If you are looking for a slightly less sweet and more artisan take on some of your favorite recipes, Tai Zhan fits the bill. For example, Tai Zhan’s Eggless Tart looks like the egg tart you’ve seen at Chinese bakeries. So, you have that interesting point of reference, but Wendy isn’t trying to mimic the flavor; she’s creating an entirely new taste experience, with the simple goal of making it tasty while touching on nostalgic notes. This approach is a direct contrast to traditional bakeries that attempt to satisfy plant-based customers by substituting off-the-shelf plant-based ingredients with the goal of closely mimicking their non-plant-based product. Nothing is “off the shelf” at Tai Zhan. Incorporating a true hand-crafted, artisan approach into each recipe, Wendy still “touches the dough” on every baked good to make sure it meets her standard. The recipes are regularly modified to create new flavor and texture profiles so that customers are surprised each week with something new to try. In fact, unlike most bakeries that have 2-3 “greatest hits”, Wendy says their top sellers are the “specials” each Saturday. That said, you can reliably find most of the same treats each week, many of which are artisan takes on Asian pastries, plus Wendy’s take on traditional “western” bakery items such as chocolate chip cookies, pizza focaccia, croissants and cakes. If you plan to give Tai Zhan a try, plan to come early — there is generally a line waiting to get in when it opens. There’s no seating inside, so plan to take your food home or to enjoy at one of the many coffee shops or outdoor seating areas within walking distance in downtown Saratoga. Tai Zhan is located at 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA. Open Friday and Saturday from 11 AM-3 PM. For catering, contact Wendy and Keith via their website portal at taizhanbake.com. On a recent visit to Tai Zhan, Wendy and Keith shared insights on their journey so far: Cary Anderson from GreenTown Los Altos, meets Tai Zhan's Wendy Chan and Keith Johnsgard to discuss their plant-based business What are some of the challenges of baking in a plant-based only environment versus traditional bakeries? Wendy : After being vegan for 14 years while baking in a commercial environment where certain ingredients were expected to be used for specific baked good, I actually feel I have more freedom than ever. My baking now is more aligned with my beliefs and what I always wanted to do, my creativity more endless, allowing me to explore what creates the best and most interesting result, not necessarily what was expected. For example, in the commercial baking environment, it wasn’t as inventive in that way as we “had” to use eggs and standard dairy butter, whereas now I am free to create more interesting textures and tastes without the expectation that it tastes a certain way. Do you aim to mimic the traditional baked items from your youth? Wendy : I definitely started that way. I grew up with Hong Kong pastries and, my family being Cantonese, I’d go back to Hong Kong each summer and enjoy that, so I wanted the nostalgia of eating the treats from my youth. I still want to create things that touch me nostalgically. That said, some people could comment that I don’t create exactly the same pastry they are used to. My pastries won’t have the same flavor that you taste from having dairy butter in a recipe. It’s just different. But for people who have certain allergies, I’m able to give them that nostalgia and connect with the tradition of some recipes that have existed for many generations. I’ve also created different treats that push past that nostalgia and combine things that I love such as jellies and cakes that I had not done before. My parents are the first taste testers. They aren’t vegan. The pastries must pass the test that anyone would like it, no matter what their diet is. Now that you have a “brick and mortar” store and recently started to be open two days a week, what are your goals for the business? Wendy : In terms of goals, our mission is that we still want to just create extraordinary treats for everyone who can’t go to a traditional bakery while also inspiring people to question the current life patterns of consumption. We hope to get people to consider that it’s possible that they don’t need to consume milk and eggs and it will taste good and become something they can do at home. Keith : Although we’d been doing popups, working on this and dreaming for a long time, we found the opportunity to open the Saratoga store just by the good fortune of driving by it regularly and inquiring about the open space. At that time, we were at a crossroads about what to do with the business. The store became an organic growth of what we had been doing, and we had so much support from our customers to take this next step. We started just opening on Saturday, but we’d quickly sell out. We can only produce so much each day in this kitchen, so we recently opened on Friday too. We have small kids who we prioritize, and part-time jobs too, so adding Friday made the most sense for us. What are your most popular pastries? Wendy : It varies from week to week. We make seasonal pastries and each week, depending on my whim from week to week, I look to create specials for Saturday, and the specials are the most popular. Right now, we have strawberry cream that’s popular. Our passion whip with fresh sliced mango is really popular right now, but it could be totally different from week to week. From where do you draw inspiration for your baking ? Keith : At this point, Wendy can look at any non-plant-based recipe and quickly understand how to use it for inspiration and calculate how she would convert to plant-based and modify it to her liking. It’s really amazing. Wendy : I spend time at the library with my sons, and I’ll research a ton of books and online, a combination of Asian and other countries' recipes, just constantly looking for inspiration. I really draw inspiration from everywhere. Do you have a target demographic, given that plant-based businesses can be seen as “niche”? Wendy : No. We are creators and bakers, not businesspeople. We are just here to create great food, and what is aligned with our values. We don’t push our values on other people; we hope to simply provide an offering people will enjoy.

