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The school year is off to a great start with kids of all ages walking and biking to school. With the help of GreenTown, parents from many of our local schools are hosting Walk or Wheel (WoW!) events to encourage kids to walk or bike to school. Some are even organizing bike buses that enable kids along the route to participate in a group bike party on the way to school and to build a sustainable bike commuting habit! National Walk to School Day takes place on Wednesday, October 7, and several schools, including Almond Elementary, Santa Rita Elementary, and Bullis Charter School, are hosting WoW! events on that day to celebrate and highlight the benefits of walking and biking to school. Other schools, with GreenTown’s encouragement, are hosting WoW! activities throughout the month, on the October date that works best for their school communities. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening this month: Oct 2 - Springer WoW! Day (part of a monthly series) plus Bike Bus, Covington WoW! Day, and Loyola Walk ‘n Roll Event with GreenTown’s blender bike and a safety talk Oct 7 - Almond, Santa Rita, and Bullis Charter School WoW! Events plus a Santa Rita Bike Bus. GreenTown will be out at Almond’s WoW! Event with the blender bike and a safety talk. Oct 16 - Gardner Bullis WoW! Day and Bike Bus (part of a mostly monthly series) Oct 23 - Oak Avenue WoW! Event (part of a monthly series) Congrats and thank you to all of the parents who organize WoW! Days, and to those parents who help remind their kids to walk and bike to school. A high five to all the kids using their strong bodies to power their way to school. The more kids that are walking and biking, the better: it’s safer, it’s good for the brain, and the environmental benefits add up - from avoiding toxic air emissions to reducing greenhouse gases. Speaking of the safety in numbers, bike buses are a thing now, thanks to Terry Barton, a Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition member and GreenTown supporter, and the parents who are leading the charge! Momentum from a bike bus started late last year at Springer and has continued into this year. A weekly bike bus runs from the north towards campus and often celebrates with a victory lap around the blacktop. Gardner Bullis also added a bike bus to its Walk or Wheel! (WoW!) activities this year. The bike bus runs weekly from the University Ave neighborhood, and they will be adding a line from the Los Altos Ave attendance area. GreenTown worked with Gardner parent leaders to train them how to safely and successfully take a group of young kids to school in an organized bike bus. Finally, Santa Rita will run its first bike bus of the year on October 7! If you’re interested in learning more about how to engage parents and students around alternative transportation to school, contact us at info@greentownlosaltos.org. We’re happy to chat about it! Example of a recent bike bus in action! In other bike news: Cub Scouts focus on bike safety. The Cub Scouts locally are focusing on bike safety this year! Woo hoo! The Almond Elementary troop hosted a bike rodeo - an educational bike safety event - to recruit new scouts. The Cub Scout troop at Loyola participated in the school’s Walk ‘n Roll event by providing helmet fit instruction and a bike fix-it station. Keep up the great work. Los Altos High School (LAHS) Green Team students will “ride” in the Festival of Lights Parade. The Green Team in partnership with the LAHS PTSA Sustainability Committee made a successful bid for a group of lighted bicycles and bedecked bucket bikes to ride in the Festival of Light’s Parade this November 29! Make sure to give them a BIG shout out when you see them ride by! Congrats to all those that made this happen.

Today we are celebrating our second GreenTown garden, this one at the Woodland Branch Library. In collaboration with the Los Altos Library Endowment (LALE), we’re helping transform an underused outdoor area into a welcoming library terrace and native habitat teaching garden for South Los Altos. The new space officially opened with a ribbon cutting on August 15, surrounded by a wonderful fanfare of activities and attended by city and library officials, community partners, volunteers, neighbors and supporters. For years, GreenTown and our garden friends looked at this open space and wondered: What could this become? We watched students pass through on their way to the library after school and neighbors stroll through on weekends, while our volunteers worked nearby to restore and maintain the drought-tolerant demonstration garden at the entrance to this back area. We imagined the additional open space becoming something more, a place for nature, learning, and community. Now that vision is beginning to take root. A Garden Waiting for the Rain Our native plant consultant, Nikki Hanson of California Sisters Landscapes, outdid herself working alongside our garden friends to prepare both the existing demonstration garden and our new habitat garden for the celebration. But we’re not finished yet! For now, visitors will see a newly planted valley oak, surrounded by mulch and plenty of open ground. That is intentional. We’re waiting for the rains and the cooler planting season before filling the garden with California native plants. Over the coming months and into spring, expect several community garden workdays as we bring the habitat plan to life. The Los Altos Public Arts Commission also plans to have the library wall alongside the garden painted to complement the overall garden design, adding another creative dimension to the space. Young Artists Leave Their Mark Already adding color along the library wall are a collection of wonderfully painted pots, and they have their own sustainability story. The pots were reused from the City and given new life by a group of students from St. Nicholas Catholic School in Los Altos Hills, led by Clara A. During the school year, the students designed and painted the pots. This summer, they returned to plant California natives in them. It’s a small but beautiful example of what we hope this garden becomes: a place where young people can create, learn and get their hands in the soil. More to Come The native habitat garden is only the beginning. Future plans include a milkweed nursery, a rainwater-capture feature, and other hands-on educational activities that will help visitors learn about native habitat, water conservation, and the natural environment around us. Most of all, we are excited to see an open space become a community space. As we shared at the ribbon cutting: We looked at an open space and imagined what it could be. Today, it becomes a place for nature, learning and community. South Los Altos now has another place to gather, learn, enjoy nature and perhaps even get a little dirt under your fingernails. There is still more planting, learning, creating and growing ahead, and we invite you to be part of it. Welcome to the Woodland Library native habitat teaching garden. Come visit, and come grow with us.

