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Want to help tackle climate change but don’t have the time to become a climate scientist? For the San Francisco Climate Week, we are organizing a public Climate Fresk in a large room, so please come and bring friends! Climate Fresk is fun, participative yet 100% science-based serious game about climate🌍 🌱. In just 3 hours, the collaborative Climate Fresk workshop will teach you the fundamental science behind climate change and empower you to take action and/or understand the kind of policies we would need to address and adapt to it. « Climate Fresk » is a workshop created in France that aims to raise people's awareness and understanding about climate change. Based on the IPCC report, explains the causes and consequences of climate change. It allows learning a lot in a very short period and is meant for both novices and experts. NPR piece on the Climate FreskNY Times article: "For a trendy night out in Paris, how about a climate change workshop?" How the game worksThe workshop is based on a 42-card game. Each card represents a cause or a consequence of climate change. As a team, guided by your facilitator, you are to find the cause-effect relationship between the different components of climate change. Collective intelligence will get you from one deck of card to the next! This step-by-step reconstruction provides keys to understanding the complexity of climate change. The workshop’s program A quick introduction 🤝 to "Climate Fresk" Icebreaker activities 🎤 to get everyone warmed up Collaborative building 🧠 of the Climate Fresk Short breaks ☕ as needed A creative session 🎨 to explore ideas A debrief to share thoughts and feelings 💬 The event will take place at Los Altos Library in May 23rd, 5-8PM. Once we have more information we can let you know if you send us an email to info@greentownlosaltos.org.

There’s a new recycling service in town. And it takes many of the items that waste companies like Mission Trail don’t take, reducing the amount of material that ends up in our landfills which is everyone's ultimate goal. The service is provided by Ridwell. They started offering pick-up service in Los Altos in February 2024 and I immediately signed up. The main things they take that otherwise typically go in the garbage are multilayer plastics and plastic film. Mission Trail takes anything with a recycle symbol, but most of these items don’t sport such an insignia*. Multilayer plastics are items that generally are crinkly and don’t stretch — think chip bags, food packaging, energy bar wrappers, and netting for produce. Plastic film generally is soft, quieter and stretchy – think bubble warp, Amazon packaging, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, and Ziplock bags. How It Works Here’s how it works. Ridwell provides a metal box, about 14” cubed (plastic doesn’t take much space!), plus a selection of cotton bags to collect each type of material – the plastics plus clothing and lightbulbs every time, plus additional items on a rotating basis including bread bag tabs and plastic caps, corks, styrofoam, and more. Every two weeks you just put the box out where a driver can easily access it, someone takes your full bags and replaces them with empty bags for the next pick-up. There are three levels of service available, with Ridwell taking a wider range of materials at each level. I signed up for the mid-tier, which includes multi-layer plastic and plastic film, for $18/month. And I am sharing it with a neighbor who brings over her plastic before each pick-up day, cutting the cost to each of us in half. What happens next? Ridwell boasts that 97% of the material collected gets either recycled or reused. Their recycling partners include Trex, which turns plastic film into decking materials, and for multi-layer they partner with Hydroblox, which manufactures drainage material made from 100% landfill-bound plastic, and ByFusion Global, which converts all types of plastic waste into a high-performing, advanced building material called ByBloc. Some Trade Offs To Consider I know that there are other options for recycling some of these materials, such as the Stanford Recycling Center and in-store drop-offs of plastic bags. For me, the confidence of knowing what Ridwell does with the materials and the convenience of them picking it up at my home make it worth the cost. My experience after these first few pick-ups is that I’m surprised by how much plastic I recycle this way that I couldn’t recycle before. I just didn’t realize how many items we buy every day come in multi-layer plastic in particular. And given how much we’re all ordering online these days, it’s great to have a way to easily recycle the plastic shipping envelopes. Our garbage is now next to nothing, thanks also to the amount that Mission Trail does take. Interested in finding out details? Learn more at www.Ridwell.com. * A note about Mission Trail. While Mission Trail takes anything with a recycle symbols (#1-7), they only have reliable markets for #1 PET, used to make products like clear plastic soda bottles, and #2 HDPE used to make opaque containers like milk jugs. As Ridwell takes plastics #4, which are plastic film, and #6, Styrofoam, I will be putting those items, even if they have a recycle symbol on them, in the Ridwell box instead of in my MissionTrail recycle bin. And I’ll do my best to avoid the others: #3, 5 and 7.

