Category Archives: ECOS Updates

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan Press Conference Oct 8

Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) downplays the urgency of climate change. Come to Press Conference on Friday Oct. 8 at 9:00 am. Location: Community Resource Project, Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821-41st Street, Sac 95824.

CODE RED FOR SACRAMENTO’S CLIMATE!

Contact: Laurie Heller laurierivlinheller[at]gmail[dot]com (916) 505-2016

County of Sacramento’s Final Draft “Climate Action Plan”

The County of Sacramento released the long-awaited Final Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP), their blueprint to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the devastating impacts from climate change.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A PRESS CONFERENCE at which local community organizers, environmental justice advocates, medical professionals, youth activists, business owners and environmental groups will address SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES in the County CAP.

WHAT: County of Sacramento Final Draft Climate Action Plan

WHEN: Friday, October 8, 2021 at 9:00 am

WHERE: Community Resource Project, Inc. @ the Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821 – 41st Ave, Sac. CA 95824

The CAP will have wide-ranging consequences for our region for decades.

This CAP ignores the urgency of climate change.
It relies too much on legislation and regional polices for the 2021-2030 period and defers needed changes in County’s internal operations and development practices to 2030-2050.
For the reductions it plans for 2021-2030, this CAP is weak on implementation and lacks evidence that it will work.
It streamlines sprawl development, which increases GHGs, especially from transportation, and pulls resources away from needed infill development.
A concrete prescriptive CAP is essential to a sustainable future with sufficient resources, a strong – and green – local economy, and quality of life for all community members.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS TO SPEAK:

CAP Lags behind Regional & State Plans to Reduce VMTs – Ralph Propper, Pres. ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) rpropper47[at]icloud[dot]com

CAP Excludes Conservation of Valuable Open Space – Barbara Leary, Chair, Sierra Club –Sacramento Group barbaraleary[at]comcast[dot]net

County Process Streamlines Sprawl – Oscar Balaguer, CAP Team Co-chair, 350 Sacramento oscarbal[at]hotmail[dot]com

CAP Disregards Emergency Action to Address Climate Change – Jill Peterson, Local Issues Lead, Citizens Climate Lobby – Sacramento jillpz[at]yahoo[dot]com

COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SPEAK:

Nailah Pope-Harden, Exec. Director, Climate Plan: Cumulative Benefits of Statewide Climate Action. nailahph[at]gmail[dot]com
Gabby Trejo, SacACT: Environmental Justice Gabby[at]sacact[dot]org
Brandon Rose, Director, SMUD; SMUD’s 2030 Carbon Plan brandondrose[at]hotmail[dot]com
Ilonka Zlatar, Pres., 350 Sacramento; Urgent need for climate action & opportunities it affords. ilonka[dot]zlatar[at]350sacramento[dot]org
Steve Cohn, Pres., Breathe California-Sac. Region, and Founder, SacMoves; stevecohnsacramento[at]gmail[dot]com
Herman Barahona, Sac Environmental Justice Coalition; Air Pollution In Low Income Communities barahonaconsulting[at]gmail[dot]com
Faye Lessler, Sunrise Movement; faye[at]sustaining[dot]life
David Mogavero, Senior Partner, Mogavero Architects; Bd Member, Council of Infill Builders: County sprawl creates barriers to affordable communities. dmogavero[at]mogaveroarchitects[dot]com
Robert Rosenbaum, PhD., Climate Health Now; brose andbaum1[at]mac[dot]com
Luis Sanchez, CEO, Community Resource Project Inc.; Host luiss[at]communityresourceproject[dot]org
Time is running out for public engagement.

The 30-day Public Comment Period ends Oct 8, 2021. The CAP is scheduled for presentation at the COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 18. The final step will be review and approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Community Action.

Residents should contact their County Supervisor NOW! to demand a serious Climate Action Plan to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Sacramento.

The Urgent Need to Act.

Climate change here. Extreme weather and natural disasters are affecting agriculture, recreation, industry, health, infrastructure and natural ecosystems in the Sacramento Valley. These impacts will accelerate during this century. The science is unequivocal: Bold, transformative action is needed now to drastically reduce emissions, and avoid even worse impacts from climate change.

All speakers are available for interview. Press conference recording available on request.

For more information visit SACRAMENTO COUNTY’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

IPCC’s Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis – Summary For Policymakers

Local Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles – Join Us Oct 7

ECOS TAQCC Committee, Thursday Oct. 7th

Please join ECOS’ Transportation, Air Quality & Climate Change (TAQCC) Committee for its regular monthly meeting, on Thursday, October 7th. Details about joining this meeting using “Zoom” are provided below.