On May 4th, GreenTown Los Altos along with other community leaders hosted the inaugural Living Electric Fair in the Village of Los Altos. Over 35 exhibitors featured electric solutions for the home, cutting edge EVs, waste reducing ideas and hands’ on environmentally themed games. The event, drawing an estimated 1,200 people, featured solutions across four different zones: Electric, Transportation, Zero Waste and Family Discovery. The fair was designed to satisfy both novice and expert alike. One could learn the basics about composting, climate change and how to go about replacing gas appliances with electric alternatives. A virtual reality tour outlined elements of a home that bring cleaner and more comfortable living. Experts offered details for avoiding electrical panel upgrades through load balancing solutions. Heat pump, solar, battery and electric fireplace solutions were among other exhibitors featured. Big attractions included Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s Dream Home , an all-electric tiny home powered by the battery of a Ford F150 . Crowds flocked to preorder the newly announced Telo , all-electric mini truck for urban living. If you missed the event, you can find the list of exhibitors here for more information. Thank you to our sponsors and co-hosts: The City of Los Altos, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Anne Wojcicki Foundation,Acterra, Right On! Refillery, Rotary Club of Los Altos, Los Altos Village Association, State Street Market . Links mentioned int the article: LIST OF EXHIBITORS EVENT WEBSITE

So far this school year, GreenTown Los Altos has supported and participated in several Walk or Wheel! (WoW!) events at local schools, working with PTA representatives to encourage students to walk or bike to school instead of arriving by car. WoW! events help remind kids and their families about the benefits of WoW!ing (walking or wheeling) to school, how to do so safely, and just how fun it can be! There are lots of reasons to WoW! to school and here are just a few: It's really good for the planet.  Transportation, primarily in fossil-fuel powered cars, accounts for more than half of Los Altos' and Los Altos Hills' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Walking or biking to school directly contributes to reducing our communities' impacts on climate change. Plus, it results in fewer toxic air emissions in the parking drop-off areas of our schools and in our communities.  It reduces traffic around schools. Parents notice this on WoW! days, and it makes it safer for our kids to bike and walk. That's a win-win. It's good for the body and mind.  Biking and walking to school considerably increases concentration during school hours, according to a Danish study  of nearly 20,000 students. And it's fun, too! Walking and biking are simply fun ways to get to school and connect with friends and family. Plus, Los Altos' flat geography and mild climate make it ideal for walking and biking all year round. Our programs to encourage walking and biking have had a significant impact on student behavior. The number of students using alternative modes for school has increased considerably since we started this work in 2009. Most schools now have a WoW! (or Traffic Safety) coordinator on the PTA and share GreenTown's vision of more kids walking and biking to school. And it's paying dividends with older students, too. Over the years, more and more bike racks have been added at Los Altos High School owing to an increase in student demand.  Here's a snapshot of the elementary schools we are working with. Please email us at info@greentownlosaltos.org to let us know if you'd like to connect and build a WoW! program at your school. Gardner Bullis Elementary 's WoW! Co-Chairs, Nick and Melissa French, do an amazing job engaging kids in walking and biking at their WoW! events. These high-energy events, replete with a finish line, a treats table, and, of course, the GreenTown blender bike, result in kids that are truly thrilled to have walked or biked to school. Participation in these events is over the top with some classrooms boasting more than 90% of kids walking and biking to school. Oak Avenue Elementary School 's Principal Nikita Shah rolls up her shirtsleeves, along with several parent volunteers, to get the kids excited about WoW!ing to school. Students from one grade have the privilege of tallying which grade participated the most during Oak's WoW! days. On our most recent visit to Oak, the cold January day didn't stop the intrepid students from biking or walking, although they appreciated the hot cocoa that GreenTown brought that day! GreenTown also works with Almond Elementary, which regularly holds two WoW! events - one on Walk to School Day in October and the other around Bike to School Day in May. For Almond's Walk to School Day WoW!, GreenTown brought out the blender bike and the Almond Eagle mascot took pictures with the kids. One Almond parent commented that there are noticeably fewer cars on WoW! days. More kids biking and walking means less traffic congestion at school, and less traffic congestion means greater safety for our kids! Bullis Charter School runs a monthly WoW! event at each campus. GreenTown supplies them with stickers and pencils to incentivize kids who walk or bike to school, and they consistently count each student who WoW!s to school.  Springer Elementary  is just launching its WoW! program, spearheaded by GreenTown's newest Board member, Madhuri Davidson. We're looking forward to getting Springer students excited about walking and biking this Spring! Learn more about the WoW! program If you would like to learn more about the WoW! program and how to make it work at your school, contact us at info@greentownlosaltos.org .