Imagine growing your own food—lettuce, tomatoes, and squash—in your garden and watering, tending, and feeding it nutrients, only to throw out almost half of it.1 That's not unlike the food waste problem in America. The average American wastes a quarter of the groceries they purchase.2 But waste doesn’t only occur at the level of the consumer. Supermarkets, to meet perceived consumer expectations of full shelves and a large product variety, intentionally overstock produce and end up discarding up to 30 percent of perfectly edible food because it looks less attractive or has slower sales.3 Schools have rampant food waste as well. Approximately 40 pounds of food per student are wasted each year across all states. In total, each year, more than 165 billion dollars worth of fresh food is thrown out in America.4 According to the US Department of Agriculture, 13.7 percent of American households experience food insecurity.5 Wasted food not only could be redirected towards the people who need it, but also could be directed to address its severe environmental consequences. Food waste contributes a third of all greenhouse gas emissions globally and contributes to 70% of biodiversity loss through reducing natural habitats and replacing them with farmland.6 As food waste decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In Los Altos, around 4,000 tons of food go to waste each year, coming from a variety of sources, like single-family homes and restaurants.7 This corresponds to emissions of roughly 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO₂e) per year—the same greenhouse gas emissions produced by nearly 500 cars driven for one year or 300 homes’ annual energy use. If 75 percent of this food waste could be prevented, as stated in the goals of Senate Bill (SB) 1383, so much of the harm of food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided. Data Source: CalRecycle SB 1383 is a California law requiring certain businesses to: (1) donate 20 percent of edible surplus food to food banks and; (2) reduce by 75 percent the amount of organic waste sent to landfills. The law was passed in 2016 and became enforced statewide in 2022. The law targeted Tier 1 businesses first, which include supermarkets with a $2+ million revenue, grocery stores with 10,000+ square feet, and wholesale vendors. In 2024, the law expanded to Tier 2 businesses, identified as restaurants and cafeterias with 250+ seats, hotels and health facilities, and large venues and events. To alleviate the impacts of the donation requirement on businesses, in January 2026, SB 881 was proposed, extending existing tax credits to farmers and organizations who met the 1383 requirements. While laws like SB 1383 target larger scale business, many local businesses and schools in Los Altos and Mountain View are nonetheless working to reduce food waste. At the Downtown Los Altos seasonal Farmer’s Market, many of the local produce stalls use their excess stock, donating to organizations like the Community Services Agency, feeding it to livestock, or using it for their other markets. Local businesses also take advantage of their surplus food, utilizing apps such as “Too Good to Go” or “Imperfect Foods”, which encourage customers to buy out their stock. Los Altos High School and local elementary schools, working with local waste hauling companies, make compost bins available to students. Compostable waste is then transferred to various composting facilities where it decomposes and is typically used as a soil amendment for farms and vineyards. Food waste is a significant challenge because its impacts extend beyond the food in the trash. Producing and distributing the food requires resources such as land and energy, which all end up wasted when food is uneaten. Meanwhile, millions of Americans experience food insecurity, while edible food accumulates in landfills and ends up contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. While policies like SB 1383 and local food recovery programs are working to address the problem, individuals can also make choices to help reduce food waste. Planning out your meals before grocery shopping, freezing food before it spoils, utilizing leftovers in creative ways can all reduce the amount of food sent to landfills. For more information on how food waste affects our society, stay tuned for an upcoming presentation by GreenTown summer interns. ___________________________ 1 USDA. Food Waste FAQs. Retrieved in July 2026 from https://www.usda.gov/about-food/food-safety/food-loss-and-waste/food-waste-faqs. 2 Mooney, C. The staggering environmental footprint of all the food that we just throw in the trash. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/18/americans-waste-about-a-quarter-of-the-food-they-buy-and-the-environmental-consequences-are-staggering/. 3 FreshDirect. Overcoming Grocery Store Food Waste: Solutions for a Sustainable Future. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.freshdirect.com/blog/overcoming-grocery-store-food-waste/. 4 CNBC. America's $165 billion food-waste problem. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/22/americas-165-billion-food-waste-problem.html. 5 USDA. Food Security in the U.S. - Key Statistics & Graphics. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics. 6 WWF. Food loss and waste. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/food/food-waste/. 7 CalRecycle. Solid Waste Characterization Home. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/WasteCharacterization/.