For 2024, we are offering 4 paid internships in 2 project areas. Each internship is for 10 hours/week for 6 weeks at $17.75/hour. Tree City USA (2 interns) Farm to Table, Apricot Harvest (2 interns) Application form for 2024 summer internships Key Dates: Applications are due April 30 Interviews will be scheduled May 6-10 Candidate selections will be announced May 20 The internships start June 10 and end July 19. Additional Details: The ideal candidate will be a rising junior or senior high school student passionate about environmental issues. The skills required are effective communication, good research skills, good time management and familiarity with the preparation of documents, spreadsheets and slides. Interns must be willing to work as a team. Interns must be able to work with minimal supervision. The work will generally be from home or at the project site (pls see internship requirements) There will be weekly in-person and/or zoom meetings with a GreenTown mentor. TreeCIty USA mentor will be Gary Hedden, and the Farm to Table, Apricot Harvest mentors will be Jane Packard & Glenda Chang. The internship will culminate in a slide show presentation and demonstration to the public and/or GreenTown members on the summer accomplishments. The internships are open to: Students attending the MVLA schools OR residents of Los Altos OR residents of Los Altos Hills. Internship 1: Tree City USA Help us make Los Altos cleaner and greener by getting the City to join Tree City USA. This is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation that now has over 3500 recognized cities. The Los Altos Environmental Commission is interested but needs our help. You will research what it will take for Los Altos to meet the four standards required in order to receive this recognition. Maintaining a tree board or department Having a community tree ordinance Spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry Celebrating Arbor Day You will evaluate what other cities have done, learn about their challenges and successes, and make a presentation to the Environmental Commission. Internship 2: Farm to Table - Apricot Harvest Want to help folks experience the sweet flavor of a ripe apricot plucked directly from the tree? Learn and teach about the honorable harvest that celebrates the gifts of mother earth while reducing the waste stream when food is delivered directly from farm to table. Two GreenTown interns will work with a lead intern from the Los Altos History Museum in 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. The work may include: 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 Develop learning activities for participants to learn about honorable harvest practices that are respectful of the trees and others well-being Develop on-site activities highlighting ways to reduce food waste and conserve energy, such as using a solar cooker to produce jam and nectar from over-ripe fruit Prepare a report describing results and lessons learned in the process Present the findings at the Apricot STEM Fair the first week of July https://www.greentownlosaltos.org/why-eat-green Please contact internship@greentownlosaltos.org or info@greentownlosaltos.org if you have any questions.

