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Throughout history, fashion has evolved immensely; we’ve gone from formal corsets to casual sweaters and leggings. In a sense, fashion has morphed into a mechanism of self-expression, with many finding solace in the notion that their clothes have the ability to represent their identity. But, nestled behind the fabrics of these clothes rests one of the most imminent dangers of the fashion industry: fast fashion — a system by which cheap clothing is produced to mirror the biggest current fashion trends. While it’s no doubt that cheap clothing is desirable, the costs of fast fashion are being forced upon the environment, producing 10% of the total global carbon emissions. Even more so, fast fashion requires quicker production in larger quantities, leading to more energy and water being wasted in process. To produce a single pair of jeans, 2,000 gallons of water are used, not accounting for the water used in the dying process. Obviously, fast fashion poses a serious threat to our environment, so what can we do as consumers to thwart the continued abuse of our earth by the fast fashion industry? Luckily it’s not too late to start changing our actions, and I’ll share with you some simple sustainable fashion practices that I myself have employed when shopping. Buy less and buy smart It’s understandable that after seeing the newest fashion trend online that you’d want to go buy new clothing that’s “in style,” but with trends changing as quickly as each week, it’s simply not sustainable. In every sense of the word. Instead, try to buy practical clothing that you know you’re going to wear for a while. While the trendiest looks may be in style now, ask yourself if you’ll really wear them six months from the purchase. Or if you can create the looking you're going after by using accessories. To buy less but get a wardrobe "change", simply repurpose old clothing or embellish it. There are multiple tutorials on the internet showing countless ways to transform old clothing using household materials. Repurposing old clothes is not only a sustainable fashion choice, it’s fun to use your creative juices to create a customized piece of unique clothing. Buy from thrift stores There are many thrift stores that sell very nice, barely worn, second hand clothing for much cheaper than retail price — a win-win situation because it’s cheaper and better for the environment. Online tools such as Depop and Poshmark allow users to buy and sell old clothing, a much more sustainable approach to dealing with old clothing rather than just discarding it. Shop from sustainable/local brands A great option to fight fast fashion is to shop locally as local small business owners often employ sustainable practices in their production. Shopping from sustainable small businesses is better for the environment as they use less resources, and provides you with a more customized and personal garment. Online platforms such as Etsy are great places to find small businesses to shop from, and local Los Altos Downtown stores are an excellent option as well. The transition to shopping sustainably isn’t an easy one — it requires a change of mindset and perception of individual impacts. I encourage everyone to question your favorite clothing brands; do some research, are they ethical? Do they partake in fast fashion? While letting go of some of your favorite brands may be tough, I have faith that you connote more importance to the future of our planet as opposed to a pair of cheaply made shoes; I’m sure that combined, our actions will make a difference.

Dear GreenTown Los Altos, I’d love to lower my carbon footprint and drive an EV when I need to use a car. But, there’s no way that I can charge a battery EV at my apartment garage. So, I’m thinking about a fuel-cell EV instead. Will it get me where I want to go? Signed - Wanna B. Green Fuel Cell EVs Are Clean Cars Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have been touted as an important type of clean-air vehicle for decades. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has strongly promoted them by investments in hydrogen infrastructure and by providing clean air credits for FCEV research and production vehicles. FCEVs are able to refuel in less than five minutes and have a range of over 300 miles. They could offer an ownership experience similar to that of the gasoline powered car. When compared to early EVs with lead-acid batteries and limited range, they seemed vastly superior. However, against today’s EVs, the only advantage that they have is that they are somewhat quicker to refuel. The most important question to answer when buying any EV is “where will I fuel it?” Unlike battery electric vehicles (BEVs) there’s no way to fuel it home, so you must use one of the 42 public hydrogen stations available in California. In Santa Clara county, they are five, located in Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Jose, Saratoga, and Campbell. So right away, you may have to include travel time to another city as part of the fueling overhead. Having successfully fueled, time for a road trip. Heading south, on 101 the next station is in Santa Barbara, or on 5 there’s one in Coalinga. After these two, there are twenty-one stations in the greater Los Angeles area and one in San Diego. Heading north on 101, the northern most station is in Mill Valley. Finally, headed east on 80, there are three in Sacramento and one in Truckee. So, you can go to the zoo in San Diego, gamble in Reno, but no shows in Las Vegas or Ashland. What About Hydrogen? Now let’s turn to the hydrogen supply. Twenty years ago, we were only looking at the urban emissions when the car was driven. So turning hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water looked perfect. Now, we’re looking at all greenhouse gases emitted in hydrogen production too. For the most part, hydrogen is produced today by reforming natural gas. Not only does this have CO2 output, but there’s also methane release during gas extraction. While California has the goal of making all hydrogen for transportation green, that goal is almost a decade away and there is no plan or money to get there. So when will we get more stations? In 2004, Arnold Schwarzenegger filled his hydrogen fueled Hummer at the first station in Los Angeles, and announced plans to build 100. Current optimistic plans are to get 60 by 2021 and 200 by 2025. At the present time, the state of California has paid most of the costs for the public hydrogen stations and will continue to do so. At 200 stations, CARB believe’s “the pump will be primed” and private interests will build additional stations. And then, what about distribution? In order for hydrogen to be widely used in transportation, we will need a distribution network similar to that used for electricity, natural gas, or gasoline. This will only be created if there is a huge demand. To conclude, I’m not a fan. Without CARB subsidizing the hydrogen infrastructure and rewarding auto manufacturers for FC research and vehicle production, it’s not clear that passenger car FCEVs would exist. Fun facts: 256,800 EV registrations in California ~8,000 FCEV registrations in California For more detail from FECV fans: CARB’s annual fuel cell report is here. A rose-colored view of FCEVs can be found in a report from the California Fuel Cell Partnership here. :

