Climate change
Support for Sustainability Commission
On Thursday, February 3, Novato City Council released a staff report regarding the creation of a Sustainability Commission which will be discussed at the meeting this Tuesday, February 8. We have sent the below follow message to City Council, the City Manager Adam McGill and Sustainability Coordinator Gretchen Schubeck agreeing with their prioritization of sustainability measures and recommending edits to the…
Read MoreCall for sustainable redevelopment of Fireman’s Fund site
On November 29, Sustainable Novato has sent the following letter to the City Council and developer who has purchased the Fireman’s Fund property on San Marin Drive advocating significant revisions to the initial proposal for redevelopment and calling for the project to be a model of sustainable community development. We encourage our members to make your…
Read MoreCall for additional sustainability language in Strategic Plan
On Friday, November 12, Novato City Council released its draft Strategic Plan, which will be discussed at the meeting this Tuesday, November 16. We have sent the below follow message to City Council, the City Manager Adam McGill and Sustainability Coordinator Gretchen Schubeck agreeing with their prioritization of sustainability measures and recommending edits to the text. We encourage…
Read MoreA guide to carbon offsets
If you’re reading Sustainable Novato, you’ve probably heard about carbon offsets – and maybe even already bought some! Although the concept is pretty simple (fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to offset those you unavoidably emit in your personal or business life) the details can be complicated. Here’s our quick guide to the ins…
Read MoreCall on City Council to incorporate sustainability into its Strategic Plan!
On Tuesday, November 16, Novato City Council will discuss updating its Strategic Plan. This is a critical opportunity to follow through on the Climate Emergency Resolution by embedding sustainability into the Plan. Our board has sent the below letter to City Council, the City Manager Adam McGill and Sustainability Coordinator Gretchen Schubeck. We encourage our…
Read MoreWhy now is the right time to install solar.
From an environmental perspective, there has never been a bad time to install solar. Although it takes energy and resources to manufacture, transport, install and eventually dispose of solar equipment, its long lifespan and high efficiency makes a properly installed system net environmentally positive very quickly. But how about financially? Assuming you have a suitable roof (or…
Read MoreJoin A Resilient Neighborhood Team Today
Take a Climate Action Workshop with Resilient Neighborhoods. Eleven years ago, longtime Marin resident and environmentalist Tamra Peters founded a nonprofit, Resilient Neighborhoods, to help Marin households lessen their carbon footprint and prepare for emergencies like wildfires and power outages. The program was recently endorsed by Drawdown Marin as an effective solution to climate change by…
Read MoreGoing Deep Green with MCE
Guest Blog from MCE MCE’s mission is to address climate change by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions with renewable energy and energy efficiency at cost-competitive rates while offering economic and workforce benefits, and creating more equitable communities. As California’s first Community Choice Aggregation Program, MCE is a groundbreaking, not-for-profit, public agency that has been setting…
Read MoreSustainable Aviation, coming soon!
Global aviation contributes around 2.5% of total CO2 emissions, which, if it was a country, would rank 6th in the world between Germany and Japan. Factoring in other factors, such as contrails and other pollutants, brings aviation’s total impact on atmospheric warming as a whole up to around 5%, so it’s a problem! Although decarbonizing aviation…
Read MoreThere’s No Such Thing as “Cheap Gasoline”
Sustainable Novato joined many other venerable organizations to oppose the proposal for a new 28 pump fueling station at Novato’s Costco. Our board felt the review did not adequately address all our concerns and that adding a mega gas station while gas-powered vehicles are being phased out was not appropriate or in keeping with the…
Read MoreWhat to expect (or not) when driving electric.
First off, if you haven’t yet driven electric, it’s only a matter of time. With some governments around the world, including California, banning sales of new fossil burners within fifteen years, auto manufacturers are set to launch hundreds of new electric models. And once you’ve tried electric, you’ll never go back. Fact is, driving electric…
Read MoreImprove home energy efficiency
Your home wastes energy and money. Here’s how: Envelope leakage of heated & cooled air Attic and wall penetrations to outside Under doors & around windows Into crawlspace (unless you’re on slab floor) Insulation (unless R30 roof & R18 walls) Duct leakage (unless you have sealed ducts or don’t have forced air) Heating (if less than 94% efficient) Cooling (unless…
Read MoreBefore you buy or replace your furnace or AC, consider a heat pump
It’s getting hotter every year. Are you thinking about finally caving in for an air-conditioner but feeling concerned about energy consumption? Would you like to find a way to cool your house without heating the planet? Then read on! This is the first in a series of articles about my recently purchased heat pump, reporting on…
Read MoreSustainability? FUN!
The best thing about Dan Maher’s Sustainable Exchange shop on Novato’s Grant Avenue may be that there’s a “best thing” for almost everyone whether doomsday preppers, enviro-chic parents, or ordinary folks who want our earth to thrive. If you’re asking, “Who’s doing cool stuff for my future?” Sustainable Exchange can be an oasis for your…
Read MoreClimate Change and Pandemics
Climate change may be putting people at risk for more pandemics like COVID-19. Habitat loss due to climate is bringing animals that can transmit disease in contact with humans more often. Dr. Aaron Bernstein is a pediatrician and the interim director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University. He says while…
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