Please join us in welcoming Laura Teksler and Madhuri Davidson to the GreenTown board. We are excited to have them as part of our team and look forward to their expertise and contribution to our community and efforts! Laura Teksler Laura first became involved with GreenTown as the Almond parent lead for the Walk or Wheel (WoW) program over a decade ago. She is a life-long environmentalist and lover of the outdoors who has dedicated her paid and volunteer careers to sustainability efforts. Recently through her work on the Los Altos Environmental Commission and Acterra she has become an advocate for home electrification. Madhuri Davidson Madhuri has been a volunteer in many of GreenTown's conservation projects. Recently, she has taken on a pivotal role, working alongside Jana to maintain, update, and clean up our membership database. Madhuri is a Living Classroom Docent at Springer Elementary where her two children are students. She is also working with GreenTown and the City to revive the WoW program and Safe Routes to School education program at Springer Elementary!

Angelo DeGiuli, a long-time volunteer for local environmental causes, was awarded this year's Environmental Hero Award at the annual GreenTown Los Altos Fundraiser and Celebration on Friday October 4th at the Los Altos History Museum. Lauded for his enduring environmental volunteerism that spans over a decade with GreenTown, Angelo, along with his wife, Nuchi, have been consistent, hands on contributors to numerous GreenTown programs. In the early days, Angelo was active in GreenTown's Zero Waste Program reducing plastic straw use from downtown merchants. Today, he manages the Party-pack Loaner Program which offers reusable party packs residents can borrow to reduce the waste of single use products. Angelo is a frequent trash pick-up volunteer at the 280/Magdalena interchange adopted by GreenTown in the "Adopt-A-Highway" program. Highway Clean Up Lead, Kim Jelfs, observed she has "never seen someone so cheerful when picking up someone else's garbage." Angelo is involved in GreenTown's conservation efforts by having helped establish and maintain the Woodland Library native garden and participates in multiple creek clean ups a year. Recently, Angelo was instrumental in Citizen's Climate Lobby working with GreenTown Los Altos to form the Electrification Collaboration, a program designed to accelerate heat pump water heater adoption in Los Altos. Said DeGiuli of the honor, "I am truly honored and humbled. When I was a child, my mama, as we say in Italy, often reminded me that nature is the best thing we have in life. It was given to us so we can appreciate it and care for it. I've simply taken the chance given to me by great environmentalists who came before me to lend a helping hand." GreenTown's Celebration also featured two speakers: Sandra McGonagle, LASD Superintendent profiling the integrated envrionment lessons the district's students from K-8 experience along their education journey and various sustainability efforts made by the District. Aanya Dhruv, a student climate activist at Nueva Schooolk, enthusiastically described an envrionmental curriculum she developed for youth that is being used across many schools in the region and beyond. The Celebration was attended by more than 85 people including Mayor Jonathan Weinberg, Vice Mayor Pete Dalley, City Council Candidate Larry Lang and numerous other community leaders. If you missed this year's event, hope you'll join us next year!