Got a Bike? Give a Bike. Make Someone Smile! APRIL 13, 10am - 2pm Los Altos High School Wheeee! That's the sound of a kid who's just gotten a "new" bike from GreenTown's ReCycle Bike Drive. The ReCycle Bike Drive is back and celebrating its 24th year refurbishing gently used bicycles for kids in need. GreenTown is looking for volunteers and bike donations for the bike drive, which will be held on April 13, 2024 from 10am-2pm at Los Altos High School. GreenTown accepts gently used bikes that are gathering dust in your garage (or worse, headed to the landfill), then volunteers dust them off, clean them up, fix them and donate them to kids in our local communities who otherwise wouldn't have access to a bike. Now that's a win-win! Los Altos Hills resident, Kathleen Santora, started the bike drive with friends more than two decades ago at St. Nicholas School. In 2012, with GreenTown’s help, the event was extended to the broader community. Partnerships with Los Altos High School and Bicycle Exchange have further improved the bike drive and our ability to get bikes into the hands of students and others who need them. "We just love this event!" says GreenTown bike drive coordinator, Margie Suozzo. "It combines reducing waste, reusing and recycling, with clean transportation and giving back to the community. And we couldn't do it without the generous contributions - both bike donations and volunteer time - from the local community." How does it work? Volunteers at the bike drive will be on hand to accept donations. Bikes of all sizes are accepted. Bikes collected at the bike drive will be spiffed up, repaired, and donated to students at local schools who can’t afford them. Kids who receive bikes will also get a bike helmet and lock to keep both their bikes and noggins safe. Our partners Los Altos High School and Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange (bikex.org), as well as other local school officials, are key to identifying students and others in need and in managing bike placement. Bicycle intake guidelines GreenTown welcome your donations but wants to make sure the bikes it gives away are like a new gift to the recipients, so consider the following questions before you donate: Was your bike stored outside? Has the bike been in a crash? Is there significant rust on the frame (sections larger than a dime) or on the chain/cogs? Can you move the seat post up/down? If you answered "yes" to any of the following, GreenTown probably can't take your bike, but others can. Try Community Cycles or Good Karma Bikes in San Jose. “We’re so appreciative of our volunteers who greet donors and wash and fix bikes and our partners, our bike donors, and our partners!” Suozzo said. “Because of them, GreenTown can provide kids with the joy of commuting to school by bike -- a clean, efficient and FUN form of transportation." Plus, the bike drive is a community builder, and in my humble opinion, one of the best volunteer event of the year!" ReCycle Bike Drive Got a Bike? Give a Bike. Make Someone Smile! When: April 13, 2023 | 10am - 2pm Where: Los Altos High School

Saturday, March 23rd 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Los Altos Community Center Parking Lot 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos, California CIty of Los Altos Destination Electric Explore cutting-edge EVs up close, test ride e-bikes, discover home electrification options, and unlock the financial benefits of going electric. Chat with experts to answer all your questions. Letʼs charge into a greener future! Test ride a range or RadPower Ebikes! We are looking for volunteers for the event. Please sign-up here if you interested and passionate about adoption of EVs! EV Rebate & Incentives Resources Federal Tax Incentives DriveClean California Incentives Search Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate PG&E EV Incentives Page EV Rate Plans Acterra GoEV Resources Page EV Research Shopping Assistance Plugstar SVCE EV Assistant ElecltricForAll GreenTown Los Altos Home Electrification Guide & Resources EVs on Display The Electric Vehicle (EV) Showcase will include display vehicles and e-bikes, and the opportunity to talk to EV owners about their experience. The following electric vehicles will be on display: Chevrolet Bolt EV Cadillac Lyriq Ford Lightning 150-e Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV Hyundai IONIQ 6 Kia EV 6 Kia Niro EV Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid Lucid Air Nissan Leaf Polestar 2 Rivian R1T Tesla Model 3 Tesla Model Y Long Range Volvo XC40 VW ID.4 Honda Clarity PHEV Additionally, representatives from 10+ organizations will be on site, with information about EV charging, financial incentives and rebates, e-bikes, home electrification, and related sustainability initiatives. Organizations include: IRBIS - Heat Pumps Copper - Battery Electic Induction Cooking Range Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Aqua Metals - Learn about LiIon battery recycling ES Solar GreenTown Los Altos Electric Automobile Association of Silicon Valley City of Los Altos Environmental Commission Breathe California Acterra GoEV Los Altos High School PTSA Sustainability Committee Limited parking is available at the Los Altos Civic Center complex: carpooling or bike riding to the event is encouraged. For more information, including a complete listing of vehicles and information booths, visit losaltosca.gov/DestinationElectric.