I thought I'd found my forever stove technology when I moved up from the coiled electric range of my apartment days and got a home with a gas stove. Life with gas was so rewarding as we explored steaming, searing, sauteing, poaching, stir-frying and so much more together. For decades, I proudly professed my love for gas, sharing how responsive it was to my needs and that it brought me so much joy. Then, a couple of years ago, I learned about my gas stove’s dark side. That it, like all gas-powered appliances using “natural” gas, is bad for one’s health and the environment (read related article here). I took notice that a few of my friends, who are great cooks, were putting in induction cooktops when they remodeled their kitchens as they felt induction offered superior cooking experience. My Gas Stove Break Up Started Small.... I started my break-up with gas small, by getting a $69 induction hot plate that I put on the kitchen counter. There were cheaper models online but I chose one with more fine temperature controls that was sturdy enough for my large Le Creuset Dutch oven with better aesthetics than the $49 alternative. It took about ten days to adapt. Similar to the transition from coil stove to gas when I had to visually learn how the flame height translated to various temperatures, I had to learn what it meant to cook at different numeric levels with my induction stove. My particular model offers either explicit temperature mode, for example, 350 degrees, or a numeric scale that I quickly adapted to. I anticipated using the induction cooktop only periodically, as a supplement to my gas stove, but that's not what happened. It had me at “on” after about two weeks. It proved to be so much faster and responsive compared to my gas stove About 80% of my existing cookware works with my new induction hot plate. And, its flat, glass surface makes it so much easier to clean. I can still use all the various cooking techniques I did on my gas stove, and with even better responsiveness. I've been using my induction hot plate for about 9 months now and absolutely love it. I literally use it 95% of the time for all my stove-top cooking needs. On the rare occasion I do turn on my gas stove now, I notice the gas odor in my kitchen that I was oblivious to before. The gas stove seems to take forever to heat up relative to the induction hot plate. And without a doubt, the gas stove is much more of a pain to clean. I’m sold and will never own another gas stove. This experience proves to me I don’t need to rip out an entire kitchen and spend a fortune to reduce my gas use. When I do remodel down the road, I will replace my gas stove with an induction one. But in the meantime, I love my $69 induction cooktop for all the benefits it gives me and the environment.

