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Stumped on where to go for drought tips. GreenTown has info: http://greentownlosaltos.org/confused-about-going-native-best-tips-are-here/ Websites for Drought-tolerant Gardens: Water Wise Gardening in the Bay Area, BAWSCA – helpful plant list A California-Friendly Guide to Native and Drought Tolerant Gardens– Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Sustainable concept design for yards in Santa Clara County Drought tolerant plants for the San Jose Area– Las Pilitas Nursery Dry Garden – Low Water Plants: – Mostly Natives Nursery And go here to find out about Santa Clara County Water District’s rebates.

Coal tar? Parabens? Butyl what? When was the last time you thought about what you were putting into (and on) your body through your skin? Maybe it’s worth a look to avoid potential problems. As an organ, the skin absorbs much of what is applied to its surface. So the majority of synthetic chemicals layered during a conventional skincare routine get soaked up by the skin, thus entering your bloodstream. At high concentrations, they can not only wreak havoc on the endocrine and reproductive systems or even cause cancer but the manufacturing and use of products also impacts the environment. If there’s any doubt, check out reputable sources like Canadian-based David Suzuki’s “Dirty Dozen Cosmetic Chemicals To Avoid” or about.com’s list of toxic chemicals or even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) site where they admit “Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, cosmetic products and ingredients do not require FDA approval before they go on the market.” Should ingredients in cosmetic products really be a concern given their wide distribution, sold in nearly every store and being used by so many people seemingly without harm? Evidence from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show that certain ingredients may act as allergens, irritants, carcinogens, hormone disruptors, pollutants, or environmental contaminants. So what can you do? Some Ways To Go Green In Cosmetics: Search the EWG’s database for toxicity. Search products you use, including safety ratings and whether the ingredients are considered toxic. Understand how to read labels so you aren’t swayed by often faulty marketing claims. Anything can be written on packaging to convince consumers to buy products. It’s wise to check labels to know the exact ingredients and concentrations. Ban unhealthy and toxic products from your household. Erring on the safe side is better in many dimensions, from the environment to preventing future harm in the form of allergies, asthma, fertility problems, or cancers. Simplify your skincare routine. Minimize products and keep in mind that just like food, as a rule products with less ingredients are often safer. DIY products. Simple DIY recipes and tips abound online and in books. Buy some basic materials and have a cosmetics-making party. Oh No? Oh Yes! FDA Has No Say On Ingredients Although the Safe Cosmetics Act was introduced to Congress in 2013 to give the FDA the authority to create and enforce safety standards, it hasn’t been passed yet. Which means, believe it or not, the FDA doesn’t currently have the authority to force companies to test their products for safety. Even more, according to PETA’s cruelty-free company search, animals are not safe either given animal testing is still used by hundreds of companies. So What Can You, As A Consumer, Do? Since US cosmetics aren’t regulated, it is up to consumers to protect themselves and the environment by evaluating ingredients and sending a message with their dollars. A win by any measure. Author: Malar Ganapathiappan