Want to give your family the best possible gift for Valentine's Day? Make 2024 the year you retire at least one gas appliance in your home.  Better energy efficiency and reducing your carbon footprint are two benefits but in addition, you can improve the health and safety for you and your family. Pretty good trade off! OOF! The Link Between Asthma and Gas Appliances Studies in recent years have shown that gas stoves leak, even when not being used, and that there are one-third more instances of childhood asthma in households with gas stoves, even when range hoods for venting are used. An added benefit is that if you make your home all-electric, you avoid any risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and exploding gas lines from the ever-aging gas pipeline infrastructure. Some people want to keep their gas appliances around in case of power outages.  But many of the newer gas appliances have electric starters that won’t work without power.   There are ways to keep the critical systems in your home running without gas. Ways To Lower Your Gas Footprint Admittedly, the optimal solution of solar panels with battery backups is cost prohibitive for some families, but prices continue to come down, and new technologies become available every day,  giving us more and more options.  You owe it to yourself and your family to at least take steps to electrify some appliances and stay informed about your numerous options. It is possible to make many electrification improvements to your home without having to upgrade your main electrical service panel.   We encourage what is called “A Watt Diet,” using appliances and adaptive techniques that don’t tax your main service panel.  Check out the GreenTown web site at https://www.greentownlosaltos.org/electrify-your-home for more information. Unless you have specifically opted out of it, you are probably getting your energy from Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) see your PG&E bill to verify.   SVCE is offering some incredible rebates for going electric https://svcleanenergy.org/offers-services/ .  Their web site is rich with names of appliances that their customers are buying and that qualify for the rebates. There are many approaches to get going towards an all-electric home.  Some households start with their oldest appliances first.   Some look to where they can make the most impact for toward their goals.  Some upgrade the appliances they can more easily plan for, such as heat pump water heaters, rather than wait for an emergency when the appliance fails.  Whichever approach you take, we courage you to start now.   It will be the Valentine’s present that will give back to your family for years to come.

Is your New Year's resolution to live sustainably and reduce waste? Here are some resources to help  get you there: Facebook Buy Nothing Group Join your local neighborhood group to regift/donate items you don’t need. Recent finds: ski poles, sunscreen, cocktail glasses, cookware and more! Can also borrow items if you need something one time for an event or houseguests. Similar sites: Freecycle and Trash Nothing. Too Good To Go App Restaurants and stores advertise “surprise bags” of surplus food (e.g. hummus, baked goods) at bargain prices. Enjoy some delicious treats whilst minimizing food waste. Support Local Shops: FabMo Sunnyvale non-profit sells designer samples of fabric, carpet, tile, sewing notions and more. Get creative and keep these textiles out of the trash by checking out their site here. Sprouts Supermarket With its bulk bins of dried fruits, nuts, flours, coffee, herbs etc. You can bring your own containers to their meat/seafood department where staff will weigh them and note the tare weight before filling. Right On Refillery Skip excessive packaging by shopping local bulk bins and refill stores. A local example? Check out Right On Refillery here, it's in downtown Los Altos for bulk cleaning and personal care items.

With the new Los Altos gas leaf blower ordinance, property owners, rather than workers, can receive a citation for the use of a gas leaf blower on their property. When a complaint is received by Code Enforcement, a "Courtesy Notice" is sent to the property owner.  Citations result in fines ranging from $100 for a first offense to $500 for a third offense. Residents are strongly encouraged to report all observed use of gas leaf blowers to the City's Code Enforcement. The City will not disclose the identity of anyone who reports the use of a gas blower. Report violations online here or through email here or by phone at (650) 947-2775. How is Code Enforcement Doing Citywide? Code enforcement for gas leaf blowers was moved from Los Altos Police Dept. to the City at the end of 2022 and in April 2023 Code Enforcement Officer Shauna McKimmie was hired . Since Code Enforcement Officer McKimmie was hired, warnings issued for gas leaf blower violations are up 599%! Citations issued are down 56% during that time with only 6 citations issued.  Thanks to Bruce McFarlane for obtaining this data from Public Records and for his analysis.