We are excited to introduce our 2026 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 9th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Ishika Anand, Kyle Chang, Ayaan Dwivedi, Manya Sikka, Amanda Wang, and Nico B. Westter. Left to Right: Kyle, Ayaan, Ishika, Niko, Amanda and Manya Nico, Amanda and Manya will be working on the "Understanding the food waste pyramid" project. Food waste is a big contributor to climate change. When food ends up in landfills, it creates powerful greenhouse gases like methane. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. Through this internship, interns will learn why food waste matters and how communities can reduce it. They will work with real data from local waste haulers, research solutions used in other cities and organizations, and explore how composting can cut emissions. By the end of the internship, they will build skills in research, data analysis, and communication, and share their findings with the GreenTown board and the community. They will be mentored by Madhuri Davidson (GreenTown board member) & Margie Suozzo (Zero waste leader, Schools WoW leader and former board member). Ishika, Kyle and Ayaan will be working on "Promoting Responsible Use of the Batteries That Power Our Lives" project. Our world is full of electronics and many of these devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries. But what happens to those hazardous batteries when they reach the end of their useful life? Hopefully they are properly recycled through a program like the Rotary Climate Action Committee’s Lithium-Ion Recycling Program. Through this internship, interns will help promote this program to local residents by creating short-form videos and other media content demonstrating what items can be recycled through the program, what happens to batteries when they are properly disposed of, and the dangers when they are not. They will be mentored by Laura Teksler (GreenTown board member and Electrification Lead) and Clari Nolet (Chair, Los Altos Rotary Climate Action Committee) Ishika Anand My name is Ishika Anand and I'm a rising junior at Los Altos High School. My interest in sustainability stems from my experience as a member of my school's Green Team. In addition to sustainability, I'm also incredibly passionate about engineering. I am a part of my school's FIRST Robotics Competition team, which drew me to the Lithium Ion Battery Recycling project. Outside of sustainability and engineering, I'm also a goalie on my school's varsity field hockey team and I learn an Indian classical dance style called Kathak. Kyle Chang Hello! I’m Kyle, a rising senior at Hillbrook Upper School. I’ve always loved nature, but my passion for climate action sparked in 9th grade while visiting an Alaskan homestead where we used composting toilets, we foraged for food, and our energy came from micro-hydropower & woodstoves. Under the umbrella of sustainability, my particular interest is in renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and batteries. To understand these particular systems, I went to Brown pre-college for a summer. Throughout my years in high school, I have done multiple environmental and pollution-based analyses, examining the effects of diesel pollution on asthma rates, PM 2.5 on the Urban Heat Island Effect, and the discrepancies between the locations of EV chargers and roads commonly frequented by vehicles. I interned at Tidelines Institute in Alaska, learning about sustainable indigenous practices and documenting the culturally modified trees in the area. I’ve also gotten the chance to help my community by working with organizations like the Trash Punx, where I picked up trash around San Jose; People Assisting the Homeless, where I organized community events for the unhoused and interim-housed community; and Community Cycles of California, where I repaired and provided bikes to those facing economic challenges. Outside of the climate space, I enjoy photography, sports, and robotics. In the future, I hope to study and build energy systems necessary for environmental conservation. Ayaan Dwivedi Hi, my name is Ayaan and I’m a rising junior at Los Altos High School. My interest in environmental topics stems from early memories of exploring our city’s beautiful parks and spending time outside playing sports. Preserving these local natural spaces for future families to enjoy is a core goal of mine. Furthermore, I began venturing deep into the STEM field in high school, particularly through robotics. With many of my new engineering experiences, I thought more about sustainability questions related to electronics and their environmental impact. I hope to have a unique impact by using the intersection of this knowledge to improve the sustainability of batteries and all other electronics. Outside of school, I love to play tennis, cook, and listen to music! Manya Sikka Hello! I’m Manya, a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I’m passionate about public health and using data to improve the well-being of my community. I’ve been working with students in underserved communities for almost 3 years, which has shown me the effect that environmental conditions can have on groups of people. These experiences made me interested in the intersection of public health and sustainability. Through Greentown, I hope to mitigate the amount of food waste in our town while ensuring that we can implement sustainable, realistic measures to create lasting change. Outside of sustainability and advocacy, I love to hike and listen to music. Amanda Wang Hi! My name is Amanda, and I’m a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I’ve always been interested in using math and data to better understand real-world problems, especially those related to the environment. At school, I founded the Applied Modeling and Data Club, where we’ve participated in competitions like the Modeling the Future Challenge and have worked on projects analyzing the impact of wildfires on public school funding. On campus, I’m also involved in the Women in STEM Club as Co-President and the Math Club as Treasurer. Outside of school, I’ve volunteered with Grassroots Ecology as a Youth Steward, and I’m excited to work with GreenTown to address food waste in the community. In my free time, I enjoy baking, listening to music, and skiing! Nico B. Westter Hello! I’m Nico, a rising senior at Mountain View High School, I like to draw and listen to music, I’d say I’m a creative person. I was inspired to focus on the environment after volunteering with Grassroots Ecology, an organization dedicated to maintaining nature’s natural environment. Next, I was part of the Filoli Historic Museum & Garden Horticulture Internship, taking care of the public garden, continuing my journey of promoting ways to protect nature. I like researching topics I’m interested in, which is what led me to being a part of the Green Town Los Altos’ team in an attempt to understand the food waste problem in our area.

