California teen: I’m marching 266 miles, from Paradise to San Francisco, for climate justice

By Lola Guthrie | June 07, 2021 | The Sacramento Bee

The climate crisis isn’t a future threat. It’s as real and tangible as the ash drifting across the sky. I’m no longer comforted by the thought that adults will clean up their mess. I feel outraged and hopeless.
That’s why I’m marching 266 miles, from Paradise to San Francisco, with fellow youth activists from the Sunrise Movement. We’re marching for climate justice and fighting for every community.
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article251903963.html

Click here to read the article in full.

Photo by Lode Van de Velde. License: CC0 Public Domain.

City of Sac’s New Building Electrification Ordinance

On May 31, 2021, ECOS submitted our letter of support for the proposed Sacramento City Council New Construction Electrification Ordinance.

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) urges the Sacramento City Council to support the New Construction Electrification Ordinance. This ordinance is an important first step in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and its passage would show we are serious in adopting the unanimous recommendations of the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change.

Click here to read the letter in full.

City Council Votes June 1

The New Building Electrification Ordinance will be presented at an upcoming City Council meeting.

Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 (see the agenda and staff report here*)
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Video Conference (see the meetings page for the link to eComment once the agenda is posted)
Hearing Title: An Ordinance Adding to and Amending Various Provisions of Title 15 of the Sacramento City Code and Adopting Local Amendments to the California Building Standards Code, Relating to Green Building Standards Including Electrification

Comments can be provided via eComment before or during the meeting. You may also call directly into the meeting to provide comments.

What is the New Building Electrification Ordinance?

The City of Sacramento is considering a reach code known as the “New Building Electrification Ordinance” that would establish phased requirements for new construction to be all-electric. A “reach code” is a local code that “reaches” beyond the state minimum requirements for energy use in building design and construction. The Ordinance would make changes to Title 15 (Buildings and Construction Code) of City Code to require all-electric new construction for new buildings that are 1-3 stories when building permits are filed on or after January 1, 2023, and for buildings that are four stories or more when building permits are filed after on or after January 1, 2026. With a few exceptions, new buildings would not include natural gas or propane plumbing and would use only electricity as the sole source of energy.

Consistent with the recommendations of the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change and in response to stakeholder feedback on the feasibility of certain project types, the New Building Electrification Ordinance includes provisions for an infeasibility waiver for the portions of the project where all electric is demonstrated by the project applicant to be infeasible. In addition, the Ordinance includes limited exemptions for cooking equipment in commercial food establishments, for process loads in manufacturing and industrial facilities, and for water heating systems in regulated affordable housing (when virtual net energy metering is not available). The staff report and presentation will also address related key issues, including next steps to develop a strategy for decarbonizing existing buildings.

You are invited to participate in the upcoming public hearing.

Any Questions?

Please visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/SacElectrificationOrdinance to review a summary of the project, community and stakeholder engagement (including videos of eight informational webinars), the Final New Building Electrification Ordinance for City Council’s consideration on June 1, and answers to questions that city staff have heard from the community and stakeholders over the course of the project.

If you have any questions please contact Helen Selph at (916) 808-7852 or HSelph[at]cityofsacramento[dot]org

ECOS Board Meeting 5/25 @ 6pm

Join the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) at the ECOS Board of Directors meeting! These meetings are a great place to network with fellow environmentalists and to keep up with the latest local environmental successes and challenges.

May 2021 Presentations: How does Sacramento County’s draft Climate Action Plan compare with others around the State?

We have two speakers on this topic. Please come for their presentations and follow-up Q&A.
George Courser chairs the San Diego Sierra Club’s Conservation Committee. George led their successful lawsuit challenging their county’s Climate Action Plan, due to its lack of enforceable measures to adequately reduce the climate change impacts of development there.

Erik de Kok works at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, providing local planning guidance in furtherance of the State’s climate goals. A decade ago, Erik led the preparation of Sacramento’s current climate action plans.

We’ll also get our updates and announcements from our working committees, member organizations and members! Feel free to share with your networks.

Click here for the full agenda.

Zoom info

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

Mark Your Calendar

ECOS Board of Directors meets on the fourth Tuesday of every other month (odd-numbered months). We will be holding all board meetings via Zoom until further notice. You do not need to be a member of ECOS to attend.

About the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS)

Our mission is to achieve regional and community sustainability and a healthy environment for existing and future residents. By working proactively with our members, member organizations, local government, and community groups, ECOS energizes and brings positive change to the Sacramento region as we strive to develop thriving communities.

In Español: Nuestra misión es de contribuir a la conservación y manejo sostenible de los recursos naturales y del medio ambiente desde la justicia y solidaridad, participando en la ejecución y administración de proyectos estratégicos de desarrollo ambiental en el ámbito local, junto a nuestros miembros, otras organizaciones, y el gobierno local. ECOS trabaja para crear cambios positivos en la región y a su vez ayuda a nuestras comunidades a prosperar.

Climate change and displacement research webinar 5/25 @ 11am

Please join the Center for Community Innovation/ Urban Displacement Project team from 11am-noon PDT on Tuesday, May 25 to hear the latest on our statewide climate change mitigation investments and displacement research.

This research was funded by the California Strategic Growth Council and was conducted in partnership with Asian Pacific Environmental Network, California Housing Partnership Corporation, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Public Advocates, and Public Counsel.

In this webinar, our team will share Bay Area-specific quantitative research findings and will engage participants in a discussion about how our research findings might inform coordinated anti-displacement and sustainability policies, programs, and investments.

Please register in advance for this webinar using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdOCorT4iGtAMsCbQrFjcyvnb-w3p9awn

Questions? Contact:
Renee Roy Elias, Ph.D. krroy[at]berkeley[dot]edu
Executive Director, Center for Community Innovation
University of California, Berkeley

California’s Latest Drought in 4 Charts

Alvar Escriva-Bou, Jeffrey Mount, Michael Dettinger | May 3, 2021 | Public Policy Institute of California

California is grappling with drought again, facing many of the same conditions and challenges that were features of the 2012–16 drought—including stressed ecosystems, depleted reservoirs, hard-hit farms and rural communities, threats to urban water supplies, and the potential for extensive wildfires. Knowing what’s different and what’s similar to our last major drought can help us better prepare the most vulnerable sectors for ongoing dry times.
To put this drought in context, this is only its second year. Historically, droughts have lasted up to six years. Our most recent one lasted five. We cannot know if this drought will break next year or four years from now, but we should plan for continuing drought.
https://www.ppic.org/blog/californias-latest-drought-in-4-charts/

Click here to read the full article.

California’s Latest Drought in 4 Charts

California’s Wildfire Season Is Off to an Early Start

By Olivia Rosane | May 4, 2021 | EcoWatch

Fire season in California usually starts in summer and extends through the fall, according to The Guardian. However, the climate crisis has upended weather patterns in the state, which is now suffering from drought conditions. Much of California, including the north, is experiencing its driest wet season in more than 40 years; Sacramento experienced its driest on record in April, NWS said.
https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfires-2021-2652873703.html

Click here to read the full article.