Festival of Lights Parade cleans up their act by making the switch to batteries. We all enjoy the beloved Festival of Lights Parade, the Los Altos tradition for decades. But behind all the bright lights and music have been dozens of gas-powered generators – until this year. These 2-stroke generator engines are noisy and smelly, disrupting the parade-going experience. Moreover, the oil and gas mixture they burn emit unsafe levels of smoke, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter, most notably exposing our vulnerable children who represent a large part of the Parade audience. Chuck Piercey, a new GreenTown Los Altos member, and board member of The Festival of Lights Parade Association (FOLPA) along with over a dozen high school student volunteers, saw the opportunity to decarbonize the floats by replacing the outmoded generators with batteries. With funding from GreenTown Los Altos, The Anne Wojcicki Foundation, Silicon Valley Clean Energy and various individuals, Chuck and his team of students were able to convert 21 of the 24 floats to batteries to provide a better, healthier experience for all parade goers this year. Said Chuck Piercey of the initiative, “This was a no brainer. It was important to FOLPA that we support our youth concerned about climate change and provide a healthier, more enjoyable experience to all who come to see the Parade. The student volunteers all learned about these benefits and battery technology during the process. Scientists estimate we only have six years to greatly decarbonize our planet. FOLPA hopes getting rid of our generators is just the first of many things we can do to make our Parade ‘greener’.” GreenTown applauds Chuck for seeing the need and reaching out to GreenTown and others to help make the project happen.

Home electrification is trending. Which is why this tour is perfectly timed. Check out an array of homes on a FREE Electric Home Tour, open house style. See why people are switching from using gas appliances to cleaner, healthier, and safer electric alternatives. Visit a few or as many as you have time for. More than 40 homeowners from Brisbane to Morgan Hill are opening their homes on Saturday October 14, 2023 to display the electric appliances and equipment they have installed to replace methane gas powered products. The free Electric Home Tour will take place from 10AM to 4PM. The tour is free but requires advance registration here: https://bit.ly/elec-home Tour goers will have the opportunity to see energy-efficient heat pump water heaters, heat pumps for heating and air conditioning, induction cooktops, electric fireplaces, electric vehicles, EV chargers, garden equipment, and more. Homeowners and student assistants will be on hand to share information about how to switch out of methane gas (so-called “natural gas”) to improve a home’s comfort and indoor air quality. For more information visit ElectricHomeTour.org. Tour Details When: Saturday October 14, 2023, 10AM - 4PM Where: more than 40 private homes across the Peninsula and South Bay Cost: Free, but advance registration required by October 12, 2023 (bit.ly/elec-home) Addresses of homes on the tour will be emailed to registered tour goers a few days before the tour. Homeowners and student assistants will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about available rebates. The tour is sponsored by Peninsula Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy and the City of Palo Alto.