By Glenda Chang This summer, I came home from our family vacation to an unexpected surprise: our washing machine had sprung a leak. What looked like a small puddle turned into a bigger plumbing puzzle, and before long my husband and I were hauling out laundry water by the bucket. It was a workout neither of us planned for. And because most mainstream detergents are high in sodium, we couldn’t just dump the water onto the garden or into the storm drain. Every load had to be carried and disposed of carefully. Not exactly the homecoming we imagined. But somewhere between the buckets, the troubleshooting, and my husband muttering under his breath about pipes and fittings, I realized something. This was the perfect moment to finally try something I had been curious about for years: graywater, specifically a simple Laundry‑to‑Landscape setup. Now that we’re entering our empty‑nest season, no more heavily soiled athletic uniforms or gym bag mysteries from our three sons. Our laundry is lighter, simpler, and a lot more compatible with graywater use. Step 1: The Detergent The first thing I learned is that detergent matters. A lot. Most conventional detergents contain salts, boron, and additives that are tough on soil and plants. So I started with ECOS Free & Clear, a plant‑based, hypoallergenic detergent that fits our family’s needs and is easy to find at Whole Foods. It’s one of the detergents recommended for graywater systems because it’s low in sodium and free of synthetic fragrances. I also learned something reassuring: oxygen bleach (“Oxy”) is graywater‑safe, because it breaks down into oxygen, water, and a mild form of soda ash. That means it won’t harm soil microbes or plants when used in normal amounts. Chlorine bleach, however, is not safe for graywater because it can damage roots and soil biology. Thankfully, I don’t use chlorine bleach anyway, so that part was easy. Step 2: The DIY Setup While we wait for a permanent fix to the washing machine, we connected a temporary hose from the washer to our garden. Definitely a DIY moment. Our dog watched the whole thing with deep suspicion, as if we were rearranging the laws of nature. We’re still in the early stages, and I’m still evaluating whether our clothes feel clean enough with the new detergent. But I’m optimistic. And honestly, it feels good to know that every load of laundry can support our landscape instead of going straight down the drain. Source: Valley Water What’s Next: A Smarter System In my research, I learned about a simple but brilliant addition: a three‑way diverter valve. It lets you switch each load between: Graywater mode for everyday laundry Sewer mode for heavily soiled or disinfecting loads This flexibility is a game‑changer for families who want to conserve water without compromising on cleaning power. It might be our next step once the plumbing situation settles down. Why This Matters for Los Altos Laundry‑to‑Landscape systems are one of the easiest, most affordable ways for homeowners to reuse water. They require no storage tanks, no pumps, and in Santa Clara County, no permit. And in a region where every drop counts, small household experiments like this can add up to meaningful community impact. What started as a plumbing headache has turned into a hands‑on lesson in resilience, conservation, and creativity. And maybe a little muscle building too. More info on Graywater systems Gray Water Rebates I would love to hear from others in our community who have tried graywater or are curious about starting.

On April 29, the Los Altos Complete Streets Commission proclaimed May as “Bike Month,” kicking off a series of events to promote and celebrate cycling in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Thousands of cyclists pass through our communities each month, enjoying Santa Clara County’s roads and trails. Hundreds of children and teenagers cycle to our schools every day, while recreational cyclists travel north and south along Foothill Expressway and east and west to and from the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. What is it about Los Altos and Los Altos Hills that makes cycling so popular? Perhaps it's our flat streets and bike-friendly routes for commuting, our challenging foothills for recreation, or our near-perfect weather! And once people start cycling, they discover a sense of joy and freedom in the experience. Students quickly learn that one of the fastest–and most fun–ways to get to class is on two wheels. Students at Springer and Santa Rita have now also experienced the joys of riding in a “bike bus” (see sidebar). To share the joy, the City of Los Altos and the Town of Los Altos Hills, together with coalition of community partners, is highlighting a number of events to encourage folks to saddle up and ride during Bike Month: Bike Buses are Coming to Town Springer’s March 6 WoW! Day featured an organized bike bus—the first coordinated bike commute of its kind at the school. It drew 40 participants, with five adults supporting the ride and dozens of students enjoying the journey to school together. The result? Happy kids and a full bike rack! The bike bus returned for Springer’s April 3 and 24 WoW! Days, building even more momentum. And Springer isn’t the only school benefiting. Avid bike commuter and Earth advocate Terry Barton helped spark and organize a bike bus at Santa Rita, as well. Terry worked on a route for the school’s late March WoW! Day focusing on the north side of El Camino. When they arrived at school, bike bus participants were greeted with a bike skills course, lively music, and fun giveaways. Interested in starting a WoW! program or organizing a bike bus at your school? Email us at info@greentownlosaltos.org. May 6 and all month | Bike to school May 6th is National Bike & Roll to School Day 2026, which invites participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Many schools are celebrating biking to school with Walk or Wheel (WoW!) encouragement days. WoW! is a