Remember this number: 32. Water use by type. Source: Linda Gass That’s the percent mandated for Los Altos residents to reduce water starting in July. Knowing how water is used is a good starting point for hitting that reduction number. Landscaping (50%): With around 50% of water typically used for irrigation, your lawn is the best source to tap for most savings. Cutback irrigation to about 1/3 of 2013 use, no more than twice a week. Install drip or subsurface irrigation which is 95% efficient, making it 35% more efficient than spray watering so if you haven’t looked into it, now is the time.1 Climate appropriate native plants require only 1/10th the water of lawns. Why? The shallow roots of turf require significantly more water to maintain than native plants, which can survive on a minimum amount of water. Native plants initially need watering weekly, then monthly or less after roots are established. Mulching around trees and plants can help in preventing water from evaporating. Cover your pools for minimal evaporation. Using a running hose when washing concrete, asphalt, or a vehicle is forbidden. How the Other Use Areas Can Be Minimized. Toilets (10%) Efficient toilets can reduce the amount of water flushed by 20-60% compared to older models.2 “Ultra Low Flow Toilets” use 1.6 gallons per flush, “High-Efficiency Toilets” use 1.28-.8 gallons per flush while older pre-1990 models use 3.5 – 5 or more gallons per flush.3 Switching to a high-efficiency toilet can save 19 gallons per person each day.4 Dual flush toilets have separate flushes for liquid and solid waste. Toilets can be flushed with saved water from warming up taps. Shower (10%) Low-flow showerheads can save 2.5 gallons per minute.4 A five versus 10 minute shower saves 12.5 gallons from a low flow showerhead and 25 gallons with a standard 5 gallon per minute showerhead.4 Turning off water while washing hair (daily) can save up to 150 gallons per month.4 Water from taps that are warming up can be captured and used for plants or to flush toilets. Laundry (10%) Only running full loads in a washer will save both water and energy. A water-efficient washer can save 16 gallons/load.4 Greywater can be utilized by directing water used by washing machines to outdoor landscapes, thereby reducing need for outdoor watering. Leaks (9%) Finding and fixing all leaks can eliminate 9% of average water usage. A free house call from a Santa Clara Valley Water District representative can help detect leaks and determine other ways to save water. A toilet with leaks can waste around 200 gallons a day. Yes, a day.2 Faucets (8%) Faucets usually run at 2 gallons per minute, so closing the tap while brushing teeth or shaving can save over 200 gallons per month.2 When hand washing dishes, closing the tap and using the sink or a basin uses half the amount of water than running an open tap when washing dishes does, which uses up to 20 gallons of water.2 Baths (1%) A full bathtub can hold up to 70 gallons of water so filling it halfway or less can save 12 gallons.4 Shorter showers use less water than a bath. Water can be caught in a bucket while it is warming up and used to flush toilets or water plants. Dishwashers (1%) The dishwasher can be used more efficiently by only running full loads on the “light” setting instead of normal cycle. Refraining from rinsing dishes before loading into the dishwater can save up to 10 gallons per load.2 Author: Malar Ganapathiappan Footnotes http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/documents-forms/browse/other-documents/newsletter-archive/town-newsletter-2014/529-newsletter-2014-06-june-2014/file http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/indoor.html http://saveourwater.com/what-you-can-do/tips/toilets/ http://saveourwater.com/what-you-can-do/tips/ #droughttips #water #watershortage #drought #Californiadrought #watermandates

This is a problem that GreenTown Los Altos’s Energy Chair Gary Hedden was bent on solving. So we created GreenTown Los ALtos’s “Unleash the Power On Your Roof”, a program aimed at providing solid deals from solar vendors to increase the number of solar rooftops in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Catch Your Rays. Raise Your Efficiency. With several vendors signed up, we know that now is the time to check out the power on your roof. If you’re interested, please let us know. Hurry! Program Runs April 1 – June 30 The program’s benefits, including access to information and a financial deal you won’t want to pass up, run from April 1 – June 30. To help educate prospective buyers, and debunk any solar myths keeping buyers at bay, we’d like to host small gatherings. For this, we’re looking for anyone who has installed solar to be a spokesperson, or what we’re calling Solar Stars, to help others through the process. If you’re interested, please let us know.

We are not alone… The severe California drought is part of a world-wide water crisis, a tidbit confirmed by Laura Allen, an expert on all things water. On Mar. 23, at the Los Altos Library, Allen presented a vivid picture of this crisis through expansive charts and pictures that told that story. “Do you know where your water comes from?” “Do you know where your water comes from ?” Allen asked an audience that filled the library program room. After brief comments on municipal water systems, we delved into the range of practical options for reducing water consumption in our homes. High on the list? Everything from repairing simple leaks, to collecting rainwater and reusing household greywater, we learned that we can conserve a significant amount of water daily that collectively will make a difference. In particular, laundry-to-landscape greywater systems are both low cost and simple to install. Allen explained the operation of several greywater systems and audience members had an opportunity to sign up for a hands-on greywater workshop. Laura came to the talk with a large box filled with her new book, “The Water-Wise Home”. All copies were sold out by the end of the evening. The book is available at storey.com. For further information you can look at Allen’s instructions for tapping your house into a grey water system here or go to www.greywateraction.org

The spring ReCycle BIke Drive is happening Sun. May 3 from 10AM to 1PM at the Blach and Egan Middle Schools. Thanks to the many participants, both volunteers and donors, the semi-annual event collects over 50 bicycles that are cleaned, tuned, and given to local students.  The generosity of our community is amazing. Watching a no longer used bike transform into an object of joy for students is incredible to experience.  I wish everyone who donates a bike could see the impact to students because of this program. Hope to see you there!