GreenTown held its fall fundraiser in the garden of Los Altos’ oldest house, a historic landmark. Guests were treated to delicious food, a signature cocktail and refreshing wines against a background of lovely piano music by Hana Shin. It was a chance to meet up with old friends, make new ones, get inspired and share your thoughts and ideas on tackling pressing environmental issues to help improve quality of life for, well, everyone. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets and attended the event, participated in our online auction and fund-a-need. Due to your support and that of our sponsors, we exceeded our fundraising goal! Policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions! We heard from Rep. Marc Berman who, is well known to the GreenTown community and much appreciated for his leadership on the environment. Marc's work at the state level aligns well with GreenTown's efforts to combat climate change and protect and conserve our natural resources. Marc spoke about a bill that was signed into law in Oct. 2021 that begins to reduce air pollution from new small off-road equipment (SORE) starting in January 2024. This equipment emits more ground-level smog forming air toxins than all of the light duty vehicles in California! Just let that sink in! When the law goes into effect, we'll get cleaner air plus bonus carbon emission reductions, given that the clean SORE alternatives are all electric. Next, Marc plans to take on industrial emissions, which is responsible for nearly a quarter of California's carbon emissions. It is great to have an advocate like Marc Berman in the state legislature, but this critical work needs our support to pass meaningful legislation! Our local heroes! Linda Ziff and the Clean Air Advocates team were recognized as this year's Environmental Heroes. They have pushed for years to have Los Altos’ ban on gas powered leaf blowers enforced, with success just this year! They were instrumental in advocating for homeowners to take responsibility for switching to electricity powered leaf blowers! Thanks to all our supporters & sponsors! Thanks to all those who made our Garden Party and the 2023 GreenTown Fundraiser a success. We exceeded our fundraising goal for the event and are so appreciative of your support. The funds from the event help GreenTown build a stronger and more sustainable future, supporting our programs in electrification, transportation, eating green, zero waste and conservation. One special program that GreenTown raised funds for this year, was the conversion of the Festival of Light's Parade floats from dirty gas generators to battery packs powered by clean electricity. We are excited to have raised at least $2,500 for this effort so far, which will pay for the conversion of 5 floats and some of the solar panels to support their charging. Learn more about our programs on our website.

Q&A with Nikki Hanson, a native plant consultant and supporter of GreenTown Los Altos’ efforts to promote native drought tolerant gardens to replace thirsty lawns. Question: Can you tell us more about how native grass can help protect the environment from wildfires? News media like Reuters and The New York Times in August have mentioned that non-native grasses like the Guinea grass have contributed to the risk of wildfires in Lahaina. “The spread of flammable non-native grasses such as Guinea grass in areas of former farmland and forest have created large amounts of small, easily ignited materials that increase the risk and severity of fire.” Answer: Here’s an article which goes into more detail on why invasive grasses contribute to more frequent and fast spreading fires. The crux of the problem is the same as anywhere-an invasive weed that’s densely growing, wide-spread, fine and quickly ignitable. Many of California’s wild land habitats also have increased fire frequency due in part to an invasion of easily burnable vegetation. Hawaii with its mild climate and prime growing conditions is unfortunately even more vulnerable to invasive species and so has been inundated with invasive plants which definitely change the dynamics of the ecosystem in many ways. While invasive plants are not the sole culprit they certainly contribute to the fire risk in a significant way. Question: The article mentions that the non-native grasses were brought to Hawaii in the 19th century because they were drought tolerant. So how are native grasses better? They could also be invasive. Answer: Native grasses are better because they are not invasive. Invasive means something takes over disproportionately and shifts the balance. Native grasses in California’s wild landscapes act very differently than our widely prominent abundance of exotic, invasive, and mostly annual grasses. Examples of locally, native grasses to our California San Francisco Bay Area include: purple needle grass, foothill needle grass, June grass, California fescue, California oat grass (completely different than the annual weedy oat grass), and a variety of melic grasses, all of which are perennial bunch grasses which typically stay somewhat green even in the dry season (i.e. contain moisture and are not as burnable). The other difference is the way native grasses grow. They grow slower, don’t produce nearly as much dead material, and grow in distinct clusters with space between bunches, creating a situation where fire does not spread as rapidly or easily or as widely. Assuming the area is not also chalk full of invasive annual, dead grass material. This is one of the many reasons I encourage land managers to use techniques and time mowing to favor native bunch grasses and deter invasive exotic grasses. Note that drought-tolerant doesn’t necessarily mean that the plants are native. The drought-tolerant demonstration garden at the Woodland Library in South Los Altos consists of plants that are both native and drought tolerant. That’s ideal. * The Woodland Library drought-tolerant demonstration garden is maintained by GreenTown Los Altos with the support of Nikki Hanson from cal-sisters.com and many community volunteers. If you’re interested in lending a helping hand at the garden or have a question for Nikki, contact volunteer@greentownlosaltos.org