In December of 2018, I had the amazing opportunity of fulfilling every climate activists’ dream by traveling to, and speaking at, the annual United Nations climate change conference — also known as COP24 which was located in Katowice, Poland. There, I got to work with environmental activists from all over the world in creating a white paper that would be presented to the United Nations. Our white paper outlined a vision for the world in terms of environmental progress from the perspective of youth. In it, we focused primarily on governmental representation because diverse opinions in the government will lead to more diverse solutions to climate change that will account for every citizen, not just the traditional governmental representatives, typically upper-class white men). Additionally, we advocated for more education regarding climate issues in schools starting as early as Kindergarten. This will lead to a more educated generation of climate leaders. It’s been about two years since I participated in writing this white paper, and as I was evaluating our progress in Los Altos in implementing some of the ideas that we outlined, I realized that Los Altos has made a lot of progress in some aspects, but there are still some gaps that are essential to fill in order to progress in terms of the environment. For starters, Los Altos schools have done a great job in implementing environmental education for students. Whether it’s having Kindergarteners plant potted plants, or teaching fourth and fifth graders about the science behind climate change, we’re building a generation of strong activists with a sense of climate awareness, but we can always do better in educating youth about the pertinence of this issue. Schools are also providing students the opportunities to further their climate interest through different extracurriculars and clubs which expose them to real-world opportunities in which their activism can make a difference. Unfortunately, we can’t have fourth and fifth grades govern Los Altos — as fun as it might seem — Los Altos policymakers also have to embrace the need to protect the planet and future generations from climate change. Some progress has been made here. In 2013, the City of Los Altos adopted a Climate Action Plan. Monitoring progress on this plan, however, has been weak. While Los Altos has elected representatives of diverse backgrounds, not all socioeconomic or racial voices are represented on relevant commissions and the City Council meaning that climate solutions cater to a limited part of Los Altos’ multi-faceted community. Also, environmental action isn’t as urgent in Los Altos, while there definitely has been some progress, I would like to see more open conversations regarding the environment during City Council meetings, and would like more communication on environmental issues. I would recommend that the Los Altos Youth Commission does some work on climate issues or awareness as they also have a widespread impact on Los Altos youth. While Los Altos is just a small town, it’s essential that we start to take climate action more seriously because it might set the precedent for other towns/cities in our area. So, wake up Los Altos, the fate of the world — quite literally — is in our hands.

There’s a new sustainability kid in town on Main Street, occupying the spot where Los Altos Card and Party used to be: Naturepedic Organic Mattresses. Dominic and Michael, who operate the business in downtown Los Altos, say they are purveyors of "some of the most comfortable and customizable mattresses in the world" which are also safe to sleep on because they're sustainably produced. Naturepedic is one of the few independently certified organic mattress manufacturers in the United States. Being organic, their products don’t introduce pesticides or toxic chemicals into the supply chain. There are no fire retardants or polyurethane foam in their products that would expose you to off-gassing VOCs and other toxins. Naturepedic has more certifications, awards and endorsements than any other organic brand giving you peace of mind in their commitment to protecting the planet as well as your health and well-being . Abby Ahrens, who understands quality and comfort, uses Naturepedic mattresses in her Enchante Boutique Hotel. If you're tired of sleeping on petroleum-based beds, and want a safe, comfortable sleeping experience, check out their store and support their sustainability oriented business. NATUREPEDIC ORGANIC MATTRESS GALLERY 222 Main Street Los Altos, California 94022 PH: 408-370-2000 https://www.naturepedic.com/siliconvalley

Happy New Year! I don’t know about you but the past couple of weeks has felt like a couple of months. And it's only January. In the midst of all that’s going on I wanted to assure you that GreenTown Los Altos is still on-the-job. I also wanted to give a big shout out and thank you to all of you who gave financially to GreenTown over the holiday season. Despite the turmoil surrounding us, we exceeded our fundraising goals and had one of our most successful end-of-year campaigns. That’s because of you. Thank you! I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions but I am a fan of taking stock of my life and, at the very least, thinking about what I want to accomplish in the new year. One thing I’d like to do is build more reading time into my schedule. Like many of you, I have a long reading list but I’d still love to hear from you about what you’re reading--especially anything related to the environment. If you haven’t read it already, I highly recommend “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This year I’ll likely need to get a new car as my 2010 Toyota Corolla has over 335,000 miles on it. It’s been a great vehicle but I need to explore my options for what’s next. I’d like to get an Electric Vehicle (EV) but obviously I drive a lot and "range anxiety" is a big issue. Here’s a great tool from Silicon Valley Clean Energy that’s helping me to navigate this process. Thank you again for your support, financial and otherwise. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments about GreenTown, your book recommendations, and any thoughts that might address my range anxiety (for someone living on a nonprofit salary). Warmly, Kris Jensen 650.521.1536 kris@greentownlosaltos.org