project of GreenTown Los Altos, which works with school PTA leads to encourage greener alternatives to the single family car, such as biking, walking, and carpooling, for school commutes. Local school WoW! Days during Bike Month include: May 1 - Covington, Loyola, and Springer Elementary May 6 - Gardner Bullis Elementary May 7 - Bullis Charter School North and South; and May 29 - Oak Avenue Elementary. May 9 | Ride to run The Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk is a great excuse to get on your bike and try out some hills. Go early and run (1st race starts at 9am) or go later and spectate. May 15 | Bike to dinner Downtown Los Altos Bike ‘n Dine is back for the fourth year in a row, from 5-8pm! Bring your bike, friends, and family, and join us for a fun-filled evening of biking, dining, and community-building at the Veteran’s Community Plaza on the corner of State and Main Streets! There will be music, activities for children, and a “bike valet” to safely park your bike while you explore the vibrant downtown area on foot. We'll also share event swag including exclusive dining discounts and offers from downtown restaurants. May 23 | High School Student Bike Tour of Stanford Get to know bike and train routes to Stanford and learn more about university life and programs from local students. For more information on these and other events that promote and celebrate cycling during Bike Month, visit bikelosaltos.com and bikelosaltos.org. Bike Month is organized by a coalition including the City of Los Altos, the Town of Los Altos Hills, GreenTown Los Altos, Safe Routes to Downtown Los Altos, Los Altos Village Association, and the Anne Wojcicki Foundation.

In Fall 2025, over several weeks in October and November, Los Altos School District (LASD) surveyed students about their journey to school using a method developed by GreenTown Los Altos. Classroom teachers conducted a hand-count in which students raised their hands when they heard the transport method that they used that morning (e.g., walk, bike, car, carpool, other). For example, teachers asked: “By a show of hands, when you left your house this morning, how many of you walked to school?" The table below outlines the percent of students who used alternative modes for their school commute, e.g., walk or wheel (WoW!) to school. Modes that qualify for WoW! include walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding, roller blading, or carpooling with students from another family. One caveat with the data is that some days in which students were surveyed coincided with WoW! Days in which students were explicitly encouraged to walk or bike to school. These are indicated with an * or ** in the table below. GreenTown's WoW! program provides support to parent leads at each school. The data from LASD surveys helps GreenTown direct program resources by revealing which schools are effectively promoting alternative transportation and which could use additional support. Table: School Commute: Percentage WoW! vs. Single-Family Car School WoW!  (All Modes) Single-Family Car Loyola* 69.3% 30.7% Gardner Bullis* 60.7% 39.3% Santa Rita ** 58.0% 42.0% Springer** 49.5% 50.5% Almond** 41.1% 58.9% Oak* 39.1% 60.9% Covington 31.3% 68.7% Blach 66.8% 33.2% Egan 56.7% 43.3 * or ** Indicates that the school had a Fall WoW! encouragement event. **Indicates that a majority of classrooms were surveyed on the school's Fall WoW! Day. To learn more about the findings, please click on the PDF below. Please contact Margie Suozzo, GreenTown Los Altos WoW! Lead for questions and comments. info@greentownlosaltos.org .

The GreenTown Green Gardeners list is here thanks to the contributions of GreenTown community members. This list was created in response to multiple requests from people who were seeking a recommended gardener who use electric leaf blowers . These gardeners obey the Los Altos ban on gas leaf blowers. We encourage you to discuss the details with the gardeners for further information in you decision process. If you know a gardener who would like to be on this list, have them contact lindaz@greentownlosaltos.org and submit 2 references. To learn more about why Gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in over 170 cities across the country and why they are highly polluting, unhealthy, and noisy, visit the GreenTown Don't Blow-It webpage . Green Gardners' List (in no particular order) Andres Hernandez (650) 518-2306 Ernesto Martinez Gardening Care Service ernestogardens@gmail.com AZ Gardening and Landscaping (408) 413-8447 Jaime’s Gardening and Landscaping Jaime Perez (408) 375-8525 4238 Rosenbaum Ave, San Jose 95136 Barriga’s Expert Gardening Arturo Barriga (408) 661-5306 Arturo barriga 022811@gmail.com Curtis Horticulture Stephanie Curtis info@curtishort.com curtishort.com Mario Gaspar 669-238-8870 mgaspar@christemmahorticulture.com Juan Cervantes (650) 390-7310

KJ Janowski, Los Altos Our home We purchased our four-bedroom, three-bath house near downtown Los Altos in 1994 and renovated and added on to it in 2000 and 2005. It now comprises 2750 square feet of conditioned space. During our 2005 renovation, we upgraded the master electric panel to 200 amps. So, we had plenty of capacity for all our electrification efforts. As of January 2025, our home and our motor vehicles are fully electric. Our main motivation for removing fossil fuels from our transportation and our home was environmental. Methane gas can trap 80 times  as much heat in the atmosphere as do carbon dioxide emissions. So, combusting “natural” (i.e. methane) gas in our home meant we were contributing unnecessarily to global warming. And since we were getting 100% clean electricity from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, none of the electricity that we would substitute would be coming from burning fossil fuels. We also had concerns about the health and safety impacts of burning gas for cooking and other uses. The start of the journey The first gas appliance that