Wondering what's happening with the gas leaf blower ban enforcement in Los Altos? Here's your update. Shauna McKimmie started as Code Enforcement Officer in April 2023 and a new ordinance became effective in August 2023. The major change in the ban on gas leaf blowers in Los Altos was that the property owners are now fined, rather than the workers. Here are the numbers and the trends. The Proof Is In The Data Thanks to Bruce McFarlane for the data and analysis. His observations and comments: Warnings Issued – On an “Average Rate Per Year” basis, the number of warnings issued increased to 704—a 378% increase .  Go Shaunna! Citations Issued – On an “Average Rate Per Year” basis, the number of citations issued decreased from 11 to 6—a 41% decrease .   During her 1.2-year tenure as the code enforcement officer, despite the city having 986 records related to gas blower use, Shauna has issued merely 8 citations (only 2 of which have been paid).  Of the 8 citations issued, 5 were issued in June 2023 (4 on a single day—June 21), 1 in August 2023, and 2 in November 2023.  To date, no citations have been issued in 2024 . Please keep reporting observed violations: Online: https://www.losaltosca.gov/development-services/webform/online-code-enforcement-form Email:  codeenforcement@losaltosca.gov Phone: (650) 947-2775

By Natalie Barton & Kelsey Nguyen When applying for this internship with Greentown Los Altos, I’ll admit I was not entirely sure what to expect. I was about to finish up my junior year of high school and was becoming desperate for something to keep me busy during the summer. Now, just six weeks later, I leave with a better understanding of the history of Los Altos, general orchard care, interviewing skills, and local connections. As I grew up walking distance from downtown Los Altos, I would pass the Los Altos Heritage Orchard often. That being said, I did not know much about the orchard aside from the information that I remembered from my fourth grade Almond field trip. This internship gave me the opportunity to step back and look into the history that is just walking distance from my house. I learned that the 15 acres that the Los Altos Heritage Orchard once was (now reduced to only 2 acres), used to cover the land that my house is on currently. Moreover, the internship allowed me to work hands-on with the trees. With the help of one of our lovely mentors, Dr. Jane Packard, I learned how to do proper ‘Tree TLC’. ‘Tree TLC’ included creating fungal free zones around the trunk of the trees, weeding, and checking irrigation equipment, as well as picking and sorting cots during the harvest. The hands-on experience certainly helped me gain a greater appreciation for where my food comes from. Additionally, over the course of the internship my partner, Kelsey Nguyen, and I conducted several interviews, allowing us to practice interviewing skills and learn from some very interesting people. The focus of the interviews generally included ideas of inclusivity in local orchards, and how we can bring that into Los Altos as we want to see the Los Altos Heritage Orchard become a more communal space in the future. Towards the end of the internship, Kelsey and I conducted individual ‘pilot activities’ that served as trial runs for getting the community involved in Tree TLC. I was able to invite my mom, my grandmother, and my friend, Tallulah Heath, president of class of 2025 National Charity League, to learn about Tree TLC. The activity was enjoyed by everyone in the group. Being able to pass my knowledge onto people who I am close to felt very rewarding. I am very grateful for my time spent learning, applying, and then teaching with Greentown Los Altos. Coming into this internship with GreenTown Los Altos, I had no idea of what to expect. I surely didn’t know that, six weeks later, I would leave with a greater wealth of knowledge about the city’s history, a network of connections with local public figures, and a greater appreciation for where my food comes from. As the Los Altos High School Green Team co-president, I was extremely familiar with GreenTown Los Altos and even volunteered to help Gary Hedden plant trees around the city. When I saw that one of the internships was titled “Farm to Table” and worked with the Heritage Orchard, I immediately applied. I grew up helping my father plant and care for fruit trees in our yard, from abundant Meyer lemon trees to failing pluot trees. When I was accepted, I was beyond eager to get my hands dirty and start working with the community. Working with fellow intern, Natalie Barton, our goal was to understand how to make the orchard a more inclusive and equitable space for the community in order to further educate the public on the importance of sustainable eating. My first “Tree TLC” session was my introduction to the Heritage Orchard, a local landmark I had only ever observed through the windows of the library. One of my mentors, Dr. Jane Packard, showed me every part of how the orchard operates, from the health indicators of the trees to the numerous squirrel burrows in practically every row. Beyond these restoration sessions to help us better understand the orchard, Natalie and I also conducted interviews with multiple public figures, including city council members and orchardists in other cities. It was personally fascinating to see how differently each person interpreted “inclusivity within the orchard.” The next stage of our internship was running pilot activities where Natalie and I brought small groups into the orchard. I invited members of the Mountain View High School Green Team to a Tree TLC session where I taught them how to properly pick and sort the apricots while the mentors showed them how to weed and create “fungal-free zones” for the trees. I certainly gained a greater appreciation for my mentors as I quickly realized the difficulty of teaching a subject to people with little experience. Fortunately, deciphering between compost, jam, and harvest apricots is more straightforward than everything my mentors taught me in six weeks. Besides all the connections I forged with members of GreenTown Los Altos, local figures, and even community members walking through the orchard, one of the most special moments of the internships occurred when I was helping out at the Apricot STEM Fair. I went to collect jam and compost apricots from the orchard when a fresh apricot fell off the branch right in front of me. It was incredible to see our hard work come to fruition before my eyes. Jane let me eat it and it was easily the sweetest apricot I’ve ever had.