A four-agency partnership in the Sacramento Area is moving forward on a transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the region, based on the need to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases, abate exposure to toxics, adapt to a warming planet, and promote efficient mobility. The four agencies have been working together to create a regional ZEV Deployment Strategy to help address these environmental concerns especially in under-resourced communities. Raef Porter (Program Manager, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District) will describe this nearly $1 billion initiative, and Jofil Borja from Sacramento Regional Transit will provide details about SacRT’s program to convert its bus fleet to ZEVs — a major component of the ZEV deployment strategy. The other two members of the partnership are SACOG and SMUD.

The balance of the meeting will be devoted to updates on other active issues, such as deployment of neighborhood air quality monitors, Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, Climate Emergency Declarations, the proposed expansion of the CapCity bridge over the American River, and other topics raised by attendees.

When: Thursday, October 7th, 2021 at 6 pm
Where: Videoconference, hosted by Zoom
Link to join TAQCC Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85805612058
To phone in: 1-669 900 6833, Meeting ID: 858 0561 2058

Green Means Go, and SB 743 – Join us Sept 29

Join ECOS to hear representatives from Caltrans and the Sacramento Council of Governments (SACOG) discuss recent State actions that provide good news for ECOS goals to reduce sprawl and encourage infill development. This saves habitat, reduces air pollution & climate change impacts, and encourages affordable housing.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 6:00 pm

Zoom Meeting ID 818 6537 7865 | Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81865377865 | Call-in: 1-669-900-6833

Click here for the agenda.

Green Means Go

The State has approved major funding to SACOG to incentivize infill development, in order to enable our region to meet the State’s mandate for 19% per-capita greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2035. Kacey Lizon, SACOG’s Deputy Executive Director, will present the latest information on how this funding will be used. (SACOG: Sacramento Area Council of Governments)

Senate Bill (SB) 743

This law prioritizes development and transportation projects that get us out of cars and into sustainable modes of transportation, to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), air pollution, and GHG emissions. Adding to roadways “induces demand” that can re-congest roads. Caltrans’ Eric Sundquist will inform us about their recently adopted guidance to this law. Caltrans Deputies Jeanie Ward-Waller and Chris Ganson (lead for review of land use projects) will contribute to the discussion.

Note: Our next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021.

Photo by JESHOOTS.com, found on pexels.com

Local Groundwater Sustainability

On September 8, 2021, ECOS and Habitat 2020 submitted a letter regarding the Groundwater Sustainability Plan of the South American Sub-basin (SASb), just south of the American River.

Background

Climate change in the Sacramento region requires innovation to deal with more extremes in precipitation. In wetter years, we should pump water into groundwater basins so that we can pump it out during drier years. Just south of the American River is the South American Sub-basin (SASb) that we agree should be used this way. The SASb Groundwater Sustainability Plan includes a Sustainable Yield value – the amount of groundwater that can be extracted annually from the SASb while maintaining it at a sustainable level. This letter provides comments on how the draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan develops the Sustainable Yield level and proposes management actions that should be taken to ensure the SASb’s Sustainable Yield is maintained in the future. 

Click here to read our letter in full.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Discussion re Fully Sustainable Communities in Sacramento Area – Sept 13

On Monday, September 13, 2021, from 6:00 – 7:30 pm, join the ECOS Land Use committee for

A Discussion About Plans for Fully Sustainable Communities in the Sacramento Area

with:

Kathleen Ave, Senior Climate Program Manager; Chair, Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative

and

Greg Taylor, City of Sacramento Architect, Sacramento Valley Station Project Manager

(a) Join Zoom Meeting by computer or smartphone:
Click on, or copy and paste into browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/543524123
Meeting ID: 543 524 123

(b) Join Zoom Meeting by telephone:
Dial: 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 543 524 123

ECOS Land Use Committee Meeting Agenda
Monday, September 13, 2021
6:00 – 7:30 pm

6:00 p.m. – Welcome, Introductions, Updates
6:10 p.m. – ECOS happenings (Alexandra Reagan)
6:15 p.m. – Discussion About Plans for Fully Sustainable Communities in Sacramento Area
Kathleen Ave, Senior Climate Program Manager; Chair, Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative
Greg Taylor, City of Sacramento Architect, Sacramento Valley Station Project Manager
7:15 p.m. – Project database Review (Co-Chair Robert Meagher)
7:30 p.m. – Adjourn

Photo by KoolShooters from Pexels