Mnimizing materialism can be challenging during the Holiday Season. We want to be generous and give to those we care about and who have helped us throughout the year. But how can we do this in a way that is environmentally friendly and sustainable? What if we could gift in a way that might even inspire others to go green themselves? We have some suggestions for giving this year that show you care for the planet which could inspire family and friends to do the same. Great gifts don’t have to be new Many of us older folks are blessed to have special family mementos, inherited objects, treasured photos, etc. Why wait until the end of our lives to pass them along? Even small but special items can make great gifts, especially if you include the story behind the object and why you want that person to have it. When shopping, think secondhand, antique, used books or flea market. Give an experience, not a thing Consider giving tickets (to museums, lecture series, parks, mini golf), or lessons (cooking, pottery, language, sewing) or gift certificates that support local businesses or restaurants. Everyone loves homemade Jams, breads, cookies are the usual, but also think healthy, like granola or home roasted nuts. Have a garden? Dry herbs or bay leaves and place in recycled glass jars with your own label. Have a lemon tree? Make homemade limoncello! You don’t have to be a seamstress or craftsman. It’s not hard to make natural homemade soaps, body lotion, lip balm, even toothpaste—how cool is that? Check out Trash Is For Tossers for ideas (see below). If buying something new, think plastic-free and sustainable! Here are a few links to get you started. Some of these retailers have sampler boxes or starter kits that make great gifts. LOCAL OPTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SHOPPING The Ecology Center’s Eco Store in Berkeley The store is open! Plan a visit to this eco-marketplace (COVID guidelines permitting). Great gift ideas, books, toxic-free toys and children’s products, environmentally and socially responsible products, cookbooks, gardening guides, and recycled paper products. The ecology center operates 3 farmers' markets, and their website has tons of educational material on zero waste and sustainable living. The Source Zero in San Jose San Jose’s first zero waste shop and soap refill store. Shop for holiday gift packages, bath and kitchen products, home goods and cleaning supplies, all with refillable containers or zero waste packaging. MORE OPTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SHOPPING Life Without Plastic Offers plastic-free essentials as well as informative and educational news articles (at bottom of webpages). Has seasonal boxes (“samplers”) you can subscribe to, or give as gifts. And of course, there’s the book, “Life Without Plastic” which serves as a go-to reference not only for those just getting started, but for those looking to expand their impact with sustainable living. Earth Hero Compiles a wide variety of eco-friendly, sustainable household, office, and kitchen items, plus toys and clothes from a variety of merchants. Great site to browse and get ideas! Made Trade Online retailer that sells carefully selected eco-friendly and ethically sourced products made in the US or in fair-trade businesses around the world. They offer elegant and simple home goods, furniture, gifts, clothing and accessories—all sustainably made and ethically sourced. Made Trade values artistry over efficiency, and fair wages over profits. EcoRoots This small business was founded in Aspen, Colorado, to inform people about the real and negative impacts single-use plastic has on our health and the planet. EcoRoots offers high quality and affordable products that help you reduce waste. Be sure to check out their Zero Waste Blog for terrific suggestions for gifts and for reducing waste during the holidays. Eartheasy This family owned and operated business is based in the US and Canada. Their mission is to help people improve their quality of life by offering information and products for sustainable living. Much of their focus is on education as well as products—be sure to see their LEARN pages, full of “how to” articles (e.g., The Easiest Way to Start Composting Now; Plastic-Free Grocery Shopping Made Easy; Non-Toxic Cleaning and Disinfecting…) They sell great products for home, garden, camping and they have incredible gift ideas! Check out their natural cedar raised beds (assemble in seconds!): Package Free This is the retail space for Trash is for Tossers (see below), filled with excellent suggestions for your zero waste shopping and gift giving. Trash is for Tossers Comprehensive resource for learning how to reduce your waste, live plastic-free, AND reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals in store-bought products by making your own or by shopping at recommended sites. This is a great place to get DIY ideas for cooking and self-care products from natural ingredients, which also make great homemade gifts! If you’re not a DIYer and want to purchase items, see the Trash is for Tossers Package Free shopping site. Gifting Green Has Other Benefits By “gifting green” this year, you can share ideas that help reduce waste, raise awareness regarding eco-friendly living, and encourage others to incorporate more sustainable products into their routines. Do you have a favorite item or website you’d like to share with other Newsletter readers? Let us know! Send your idea, suggestion or comment to GreenTown’s Zero Waste Team at info@greentownlosaltos.org Happy Green Holidays from GreenTown Los Altos!

As part of our 500 Trees Campaign, GreenTown Los Altos is happy to report we planted 162 trees last year. This fall, we're now ready to plant some more. Though the Covid-19 restrictions will slow us down, so we will not be planting as many this year, we will plant as many as possible.. Check out the tree list with our top 24 trees, prepared with the help of Canopy, and sign up for a visit from us. We'll come to your house and help you pick out a tree. The trees are in 15-gallon containers and we charge $110 per tree which includes the planting. We think that's a pretty good deal and hope you will too! PS - We love when kids get involved and they have! Learn more and sign up!