Yes, “green” can be done and it will be beautiful! Saturday, Feb. 28, an open house on Marion Ave. in Palo Alto showed the way to how building green pays off in more ways than you can imagine. The home’s architect and builder, who pulled off an impressive feat of “green-ness” without sacrificing beauty or comfort. Designed by architect Tali Hardonag and built by Chris Donatelli, the house has 92 Green Points with more pending.  As a point of reference, the Palo Alto building code only requires 50 points. The owners wanted more than the minimum.  Eleanor, one of the owners, put it simply, “Wendy and I wanted to do the best we could for the earth.” So how does one collect that many Green Points? According to the architect, some of it is very simple and obvious: Add insulation to hot water pipes Install energy star appliances Put out a sign to let the neighbors know this is a Green project. The other Green Points come from making choices.  What appeals to the owners, what is the budget, what makes sense for the site.  For this project that meant: The use of recycled fly ash in the concrete Durable and fire-resistant roofing materials High efficiency toilets and plumbing fixtures Home owners Wendy and Eleanor, showing off their new home. Advanced ventilation practices Low-VOC paints Energy efficient lighting and controls Solar hot water heating Solar photovoltaic and much more. But it is more than the points.  The end result is a beautiful home that is well built, comfortable and good for the health of the owners and the planet. Well done, Eleanor, Wendy, Tali and Chris.

Audience members were treated to an energy education at GreenTowns’ GreenTalk Feb. 18. Pictured: L-R – Curtis Tongue (OhmConnect), Margie Suozzo (GreenTown Los Altos), David Siddiqui (Green Evolution Consulting). GreenTown’s GreenTalk Feb. 18 featured two great speakers sharing two great ways to save energy, and MONEY. First up was David Siddiqui from Green Evolution Consulting.  David told us about the main sources of energy loss in the home.  It can be simple problems, like leaky or disconnected heating ducts, which apparently happens all the time with the typical house sprouting a 30% leakage rate.  Clearly a huge waste of energy, and MONEY. Button Up Energy Loss, Lock In Savings To figure out where you’re “losing” energy, David recommends a whole house energy assessment instead of dissecting the problem contractor by contractor.  Once the assessment is complete you’ll have a road map for improvements that make sense.  The payoff? Improved comfort, better air quality, increased home value, and to boot, you’ll save MONEY. Speaking of MONEY, there’s other ways to get money for energy improvements including rebates from Energy Upgrade California and PG&E, as well as good financing options available.  For more info contact David . Second speaker was Curtis Tongue, OhmConnect.  Curtis told us about a demand response program is the proverbial win/win. It enables you to make MONEY for your school by reducing your electricity use. A what?  Demand response? With a Payback??? When energy demand is high, think a hot day in August with all the state’s air conditioners blasting away, then all available power plants will have to be on.  The last ones turned on will be the least efficient, the dirtiest and the most expensive.  In fact, Curtis told us that 15% of the cost of all electricity is for the 1% of electricity at peak demand prices. With that much cost involved, PG&E will pay you not to use power.  This is where OhmConnect comes in. Their models reliably predict expected use (demand) and if you turn off your appliances, lights, air conditioner, etc. for just one hour you will make MONEY.  It’s pretty simple, OhmConnect sends you a text, you cut your power and PG&E doesn’t have to turn on that inefficient, dirty power plant. So how does this help a school?  Since the dollars for a few hours here and there really aren’t huge, people find it more satisfying to pool them with other folks as a school fundraiser.  The dollars add up and it really helps.  Springer’s PTA did it! Interested?  You can sign up at OhmConnect, it’s free, it’s fun and you can start making MONEY for the community. So what are you doing to button up your home? Share with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. By Gary Hedden, Energy Chair, GreenTown Los Altos. #energy #homeenergy #schoolfundraising #Solar

It’s that time of year. The 2015 Silicon Valley Water Awards are open for application submissions.  It’s your chance to nominate the water heroes in your community. As California enters its 4th year of drought, water conservation continues to be of utmost importance to maintaining our high quality of life. Communities are renewing their efforts to stretch strained water supplies, and creative ideas are in high demand. Now in its seventh year, the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards highlight innovative water conservation efforts that can serve as models for others. The Awards recognize leadership that has advanced water conservation in San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Alameda County from Hayward south. Applications and nominations for the 2015 Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards are now being accepted. The closing date is February 27, and winners will be recognized through news releases and at an awards ceremony on March 23 in Palo Alto. The 2015 Award Categories Are: Government Agency/Water Utility Business Organization Greenscape Management Innovation Education Water Champion To learn more about the Water Awards and how to apply or nominate a candidate, please visit http://www.WaterAwards.org. RSVP for the Awards Ceremony at http://www.svwca.brownpapertickets.com.