Not ready to take the plunge and get an entirely new heating system with a heat pump? Yet you want some relief from the “new normal” high temperatures we’ve been experiencing? Join this webinar on August 14th to learn more about your options for a room heat pump. Register here for the webinar on August 14th 12 Noon PT . Learn how easy-to-install room heat pumps can deliver powerful cooling and efficient supplemental heating for individual rooms or small apartments at an affordable price. As summers continue to get hotter, more and more people need air conditioning to beat the heat. Room heat pumps are low cost, easy to install products that deliver powerful cooling, and have the added advantage of providing supplemental heating when the temperatures fall. In heating mode these products are twice as energy efficient as resistance heaters. They come in several configurations - conventional window-mounted, saddle back window mounted, or portable roller style with hoses that connect to outside air. They’re a great way to increase comfort all year long and reduce your reliance on gas or expensive electric baseboard heating. Because they are a DIY installation, they can be a great solution for renters. These units are lower cost than full home heat pumps and are powered by a standard 120V outlet. The models available today typically cost $500-800. They provide energy efficient heating and cooling ideal for apartments or single rooms in larger homes. Existing models have been designed to work in mild climates, but more powerful and more expensive, cold climate versions are expected to become available soon. Register for the Webinar Join us as we dive into the world of room heat pumps with our expert panelist. We will answer the following questions and more: ·         What are the configurations available and how do they compare? ·         How are they different from ductless and whole house heat pumps? ·         How are they different from window air conditioners? ·         How do you install and use them? ·         What are the ideal use cases for room heat pumps? ·         What should you know before shopping for a room heat pump? ·         What are some of the top models available? ·         Are rebates and incentives available to help lower the cost? ·         When will the cold climate versions be available and how much will they cost? We’ll see you on August 14th as we dive into this exciting product area to help you determine if a room heat pump would work for you. This webinar is part of the Electrify Now “Go Electric!” series developed in partnership with  LEARN .  Find more Go Electric! webinars with information and tips on other important electrification topics here . Hosts and Panelists: Brian Stewart  - Brian co-founded   Electrify Now  to help energy consumers and homeowners learn about the benefits of electrification. He has over 40 years of experience in product design, engineering, manufacturing and sustainability and held many leadership roles at Nike Inc. including Vice President of Sustainable Innovation. Joe Wachunas  - In addition to his work for Electrify Now, Joe is a Program Manager for the  New Buildings Institute , managing the  Advanced Water Heating Initiative . He is a frequent contributor to  CleanTechnica  writing articles about topics relating to electrification and clean energy. Joe and his family use their own home to experiment and learn about all electric solutions, solar power and EVs. Christopher Dymond -  Christopher is a co-founder of the Advanced Heat Pump Coalition, a collaborative of over 250 North American energy efficiency professionals working to accelerate market adoption of heat pumps. His research focuses on variable speed heat pumps technologies for space heating and cooling. He has a master’s degree in building systems engineering and over 25 years of experience in energy efficiency and solar energy technologies.

