Climate
Chair: Ralph Propper
The Climate Committee makes climate change a primary focus for ECOS advocacy, and a pivot point for its land use, transportation, green building, and environmental justice teams. This interdisciplinary group meets monthly to discuss issues and plan advocacy related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Teams meet more frequently to conduct their work as part of the plan. The Climate Committee advocates for jurisdictions in the region to meet the state’s climate goals and their own commitments to carbon neutrality. We invite people willing to put their minds and their energy to these issues.
Climate Action – Ralph Propper, rpropper47[at]icloud[dot]com
Land Use Natomas – Heather Fargo, h-fargo[at]comcast[dot]net
Transportation – Sam Rice, samhrice[at]gmail[dot]com
Green Building
Environmental Justice
Supporting Climate Committee materials
Land Use Natomas: Development patterns have a huge impact on GHG emissions production, so the Land Use Team will advocate for the use of planning tools to achieve more dense development around transit and to keep open areas open. The tools include upzoning, eliminating parking minimums, establishing parking benefit districts, and transferring development rights, among other things. The Land Use Team will focus on infill projects near existing community assets; walkable neighborhoods with connected streets, pedestrian paths and bicycle routes; inclusionary zoning for affordable units in all new developments; regionally responsible planning that retains existing habitat, agriculture, and ranchlands. Trees for Sacramento exists as an arm of the Land Use Team. You can learn more about them here.
Transportation: Forty to sixty percent of GHG emissions in the Sacramento region are from the transportation sector. Therefore, areas of focus for the Transportation Team are the expansion and filling-in of the transit network so that transit becomes convenient to more people; the retrofit of streets to prioritize walking and biking; battling against highway expansions and low density development that produces lots of car trips; the equitable distribution of electric vehicle charging stations; and mitigation of poor air quality in residential areas near industrial sites.
Green Building: The building sector is responsible for about forty percent of the emissions in the County and City of Sacramento. The Green Building Team will demonstrate and advocate for advanced sustainability standards for materials, construction, and operations to be incorporated into California building codes and jurisdictions’ ordinances. Also, the team will bring creative solutions to the difficult problem of retrofitting existing buildings to all-electric.
Environmental Justice (EJ): The EJ Team will bring together experts in housing equity and the effects of institutional racism in planning. It will advise on advocacy and outreach strategies; help to ensure vigorous and effective public participation in Sacramento area jurisdictions’ planning; participate in the anti-displacement activities of Sacramento Investment Without Displacement (SIWD) in the Aggie Square community benefits agreement (CBA) and other future CBAs. This team will also address homelessness, food security, and public health issues as well. It will engage young people and, with the Organizational Development, start ECOS YOUTH for the next generation of ECOS leaders.