GreenTown is involved with many issues that you’ve made clear you care about. Those related to sustainability, going more green, climate change to make, and even leave, our world a better place. Here’s some upcoming events and meetings we thought you’d like to know about: .2/7 The March for Real Climate Leadership 11:30AM-3PM The March for Real Climate Leadership, Sunday, Feb 7, from 11:30AM – 3PMFrank Ogawa Plaza, 14th & Broadway, in Oakland, California. The March will take place on Feb. 7th, beginning at 11:30 am at Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th & Broadway, in Oakland, California, ending with a Rally at Lake Merritt Amphitheater at the South end of Lake Merritt. Thousands of people from all across the state will gather in Gov. Brown’s hometown on February 7 to demand that he step up. The March for Real Climate Leadership will be the largest climate rally in California history. It is being hosted by a broad group of partner organizations including the Sierra Club. The March will bring thousands of people from across the state into the streets of Oakland on February 7 to call on Governor Brown to ban fracking, stand up to Big Oil, and move beyond fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy. Parking in the area may be extremely tight due to the large crowd expected. Traveling by BART is the recommended choice.  If you can’t travel by BART, Loma Prieta Chapter members are encouraged to come on the bus leaving from San Jose’s Diridon Stationat 9:30 a.m., and picking up riders at the downtown Palo Alto Caltrain station (Urban Lane at Wells Drive) at about 10:15 a.m. Bus tickets are only $20 each and must be purchased in advanced to secure your seat.  Buy your tickets online. If you are a current student and the regular $20 bus ticket price would be a hardship for you, please send your name, your current school name, your email address and a phone number where you can be reached to Bus Captain Brian Haberly beginning on Feb. 1 and we will let you know if there are still subsidized student tickets available. Be sure to wear a Blue top or shirt, comfortable walking shoes, and bring a sign about climate change or fracking, and snacks and water. Questions?  Please Email Brian Haberly. 2/8 Redwood Grove Restoration Workday 1-4PM & 2/21, 9:30AM-12:30PM: 482 University Ave., Los Altos, CA. Come Volunteer! See the difference you can make by improving habitat for native plants and animals. Register here. Dates subject to change. 2/18 GreenTown Talk: Button Up Your Home: Get Energy Smart, 7-9PM – at Los Altos Library. For more info email. Speakers Speakers: David Siddiqui, Green Evolution Consulting and Curtis Tongue, Founder, OhmConnect, will discuss the main sources of energy loss in your house and how you can get rebates and financing to get energy smart. 2/22 Gamble Garden Class – 9:30AM-11:30AM – Learn how to replace or shrink a front lawn using flowering and edible plants. $25 members; $35 non-members. At Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Email or visit website for more info. Get Involved With GreenTown: Attend A Team Meeting Water Team Meeting, Feb. 11, 1:15-2:30PM Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, 321 University Ave. At our monthly meeting we discuss how to deal with and make a difference in, local water issues. Bike Team Meeting Feb.13, 12-1PM at Los Altos History Museum, 51 S. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos. Our monthly meeting to plan/organize bike/walk activiities for the upcoming month. Look forward to seeing you there! More to look forward to: 3/12 Innovations in Water Conservation, Los Altos Hills Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, 7-9PM- Hear about the district’s impressive “Advanced Water Purification Center”, producing 8 million gallons a day of potable water. Innovations in Water Conservation As our economy and population grow, so must innovations in water conservation and water reuse. Garth Hall, Deputy Operating Officer with Santa Clara Valley Water District will offer an overview of water supply and demand locally and statewide. The District’s most impressive innovation is the new Advanced Water Purification Center, producing 8 million gallons a day of potable water. Small scale innovations are also advancing. Forrest Linebarger, CEO of Inhabiture will discuss smart irrigation controllers, time of use water meters, home water usage reports, and other water saving innovations for homes and businesses. Speakers Garth Hall, Deputy Operating Officer, Santa Clara Valley Water District Forrest Linebarger, CEO, Inhabiture Contact Kit Gordon, kitgordon@me.com Sponsors: CalWater, City of Los Altos/Environmental Commission, Los Altos Hills Environmental Initiatives Committee, Purissima Hills Water District, Santa Clara Valley Water District Speaker Bios: Garth Hall, Deputy Operating Officer, Santa Clara Valley Water District Garth is a Civil Engineer with a wide variety of experience in water management and environmental planning. Prior to his work at SCVWD, he held a director level position at PG&E. He holds a Master’s degree from Stanford University and a PhD in Hydrology and Water Resource Science from University of the Witwatersrand. Forrest Linebarger, CEO, Inhabiture A graduate of UC Berkeley, Forrest has spent decades committed to sustainable design and building. He has created environmentally sensitive designs that are cost competitive with conventional construction.  He is nationally known for his design of zero energy homes, use of green roofs, and innovating means of creating healthy indoor air environments. ___________________ How to Create Your Own Water-Wise Home and Landscape March 23, 7-9pm, Los Altos Library With simple plumbing alterations and smart landscape changes, every home has the potential to create a sustainable water supply with an ecologically productive landscape. From reusing greywater, to collecting rainwater, to installing waterless composting toilets, our collective efforts can transform our home water systems. A recent study found that households saved an average of 15,000 gallons a year after merely installing greywater system. Learn how you can transform your own home so it conserves and reuses our precious water resources, while growing a bountiful garden. This presentation will teach you how. It will also include national trends, codes and regulations, costs, health and safety considerations, and system examples. Sign up for a greywater workshop at seminar. Laura will also be selling her new water conservation book. Sponsors: GreenTown Los Altos, Sierra Club – Loma Prieta Chapter, Santa Clara Valley Water District Contact Kit Gordon, kitgordon@me.com Bio: Laura Allen is the co-founder of Greywater Action and has spent the past 15 years exploring low-tech sustainable water solutions. She leads classes and workshops, including the first greywater training program for professional installers, and participates in writing state-level greywater and composting toilet codes. Laura is the author of The Water-Wise Home: How to Conserve, Capture, and Reuse Water in your Home and Landscape (Storey Press, 2015). She was named 2014 Water Champion by Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards.