we replaced with electric was our clothes dryer in May 2008 after an appliance failure. I had a duct cleaning service over once and was alarmed when the service technician showed me the flames in the back of the gas dryer! This did not seem safe to me! Electrifying our rides In 2017, we got our first fully electric vehicle, a Chevrolet Bolt EV, and installed a 30 amp ChargePoint charger. Then in 2022, we replaced our gasoline-powered car with a Chevrolet Bolt EUV. Our ChargePoint charger synchronizes with our electric rate schedule and ensures that we charge during off-peak hours. (Of course, if we ever really needed to charge during peak hours, it is easy to override that.) Given our miles driven and the kWh/mile of each of our cars, we estimate that the cost of EV charging in 2024 (under our E-TOU-C rate plan) was about $1800. The switch to clean and responsive induction cooking Induction Cooktop In May 2021, we began taking additional steps to electrify our home, replacing our Thermador gas cooktop. We splurged and got a 36” Wolf induction cooktop and replaced the downdraft ventilation system. Cost: $5,696 (of which $2,417 was the new ventilation system) Rebates: BayREN rebate of $250 Tax credits: none We love this cooktop because it is more responsive than gas, heats up very quickly, is much easier to clean and safer than cooking over flames. We never smell gas in the house. Since the cooktop is on an island in our kitchen, the sleek, smooth induction cooktop surface essentially expands our counter space. So, for example, we can use it to serve dishes buffet style.  Comfortable, clean heat pump HVAC Heat Pump HVAC In June 2022, we replaced our gas furnace with a heat pump HVAC system. We were able to use the existing ducts without modification or additional cost. The air handler for the heat pump fit in the attic crawl space where the gas furnace had been. The heat pump component of the system was installed on the west side of our home, where the solar inverter and master electric panel were already installed. Since a heat pump HVAC basically runs forwards and backwards, whole home air conditioning was automatically a part of the installation. We installed a 5-ton Mitsubishi with a MERV 16 whole house filtering system. Cost: $19,533 Rebates: $3,000 TECH rebate Tax credit: $500 We have found that the HVAC system heats our home much more evenly than the gas furnace. The gas furnace would come on and make some noise and blow warm air through the ducts. Then the house would cool down and the heat would kick on again. In winter the house stays much more consistently comfortable than with the gas furnace. As the climate continues to warm, we appreciate the comfort of whole house A/C during high heat events. (Previously we only had A/C in two bedrooms.)  We also wanted the whole house filtration system so that we can have clean indoor air in the event of wildfire smoke. The last gasp of gas - heat pump water heating Heat Pump Water Heater In January 2025, our final gas appliance was replaced when our gas water heater gave out. We replaced our 50 gallon gas water heater with a 66 gallon State ProLine XE heat pump water heater. We included a thermal mixer on the system. This means that the water can be heated to a higher temperature and then mixed with cold water, essentially expanding the delivered capacity of the water heater. Cost: $5,758 Rebate: SVCE $2,000 Anticipated tax credit: 30% of $5,758 or $1,727 In July 2025, we had our gas meter removed and will be receiving a $500 rebate from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Our electric bill In 2012, before we embarked on our electrification journey, we installed a relatively small rooftop solar system (2.96 kW). This was done as a prepaid lease for a total of $10,733. Since this was a lease, the system is actually owned by Sunrun. We are on a Net Energy Metering (NEM 1.0) rate schedule, which is no longer available. If we were to expand our rooftop solar, we would likely have to remove the existing system and install a new system as well as switch to the latest, less favorable NEM rate schedule. In 2024, the system generated a total of 3260 kWh. We have been on a time-of-use rate plan since 1994. We have had several different electric rate plans since then. In recent years we transitioned from E6 time-of-use to E-TOU-C and, as of August 2025, we are on the E-ELEC rate . The biggest single consumers of electricity are our vehicles. Given the annual mileage of our two cars and the average miles/kWh (4.1-4.5), we estimate an annual cost (under E-TOU-C rates) to be about $1800/year. This cost will be reduced significantly with the new E-ELEC rate, since the off-peak price/kWh will be 22-26% lower than under E-TOU-C. Winter peak rates under E-ELEC, when we might be heating the house, will be 23% lower under the new E-ELEC rates. Annual electricity cost in 2019: $745.62 Annual gas cost in 2019: $883.94 Annual electricity cost in 2024 (all electric except water heater): $3,624 (usage from the grid: 8440 kWh) Annual gas cost in 2024 (water heater was the only gas appliance): $334 We feel good about not combusting fossil fuels in our home or transportation. Increased comfort and safety are bonus effects! We look forward to the expected reductions in our electric bill under the new E-ELEC rate plan. If we were planning to be in our home for another decade or two, we might consider replacing our undersized rooftop solar system with a larger one and exploring battery storage. Date Appliance Cost Rebate Tax Credit Net Cost May 2021 Wolf 36” Induction Cooktop and new downdraft ventilation system $5,696 $250 $0 $5,446 June 2022 Mitsubishi heat pump HVAC 5-ton $19,533 $3,000 $500 $16,033 January 2025 State ProLine XE 66 gal. heat pump water heater $5,758 $2,000 $1,727 $2,031 Gas meter removal $500 -$500 Totals $30.987 $5,750 $2,227 $23,010