You’ve seen the evidence. You know a plant-based diet is good for you and good for the planet. But you aren’t vegetarian, let alone vegan. Guess what? You're not alone! It’s hard making dietary changes often because our brains say, “yes,” but our bodies and our habits say, “not yet.” There are many good reasons why changing the way we eat is tough. Starting early in childhood we develop food choices and customs that seem natural and quickly become part of our identity. Choosing different foods can disrupt our sense of ourselves and how we fit into our families and culture. While it may seem adventuresome to try new foods some of the time, most of us have a repeating set of food items that make up a comforting and reliable pantry for our sustenance. It’s also easy to become overwhelmed with new food choices. Making decisions zaps our energy. Willpower alone doesn’t create lasting change. Taking the path of least resistance is easier especially when we have multiple responsibilities. First, if you want to start adopting more plant-based foods it’s important to acknowledge and honor the way you eat now. Guilt and negativity won’t help you. Allow yourself to go slowly and see what may transpire. Next, be curious about what most draws you to a plant-based diet. Often people say health is the strongest motivator but the environment and ethics for animals are also factors that inspire changes. Find out more about these reasons to consider a plant-based diet. Keep giving yourself permission to go slowly while steadily being aware of how your thinking may shift. Make a plan to choose 2 meals or 2 days to start experimenting. Using the substitution method is an easy way to introduce new foods without much interruption in what you already do. If your normal dinner consists of a protein, a starch and a green you might have a veggie burger, rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. Having a vegan butter on hand will help. And get support! A friend, a daughter or an Eating Green volunteer will be so glad to talk through ideas, share a recipe or go on a grocery outing to help you embark on a new adventure. Food should be a pleasure. If you go about making plant-based choices as a way of thriving in alignment with your values you will be successful – one day at a time. ******** The Eating Green team of GreenTown Los Altos is planning a series of community conversations about transitioning to a plant-based diet. We want to support you in exploring obstacles to making dietary changes and celebrate incremental steps. Stay tuned for an announcement about how you can participate in small group discussions online if you are plant curious.

In “normal” times, GreenTown Los Altos organizes two large volunteer cleanups of Permanente Creek each year—alas these are not “normal” times. With COVID-19 restrictions on large group gatherings, this year’s strategy had to be different. Instead of participating in a single nationwide cleanup day as part of the National Coastal Cleanup 2020, we were encouraged to work individually or in small groups to protect our waterways by cleaning up trash and debris in our own neighborhoods, i.e., the watershed areas We reached out to our volunteers, and were thrilled to learn that many of our young environmental protectors answered the call! With masks on and arms ready to lug whatever was found, we had several boys from SLOB, the Service League of Boys participate, and many girls fromat least three Girl Scout Troops who volunteered as well. What a difference they made! THANK YOU TO ALL THESE YOUNG LOS ALTOS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS! You're inspiring!

Thank you for making our fall fundraiser, the Future is Now, such a success! We didn’t know what to expect doing a virtual fundraiser but knew our supporters would come through, and because of you we exceeded our goals for the night raising close to $20,000. Thanks too to our amazing sponsors for the evening, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Los Altos Community Investments, Mission Trail Waste Systems, Zoom Media, and Connie Miller and Present. For most of us, the highlight of the night was recognizing the inimitable Margie Suozzo as our Environmental Hero of the Year. Margie’s involvement with GreenTown goes back to the very beginning of the organization. She and Kacey Fitzpatrick met at a Sierra Club Cool Cities meeting in 2007 and that was the start. Kacey puts it well when she says, “Margie was an amazing partner and co-conspirator… and she is one of those people who lights up a room when she walks into it, making others feel good, always with a great smile, a laugh, a sparkle and endless wisdom.” Arnold Ambiel, former GreenTown board president, said, “Margie has always been one of the ‘go to’ people due to her deep understanding of environmental issues and the science behind them. Always positive, always helpful and always encouraging.” GreenTown supporter Don Bray adds his twist, “It was garbage that first brought us together in the early GreenTown days. What’s better than replacing heavy recyclables boxes with big rolling carts? Or saving food waste in your kitchen so you can throw it on top of your yard clippings? Margie sold these new ideas to the City, and did so with a smile. Mission Trail got the new waste contract, the landfill diversion rate went up, and we now have fewer back aches. Thank you, Margie!” It's been an honor for each of us to work with and learn from Margie. We’re grateful for her and look forward to many more years “making good trouble” as the late John Lewis would say. Thank you Margie!