ECOS Climate Committee Meeting 1/19

Thursday, January 19th, 2023 – 6:00pm-7:30pm

Zoom link: ECOS ZOOM 6656164155 or call: 1 669 900 6833, Mtg ID: 665 616 4155

6:00 Welcome from Ralph Propper, Climate Committee Chair, and Susan Herre, President of BoD

6:10 Featuring: Meg Cederoth, Director of Planning and Sustainability, CA High Speed Rail Authority; Annika Ragsdale, formerly Climate Analyst for CA HSR, currently Lead Resilience Consultant for WSP

  • Overview of the California High-Speed Rail program and current construction activities
  • CA HSR’s Award-winning Sustainability Program: greenhouse gas mitigation and tracking, construction requirements, criteria air pollutant reductions, habitat conservation, and climate adaptation

6:40 Transportation Team Discussion, continued from previous night’s meeting

  • Continue discussion of “green” transportation for Sacramento region. What changes will be needed to meet the State’s climate goals by 2030, 2050? Is it greater than we are imagining?
  • How to make this new transportation team come to life. Where will it focus its energies?

This meeting is open to everyone interested in addressing one of our region’s most pressing challenges.

SacCounty CAP video, and a request that you write to the Supervisors before Sept 27

Dear ECOS community,

Please take three minutes to watch this video about Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). It describes what is at stake.

It would be good if you would write to the County Supervisors (email addresses below) before their meeting on Sept 27, 2022, something like this:

Dear Supervisors,

Please reinstate in the CAP the requirement for all new growth located beyond the Urban Policy Area (UPA) and/or Urban Services Boundary (USB) to be carbon neutral. The previous draft CAP included such a requirement however it was removed at your request. Consider that even if the CAP works perfectly, nearly seventy percent of the County’s emissions will still exist in 2030. A huge task will be left to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (AB1279.) Compared to the massive transition ahead, the requirement for new developments that are located outside of existing planning limit lines to be carbon neutral is modest, prudent, and reasonable.

Do the right thing, please.

Sincerely,

Here is the film: Climate Action in Sacramento County – A once in a decade opportunity. Thank you to Kent Lacin, filmmaker.

And the addresses: SupervisorKennedy[at]saccounty[dot]gov; richdesmond[at]saccounty[dot]gov; SupervisorSerna[at]saccounty[dot]gov; nottolid[at]saccounty[dot]gov; SupervisorFrost[at]saccounty[dot]gov; BoardClerk[at]saccounty[dot]gov; CountyExecutive[at]saccounty[dot]gov; smithtodd[at]saccounty[dot]gov; LundgrenJ[at]SacCounty[dot]gov

Thank you,

Susan Herre

President of the ECOS Board of Directors

ECOS joint comment letter on County Climate Action Plan

On September 22, 2022, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the Sacramento Audubon Society, the Sierra Club Sacramento Group, and the Xerces Society submitted recommendations to strengthen the proposed Sacramento County Communitywide Climate Action Plan (Plan) released for public review on August 26, 2022.

Your inclusion of these recommendations into the Plan will increase the County’s preparedness to meet the challenges of our changing climate and its impacts on the region’s water resources and environment. Specifically, these recommendations will promote long term improved quality of life for County residents while contributing to biodiversity and local beneficial species preservation in our region.

Click here to read the comment letter.

Sac County Final Climate Action Plan: Discussion September 8

The Sacramento County Final Climate Action Plan is out for public comment until September 27, 2022.
Join us for a good discussion Thursday, September 8 at 6pm on Zoom (link below).

Climate Action Plan presentation by Todd Smith, Sacramento County Planning Director

Response/comment by environmental advocates 350 Sac, Sac Climate Coalition, ECOS, CCL Sac, ClimatePlan, Sac Sierra Club

WHAT’S CHANGED since the Feb 2022 draft?

IS THE APPROACH aggressive, is it realistic?

WHAT GOALS will it achieve, when will we get to carbon neutrality?

WHAT WILL THE TASK FORCE do in relation to the CAP?

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