Category Archives: Climate Change Committee

Linking local land use and transportation – Join Us 2/10

Please join ECOS’ Climate Change Committee on Thursday, Feb. 10, 6 PM!

Clint Holtzen, SACOG Planning Manager, will inform us of plans for the 2024 Blueprint (MTP/SCS or Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy).

Background: On Thursday, Feb. 3, SACOG’s Transportation Committee adopted the Policy Framework for the 2024 Blueprint. The growth projections go out to 2050. See SACOG’s website for a process overview and background on the Blueprint: https://www.sacog.org/2024-blueprint-mtpscs.

We will also discuss:

We will also discuss tasks that you might want to volunteer for!

Click here to view the agenda.

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

ECOS letter in advance of Sac City Council transportation workshop

On February 7, 2022, the Environmental Council submitted a letter to the City of Sacramento in regards to their transportation workshop, scheduled for February 8, 2022.

The Council has acknowledged the need to address the impacts of climate change by declaring a climate emergency in December 2019. However, we are far from meeting the City’s carbon neutrality goal – we need plans and funding. The City is making progress on building electrification, but the most important sector for meeting our climate neutrality goal is transportation, which accounts for over half of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Photo by Bruno Thethe from Pexels

ECOS letter to County Supervisors re Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force

On February 7, 2022, ECOS submitted a letter to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors regarding the County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force. Below is an excerpt.

We will soon receive the next draft of the County’s Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP), and hope that it contains enforceable actions and does not rely on anticipated recommendations from the Task Force. We suggest that the Task Force be charged with developing ways to implement the CAP, including an emergency response plan. For the Task Force to succeed, we hope the County will budget funding for such items as additional staff, consultant studies that may be needed, and outreach/community engagement.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Joint letter to SMUD re Sac County Climate Action Plan

This Jan. 24, 2022 letter from the Environmental Council of Sacramento, Sierra Club Sacramento Group, and 350 Sacramento, regarding the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan (CAP) requests that SMUD verify some of the SMUD-related information in the CAP, and also consider helping to increase standardization of CAP processes across the state.

Click here to read the letter.

Photo by Vincent M.A. Janssen from Pexels

Sac City Climate and Transportation Workshop 2/8

You can join the Council meeting virtually here:
http://sacramento.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=21 (Passcode: 802467)

On February 8, 2022 at 5pm City Council will have a workshop on Climate & Transportation and we invite you to attend!

In October 2021, City staff presented an update on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and 2021 Climate Implementation Work Plan. At that meeting, the City Council asked staff to return to Council in a workshop format to discuss the relationship between climate change and transportation as well as discuss considerations for expediting carbon neutrality.

This upcoming workshop is in response Council’s request and will include:

  • An overview of the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and transportation;
  • Guest speakers and outside experts on mobility and climate; and
  • Staff recommendations to advance goals through transformative projects and pursuit of critical funding.

Learn more here.

Sign the Petition

It is past time for Sacramento to commit to and fund a comprehensive active transportation system that prioritizes safety, addresses inequities, reduces air pollution, reduces traffic congestion, decreases the cost of transportation, and creates a vibrant, livable city. Now is the moment to demand for these changes with an influx of Federal funding arriving in Sacramento. WE NEED YOUR VOICE!

Click here to learn more and sign the petition!

This petition is supported by: Breathe CA, ECOS, Midtown Neighborhood Assn, SABA, and Valley Vision.

Climate Change Committee – 1st meeting 1/13

Join us for the first meeting of ECOS’ new Climate Change Committee!

Thursday, January 13, 2022, 6:00pm, Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155, To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

Click here for the agenda.

ECOS has re-organized, and our new Climate Change Committee will have broad responsibilities including those of the old TAQCC and Land Use Committees. It will be divided into four teams, with these designated team chairs:
– Transportation, John Deeter
– Land Use, Jon Ellison
– Green Buildings, Mai-Lin Chang
– Environmental Justice, TBD

This new structure is intended to facilitate coordination on issues of common interest to the individual teams, particularly those issues involving climate change. At our first meeting, we will begin to plan activities for the year, and establish the scope of the teams and how often they should meet. There are a large number of issues we expect to work on (see list below); most of which impact some aspect of climate change, and many involving more than one team.

Please come to the meeting on Thursday and help us plan our activities for 2022!

Ralph Propper, ECOS past-president; and chair, ECOS’ Climate Change Committee

Here are some issues that we hope to influence in the coming months; we hope you may comment on them, and add to them:

  • Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, next final draft expected in February; followed by Board of Supervisors workshop and consideration of Climate Emergency Declaration Task Force nominees
  • Sacramento City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, draft expected in March with General Plan Update
  • Sacramento City Transportation Priorities Plan workshop 2 PM, January 25
  • Sacramento County sales tax, “Citizens Group” language expected for signature gathering soon, for November ballot (Measure A redux?) and SouthEast Connector
  • Caltrans plans to widen I-80 causeway between Davis and West Sacramento; and CapCity (Business 80) Freeway between midtown and Arden Way
  • Development plans in Sacramento County: Upper West Side, Grand Park, Jackson Township, Airport South, CNU Hospital in North Natomas, …
  • Sacramento City’s building electrification ordinance, and retrofit work plan; urge adoption by County as an Early Action measure
  • Sacramento Investment Without Displacement’s plans for a model Community Benefits Agreement ordinance, Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Plan for Stockton Blvd
  • Air Monitoring in Disadvantaged Communities – status report and plans
  • Other topics of interest to YOU!