Today, more than ever, you can’t believe every headline you read. Almost as absurd as the idea of heat pumps causing pregnancy are the online claims from special interest groups about the prices of these appliances. Despite their deception, the truth is that installing a heat pump can cost you about the same as its gas alternative while providing a less toxic home and saving you hundreds of dollars a year in operational costs. There are numerous rebates available, some of which expire at the end of this year due to policy changes in Washington . We encourage you to explore your options now and act before you miss out on the best rebates. The rebate landscape varies depending upon which rebate allocations are used up or not, as well as city by city. If you are in Mountain View or Palo Alto, for example, you can get additional rebates for certain appliances, like heat pump water heaters, up to an additional $2,000! Almost all the rebates are ‘stackable’, meaning you can add them all up for even better savings. Certain income-qualifying households get even more rebates, literally making the new electric appliance and related electrical improvements free. Of course, there are outlier circumstances, like if the house configuration does not allow the change to certain electric appliances until technology evolves. A current pro-gas campaign will try to scare you by grabbing onto these outliers and using numbers for full home electrification rather than a simple heat pump installation. They claim most households will have to pay $50,000 to $100,000 to upgrade to a heat pump. Those are simply not defensible claims. In most cases, the math with the rebates makes great sense to act today, even if your gas appliance is not at end of life. All electric homes are the future, and the rebates are here now. Given the changing rebate landscape, we recommend you consult a contractor who manages the rebate process for you. The best places to see the qualifying rebates and find these contractors are: The Switch Is On  - incentives in California and a list of qualified contractors. Silicon Valley Clean Energy  – They have a ‘help desk’ you can call/email/chat with to help direct you in addition to a rich online description of rebates they offer. You can also reference the contractors that GreenTown vetted who exhibited at our Living Electric Fair in May in Los Altos. Federal Tax Credit : Save even more with a  30% tax credit , but only throug h December 2025 . Here's what you need to know .

By Vivaan Kuruganti and Margie Suozzo GreenTown created the WoW! program to reduce the impact of fossil-fuel based transportation on the environment – fewer car trips means less air pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions and to share the joys of walking and bicycling around town with residents. Not only does it feel good, but it’s good for you. For students, choosing to walk or wheel to school even a couple days a week is fun, supports focus in the classroom, helps protect the planet for the future, and boosts overall health. Why Walk or Wheel? Walking or biking to school offers a range of benefits for individuals and the community: Health & Focus:  A bit of movement before school boosts energy, focus, and builds lifelong healthy habits. Traffic & Safety:  Fewer cars at drop-off and pick-up times mean less congestion and safer streets. Environment:  Reducing car trips cuts air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions—small changes that help protect the planet. WoW! Momentum Is Growing Last year, Los Altos schools saw strong participation in the WoW! program. Families discovered new walking and biking routes, enjoyed quiet mornings together, and noticed a calmer start to the day. This year, GreenTown is excited to keep that momentum going with the help of school partners, including parent volunteers. Talk to your school about how they can implement prizes or fun activities with the WoW Program! Schools can offer a variety of items depending on what they choose such as pencils and stickers and other small prizes. If a school offers these they can collect them from the school's PTA lead. These tokens celebrate the effort it takes to choose a healthy, active way to get to school.  WoW’s Benefits GreenTown’s primary motivation for creating the WoW! program was to reduce the impact of fossil-fuel based transportation on the environment, and improve participants' health. Fewer car trips mean less air pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions. More walks in the morning help open up the mind and can start the day with exercise. Choosing to walk or wheel, even a couple of days each week, is one way families can help protect the planet for the future and boost your overall health. How to Get Started Ready to WoW!? Here’s how: Prep your gear:  Make sure bikes, scooters, and helmets are in good condition and that helmets fit properly. Practice the route:  Before school starts, walk or ride the route with your child so they’re confident on day one. Start small:  Aim for a couple of days per week and build from there. Travel with friends:  Invite neighbors or classmates—walking school buses and bike trains are great ways to build community and stay safe. Stay connected:  Look out for special WoW! Days and school-wide events. Parents, you can also support by volunteering or helping coordinate walking school buses or bike trains. Contact GreenTown or your school PTA to learn more. WoW day at Gardner Bullis Elementary School Whether your family walks a few blocks or bikes a few miles, every step and pedal stroke helps make our environment cleaner, safer, and more connected. Let’s keep up the momentum and make this year the best yet for walking and wheeling to school. To help your kids get to school safety, Silicon Valley Youth Climate Actionis holding a Bicycle Safety Workshop for upper elementary and junior high students on August 23, 9:45am at the Los Altos Community Center. Register here . For updated safety route maps, tips, or to get involved, visit the WoW! website or email info@greentownlosaltos.org .