As part of his talk, Dr. Dan Arvizu cited facts and figures that were encouraging for the future of renewables in this country. Clearly CA can lead the way on this problem. When it comes to renewable energy, the politicians are always asking, “Is this stuff for real?”  Dr. Dan Arvizu has the answer and he shared it with a packed house at the World Affairs Council talk in Los Altos, Jan. 7, 2015. Yes, renewable energy is for real. We don’t have to invent anything, we have the technology today to make the grid work with 80% renewably sourced power. That was the message Arvizu delivered, a positive one for receptive ears. Through wind, biomass and solar, there can be enough power to reach the 80% goal by 2050 and with some tweaks to make the grid a smart system, it can be reliably distributed.  We still need some breakthroughs in storage technology to get to 100%, a challenge for the future. So why isn’t it happening?  According to Arvizu, the political will isn’t there to stand up to cheap fossil fuels, except perhaps in California with the leadership of Gov. Brown.   Dr. Arvizu met with Brown who made it clear he wants to cut the use of carbon in half, which is important, as public policy is what will create the change. Dr. Arvizu is The top three nations generating renewably sourced power in 2012:  China with 90 Gigawatts, US with 86, and Germany with 71.  For both China and the US, over half was wind power, but for Germany over half was solar.  And he pointed out that Germany is the same latitude as southern Alaska!  The good news is that the US has over 40 Gigawatts of solar in the pipeline, so we are moving in the right direction. The other part of NREL’s mission is efficiency.  Half of the energy produced from burning fossil fuels is lost as waste heat.  Cars are inefficient.  Buildings are inefficient.  Surprisingly given its location, NREL’s headquarters in Golden, Colorado is a net zero building with 1350 employees, constructed at less cost than a similarly sized building designed to standard code.  So it can be done without exorbitant costs.  He did mention that it takes some adaptation by the workers.  No space heaters tucked under desks! Several time he referred to a slide calling for a Profound Transformation to take us from today’s unsustainable energy system to a future system that is reliable, efficient, carbon neutral, secure and resilient.  His point was that we need to make that transition now, not 30 years from now. After the slide show he entertained Q&A.  Some highlights: What’s the latest on battery technology?  This will be a profoundly disruptive and important technology, but getting the price down is difficult. Where is photovoltaic heading?  Costs are coming down and the goal of SunShot (an initiative of the Dept. of Energy) is $1/W but the big challenges are the soft costs, all of the paperwork and permit costs. How do you get people to value a sustainable future?  His answer was a bit vague, but some folks just approach things differently.  He gave a couple of examples.  In Singapore, you have to buy a 10 year permit to drive a car and it costs $100,000.  The result? People take public transit.  In Sweden, a car registration costs almost as much as the car.  In the US, we value “rugged individualism” so none of that happens which means sustainability also takes individual choice to make it a reality. What changes can we ask for at the local level?  Again, his answer was a bit off target, but still interesting.  He told us about 5 utilities getting together to plan for future changes.  This was notable in that they would even get together, and even more notable in that they would share confidential data.  He was there so he saw it! How will the grid work in the future?  He had a lengthy talk about the distribution pipeline and the direction of energy flow, but finally settled on an interesting story.  NREL is studying the impact of using car batteries to smooth out the energy flow in the pipeline.  Toyota is asking should we build electric cars to supply energy during peak demand using cars that are parked, and the power companies are asking what will happen to the grid if car batteries are supplying power during peak demand?  Hmmm, makes one wonder if NREL is getting funded by both sides for the same question? Why didn’t you mention nuclear as an energy option?  It’s in the mix, but they need to be held to the same high sustainability standards as all the other sources, and that is a problem for nuclear. Final thought, renewable energy and energy efficiency make so much sense, let’s do it! Written by Gary Hedden, Energy Chair, GreenTown Los Altos. #DrDanArvizu #Renewableenergy #Renewables