By Ava Azar It's in a child's lunch box, in a cocktail party beverage or a drink from the local coffee shop. Seemingly small and insignificant, yet so destructive: Plastic Straws. There are 500,000,000 plastic straws consumed and disposed of every day in the United States. To put this into perspective, if laid end to end, 500 million straws would stretch twice around planet Earth. The volume of the 500 million straws would be enough to fill about nearly 79% of an Olympic Swimming pool! However, because of their lightweight material, plastic straws are often confused as food pieces for marine life such as the sea turtle. A very powerful video was shared by German conservation biologist, Christine Figgener back in August, 2015. Figgener was leading a research team in the waters of Costa Rica. However, the trip took a turn when they discovered a male olive ridley sea turtle who had a 10-12 cm straw stuck in its nostril. Fortunately, they were able to remove the straw, and safely return the turtle back to his habitat. This impactful video went viral and has reached over 100 Million views since it was shared with the public, raising awareness around the world to how detrimental straws, a single use plastic, are to our marine life. California has taken action on this issue by becoming the first state in the U.S to initiate a “straw by request” policy, meaning restaurants may only serve straws to customers if they are requested. While this is a way businesses are being part of the solution, individuals can take action by reducing their use of plastic straws and switching to more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable metal or glass straws, or biodegradable options (paper and bamboo), which can help mitigate environmental issues. Our county also implements a “skip the straw” program, which is led by the Ocean Conservatory - their message to the world is, “If you don’t need to drink using a straw, commit to skipping the straw and add your voice to the sea of people taking a stand for the ocean. Sign the pledge now and when offered a straw, simply say “no thanks.” ’ It is also impactful to encourage those around you to go plastic straw free! By contributing to these efforts, young or old, we can make this the last straw.

We are excited to introduce our 2024 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 7th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Oscar Johnson, Alex Hoffman, Natalie Barton and Kelsey Nguyen. Alex and Oscar will be working on the "TreeCity USA" project. They will be researching what it will take for Los Altos to meet the standards required in order to receive recognition as a TreeCity USA . They will evaluate what other cities have done, learn about their challenges and successes, and make a report and presentation to the Environmental Commission.  They will be mentored by Gary Hedden , founder and leader of GreenTown’s 500 Trees  program. Kelsey and Natalie be will be working on "Farm to Table, Apricot Harvest" project. They will work on developing an inclusive and equitable process for families to help in the apricot harvest from the Heritage Orchard, an historical landmark at the Civic Center. The harvest is usually in the last two weeks of June. They will create a business plan for a small fruit stand to engage the community in the harvest, using concepts such as pick-n-pay activities for families, interview experienced local orchardists about innovative harvest approaches and develop learning activities for participants to learn about honorable harvest practices that are respectful of the trees and others well-being. They will be mentored by Jane Packard (Los Altos History Museum and Orchard Committee member),  Glenda Chang  (GreenTown board member) and Cary Anderson  (GreenTown Eating Green program lead). Alex Hoffman I was born in Munich, Germany and moved to Los Altos when I was 9 years old. I am very passionate about the environment as well as soccer and engineering. I have been helping out GreenTown Los Altos for a number of years with planting trees and other events, and I have been a member of the Green Team at my high school for the past 3 years. Kelsey Nguyen Hello! I’m Kelsey Nguyen, a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I’m the co-president of LAHS’ Green Team and volunteer with Grassroots Ecology and Acterra as a Youth Steward and Student Ambassador respectively. My love for nature and animals started as a child but quickly expanded into environmentalism when I learned about climate change in grade school. When I’m not studying my favorite subject of science, I love to cook/bake, listen to music, and stand-up paddleboard! Oscar Johnson Hi! I'm a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I'm involved in my school’s Investing and Economy Club and The Global Uplift Project, a non-profit which aims to support local economies through the employment of local people in developing countries while delivering aid. I'm also the executive producer and president of the school’s TEDx Club, and the managing editor at Los Altos High School's newspaper, The Talon. I'm interested in journalism and economics of equity and sustainable growth. Natalie Barton Hello! My name is Natalie Barton and I am a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I am excited to work with GreenTown for the Farm to Table internship where we will eventually present a proposal on how to make Los Altos’s heritage orchard more communal and inclusive. Personally, I really enjoy seeing the food process first hand so I am looking forward to sharing the process with others and connecting our community back to an important part of its history. Outside of school and work I enjoy traveling, riding horses, and playing lacrosse.