We are excited to introduce our 2025 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 8th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Luke Byrne, Donovan Carlson, Taylor Luna, Sahana Srinivasan and Huck Twerdahl. Huck, Luke & Sahana will be working on the "Sustainable Urban Landscapes" project. There is great interest in creating sustainable urban landscapes featuring native plants as such landscapes are resilient, drought-tolerant and support local wildlife, especially birds, bees and butterflies. The interns will be researching this topic, best practices, efforts in other communities, and recommending a plan of action for Los Altos and Los Altos Hills They will be mentored by Gary Hedden (past GreenTown President & 500Trees founder) , Mahduri Kotagairi (GreenTown board member) & K J Janowski ( former board member and marketing director ). Donovan & Taylor be will be working on " GreenScape Changemaker: Community & Climate Action " project. They will work on developing a program to advance Los Altos' climate action goals by engaging local leaders and community groups in sustainale green practices. They will be using the Heritage Apricot Orchard as a local example of sustainable landscaping. They will be mentored by Jane Packard (Los Altos History Museum and Orchard Committee member),  Glenda Chang  (GreenTown board member) Luke Byrne Hi! I'm Luke Byrne, a rising senior at Los Altos High School. My Journey to environmental advocacy and stewardship began at a very young age. As a kid I always loved being outdoors and playing in my yard with my siblings all day. Much of my elementary school days were spent in cub scouts doing community service and spending lots of time outdoors. These activities taught me an appreciation for nature and the recreational value of these spaces such as our local Redwood Grove, Baylands, and Arastradero preserves. Once I got to high school I was immediately drawn to the Schools environmental club Green Team. Due to my love for preserved natural ecosystems I joined the Habitat restoration project group where we coordinated the installation of bird boxes on campus. In Sophomore year I found Right On Refillery now Ethos which aligned perfectly with my passion for low waste living and conservation. I got the job and decided that year to swivel to the Lifestyle project group as it coincided with the work I was doing and still do at the refillery. For part of Junior year I participated in the Green Team’s waste project group where we created educational videos on waste disposal, advocated for more twin bins, and more coherent bin signage. Now I am the incumbent president of the Green Team and am working hard behind the scenes to ensure that we have an extremely successful year devoted to climate and environmental advocacy and impactful campus projects. In my freetime I love to spend much time in the garden where I do my best to make a hub for biodiversity and pollinators. Huck Twerdahl Hello, I’m Huck, a rising senior at the Woodside Priory School. My early interest in the environment stemmed from growing up next to the Redwood Grove and volunteering there with Grassroots Ecology, and it has only continued since. Last summer, I worked at i8 labs collecting data about pedestrians and cyclists in Bay Area cities to encourage safety and accessibility in public parks. Currently, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Virginia Department of Forestry, I’m designing a series of food forests – public gardens that mimic the way food grows in nature – in unused urban lots to provide communities with public green spaces. I’m passionate about promoting the health of our local environment in urban areas, and I’m super excited to work with GreenTown this summer to promote sustainability in Los Altos landscapes! In the future, I hope to combine my knowledge about the environment with my passion for architecture and landscape architecture to create sustainable spaces for people to come together. Sahana Srinivasan Hi! I'm a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I've always had a strong passion for sustainability and fighting climate change. I'm the vice president of LAHS' Green Team, and outside of school I am a co lead of the MVLA branch of a youth driven climate organization, SVYCA. I also love to volunteer for green causes. In school, I am also the executive producer of the TedX Club, and am involved with our USABO club. My favorite subjects in school are math and history, and I love to listen to music and go on long walks with my dog! Donovan Carlson Hello! I’m Donovan, a rising senior at Henry M. Gunn High School. I’m a two-year member of Palo Alto’s Youth Climate Advisory Board, working to advance the city’s climate goals by pursuing my passions in zero waste and water conservation. I’ve also worked as a Student Ambassador for Acterra and a volunteer for Grassroots Ecology. My appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of nature blossomed into a passion for environmentalism as I began to treasure the value of tangible, grassroots sustainability efforts on the local level. Outside of sustainability and environmental advocacy, I love writing, cross country, and hiking Taylor Luna Hello! My name is Taylor Luna, and I am an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley, majoring in Ethnic Studies with a minor in Public Policy. I aspire to become a litigation attorney and serve as a prosecutor in a District Attorney’s Office. My interest in environmental issues began when I learned that climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities—particularly low-income communities and communities of color—through heightened exposure to air pollution, toxic water, and other consequences of urban density. I am beyond thrilled to explore my passion for the intersection of climate justice and culture through the Greenscapes Changemaker Internship under Dr. Jane Packard and Mrs. Glenda Chang. I look forward to increasing multicultural and multigenerational participation in the Los Altos Heritage Orchard Harvest, and most importantly, ensuring that these communities’ voices are heard and respected in how they engage with the space.