In Gov. Jerry Brown’s second inaugural address Jan. 5, he proposed three ambitious environmental goals for the next 15 years: increase from one-third to 50 percent the electricity derived from renewable sources; reduce today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent; and double the efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner. Can we achieve any of those goals here in Los Altos? The answer is a definite yes – and in far less than 15 years. How? By implementing our Climate Action Plan (CAP). In December 2013, the Los Altos City Council adopted the CAP, with the target of reducing our community’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020. It focuses on actions we can take regarding transportation, energy, waste, water and municipal operations. How can we achieve that first goal of having 50 percent of our energy derived from renewable sources? One way is to install more solar photovoltaic panels on homes and businesses. Another option is for Los Altos to form – or join – a Community Choice energy program. Community Choice energy allows local communities to contract directly with renewable energy providers while continuing to allow PG&E to distribute the power on its lines and provide customer service. The advantage is that we can simultaneously double the renewable energy we receive and reduce our electricity costs. This could take us 80 percent of the way toward reaching our CAP target. Two existing Community Choice energy programs – Marin Clean Energy and Sonoma Clean Power – currently operate in the state. Each formed a Joint Powers Agency (JPA) where representatives from the participating cities govern the program, ensuring local control. Mountain View, Cupertino and Sunnyvale are studying the formation of a JPA to initiate a Community Choice energy program in Santa Clara County. Los Altos could join also. How could we reduce petroleum use in our cars and trucks by 50 percent? Two obvious ways are by driving less and making use of alternative fuels. Our CAP calls for fully implementing our Bicycle Transportation Plan and our upcoming Pedestrian Master Plan, which will make it safer and easier to bike or walk in Los Altos. We can also drive vehicles that don’t use petroleum, like electric cars. We have already begun doing that. Did you know that Los Altos has one of the highest concentrations of electric vehicles in the state? Our CAP includes providing the infrastructure for electric-vehicle charging stations by building standards that include prewiring for commercial and residential developments. We have already installed three public charging stations. Replacing our city fleet vehicles with hybrid or electric vehicles is part of our CAP as well. How can we double the efficiency of buildings? The David and Lucile Packard Foundation headquarters provides an excellent example of a net-zero energy building – one that produces as much energy as it uses. A zero PG&E bill! Part of our CAP is to adopt net-zero electricity building standards for new residential and commercial buildings. And adopting higher energy-efficiency standards when remodels occur can help improve existing buildings while simultaneously reducing the energy bill. I am always impressed by the commitment of Los Altos residents to sustainability and clean energy. Let’s continue to lead the way to a greener future. Mayor Jan Pepper Note: Reprinted with permission from Los Altos Town Crier: