David Suzuki's Carbon Manifesto

United States Green Building Council

Douglas Kot

Executive Director

U.S. Green Building Council 

Doug has been active in the sustainable design of communities and buildings and as an educator since 1998.  He is a registered architect member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a former-Certified Planner member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty in Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C), Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND) and Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance  (LEED AP EB: O+M). He has three professional degrees; a Bachelor of Architecture, a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of City Planning.  Doug has taught extensively on building energy use, ecological urban design, and sustainable building technologies.

Event Summary:

San Diego is a patchwork of neighborhoods, ethnicities and unique landscapes. No two are alike but yet they all share the same desire for a livable and citizen centric environment.

There are 42 community planning groups where citizens and businesses bring their concerns and vision for their neighborhood.  While their budgets are small, these groups are the voice for quality of life concerns when the City Council must consider new development.

New Eco-Districts a being created and economic prosperity is being sought through local community development.  

Sustainability and health need to be considered to make our neighborhoods cleaner and greener. 

 Is the goal self-sufficiency in energy, water and transportation?  To create walk/bike friendly streets? To promote business districts? 

Join us to hear how we can plan our communities with an ecological vision that will create a San Diego that we can proudly call America's Finest City.

The U.S. Green Building Council EcoDistricts
Douglas Kot, AIA, MLA, MCP - San Diego Green Building Council
Smart Growth America
LEED Neighborhood Development
SmartCity San Diego
IDEA district
2040 District
One Planet Living
Living City Design
Ecodistricts - are new models of public-private partnership where communities emphasize innovation and deployment of district-scale best practices to create the neighborhoods of the future - resilient, vibrant, resource efficient, and JUST.

20 minute life - all needs met within a 20 minute walk of your house. Mail, grocery, fuel, laundry, news, coffee, etc.

Ecodistricts Incubator in Portland (May 2013) - must be able to raise money, private development, government

Upcoming :
Sept 24th : North Park EcoDistrict Celebration
Sept 30th : Chula Vista Climate neighbor Tool Tour
Oct 1 : Chula Vista Smart Growth Workshop
Dec. 9 : LEED Neighborhood Development Workshop
Dec 11 : Pacific Beach/Mission Beach Sustainable Design Assessment Team

http://www.usgbc-sd.org/calendar

Community Planning at the WRSC

Joe LaCava

Consultant, Land Use and Public Policy

City of San Diego Community Planners Committee

Joe has been a civil engineer, development manager, community advocate, and public policy practitioner over his 30 year career. He has successfully participated in complex land development projects in California, the western United States and internationally. Joe now focuses his practice in San Diego and southern California providing community relations and personalized management of land development opportunities. Recognized as a community leader Joe chairs community and city-wide committees; formed and managed non-profit community organizations; and serves on a variety of stakeholder groups.

Community Planners Committee and 42 Community Planning Groups #CPGsWork
The conundrum ... 

CPGs - 'We have no authority" Need feedback, self-reflection, outreach.

Developer - "CPGs have too much power" Power derives from credibility and degree City Council respects citizens in the CPG. Ease of filing appeals does give an edge. 

Activist - "how come they CBG doesn't reflect my values/issue." Group reflects voters who showed up at election time. Only through investment of time by all stakeholders will a planning group reflect the diversity of its community. Patience and persistence will help drive acceptance of your values. 

There are 42 CPGs in City of San Diego. 

General Plan - City of Villages - city vision and values - foundation for ALL land use decisions - foundation for all policy decisions - used by City Hall, Policy Makers, and regional governments and consultants. The community plan is a local implementation of the general plan.

Topics - Land Use, Mobility, Urban Design, Public Facilities and Services, Natural and cultural resources, Economic Development.

The Challenge: The city representatives can't fully appreciate how their actions translate to your community, neighborhood, street. Private development, infrastructure improvements, new zoning, all need input. 

San Diego first recognized Community Planning Groups in 1966 as a formal mechanism for community input on land use and decision making. Advisory and recommendations, in compliance with the Brown Act. (i.e. these are Quazi-Governmental PUBLIC organizations).

Community/Planning/Group = People. There are about 600 Community Organizations in San Diego. 

Key Difference between CPG vs. Community Organizations : 

CPGs: Discuss -- Deliberate -- VOTE

Other Orgs. Discuss -- Decide -- ACT

CPGs Scope:

Review and make recommendations on: 

• Private development proposals
• City initiatives
• Infrastructure
• Community issues - can be proactive or reactive
• City Hall
• Community Plan Update (every 20 yrs. or so) 

Monthly meetings, typically in evening, agenda posted 72 hrs in advance, with sub-committees. Resident, renter, merchant, or property owners. 12-20 elected members. Open for 1/3 to 1/4 of seats are open every year. Should be 1/3 detailed knowledge, 1/3 institutional knowledge, 1/3 fresh voices/energy. 

Attend: find out about your neighborhood, voice opinion, community-minded, eligibility to run for a seat. Indemnification from law-suits if you become a member of a CPG. 

CPGs - open to everyone, voluntary, democratic, structured, recommendations go to City Hall. Special languages of acronyms, strong personalities, no financial support, minimal technical support from city, no second language services.

The Community Planning Committee = Umbrella Organization over the CPGs.

The CPC has 1 appointee (usually the chair) from each CPG in SD.

Meets monthly - 24-30 attend

Scope: 

City-wide policy

City-wide ordinances

City-wide initiatives (master plans)

Liaison with City Hall

CPC - Do not review private development projects, community specific issues, or private initiatives. 

CPC and CPG roles are expanding...

-infrastructure priorities: 2012 City invited CPC/CPGs to provide neighborhood input on Infrastructure Priorities, 2013 Process formalized in City Council Policy, these are important steps in authentic Public Participation in City Budgeting. 

2012 Results: 29 Communities recommended 225 new projects in addition to prioritizing current CIP projects. 

Code for America 

http://infrastructure.opensandiego.org/ text 760.239.7578 

We need more people involved in community organizations. Front page organizations. 

Other community organizations ...

Recreation Councils ( City recognized; park and rec. centers)

Merchant Associations ( aka Main Street, BID) 

Parking Districts

Town Council

Neighborhood Councils

Advocacy Groups ( WalkSD, BikeSD, MoveSD, etc)

CPGs provide for civic engagement, best venu for direct input to City Hall decisions, stronger when more people participate #CPGsWork 

Questions? Joe LaCava, Chair, Community Planners Committee 858.488.0160 joe@avetterra.com @joe_lacava

Empower Yourself

SDG&E just raised electricity rates for Tier-4 from 29-cents to 36-cents per kilowatt-hour.
That's 20%! You can see how much this will cost you: http:www.sdge.com/residential/2013-rates
This is a great time to do take control of your energy use and empower yourself.

I've got two things you can do without cost to you,

reduce energy waste and get a renewable energy system.

Free Energy Audit for your Home!
My friend Griffin Hagle is a professional Home Energy Auditor and has a great deal.
SDG&E has a grant program for local residential energy audits.
For $199 Griffin can do a Scientific Energy Audit of your home and give you a California Certified Report (good for future remodels or upgrades, etc.) Then after six weeks you get the money back through the SDG&E grant.
So, there is ultimately no cost!
Griffin Hagle 619-573-9560
griffhagleentrepreneursworkshop.org



Free Solar-PV system for your Home!
I'm still working for SolarCity and can get you a FREE Solar-PV system, if you qualify.
SolarCity provides alternative energy at costs less than your local utility.

To get a FREE SolarCity Photovoltaic system for your home, you must have three things:

1. A roof
2. A utility bill
3. A credit score > 680

If that is you, or someone you know, click here to set up a Home Energy Consultation: SolarCity


So, without any cost you can now reduce energy waste and produce your own green power for life.
-Michael Russell

Fracking Hell: The Untold Story

From Occupy

GREENING NON-PROFIT BUSINESSES Workshop

DEMYSTIFICATION OF NONPROFIT ISSUES

FREE Community Workshops for Nonprofits

Provided by the Team at Grant Writing Specialists
Sponsored by
@SPACEBAR INTERNET CAFE
7454 University Avenue, La Mesa, CA 91942
THURSDAYS - 10:00 to Noon

Aug 8 GREENING NON-PROFIT BUSINESSES:
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY FINANCING

Changes in Federal, State and Local Government funding for energy related issues require your business to act before the incentives, rebates, and grants run out. Luckily, new financing options are available for businesses and home-owners who want to reduce utility costs and switch to renewable energy. Learn how to maximize your potential savings by avoiding waste and going green for free, with a utility-bill swap to Solar Energy. Also, opportunities for non-profits to earn donations for helping their community become sustainable and get a head-start on electric car transportation. Our Speaker/Presenter is Michael Russell of www.sdsustainablefuture.com

To register
Call 619.460.2738 or send an email to BeDemystified@aol.com

http://grantwrtr.com/

SDG&E Raisng Rates, Lobbying CPUc for "Time-of-Use" Billing

This video with SDG&E Vice President, Lee Schavrien  

SDG&E Rate Hike - Listen to the audio interview from KPBS Midday Edition: http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/jul/08/sdge-rate-hike-goes-effect-september/

 

If you have $100 bill you will see about a $15 rate increase. If you have a $250 electricity bill, you will see about $75 rate increase. The current rate hike will effect only 25% of residential customers that are in tier-3 and above. It is not because of San Onofere Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), that will be determined by a seperiate California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) hearing, now underway. 

 

AB 327 - "Time of use" rates (a.k.a. 'time varying rates') - is going to eliminate our progressive tier rate system.  Frees the CPUC to move to utility time of use rates.

"We want to charge rate payers what it costs to provide electricity service to them, no more, no less." - Lee Schavrien, SDG&E VP 

JEA, a Florida non-profit that ranks utilities, finds SDG&E is 3rd highest rates in the USA.

 

Schavrien claims that 'the less energy you use the more you are charged (per unit energy)" - because our climate is temperate we use less energy than others, so our rates are higher, because we have the same transmission costs. However, he doesn't say anything about how SDG&E a privately owned SEMPRA Energy subsidary, makes tragic business mistakes, like burning down East County San Diego, or risking radioative contamination via San Onofere Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), then passes on the expenses from those mistakes to their rate payers. (I will not even go into the ENRON scandal and brownouts).

SDG&E and PG&E are sponsoring AB 327, a bill that would allow the CPUC to dump rate increases like this on low-income and low usage electric customers instead of applying them to the customers who use far more energy than average. It will be interesting to see if SDG&E uses this program to promote their proposed legislation with a ratepayer paid representative. Utility customer who use electricity more efficiently should be rewarded by lower rates. AB 327 would penalize energy misers and reward energy hogs. It would turn existing rate design on its head. The utilities know that their big capital projects hit ratepayers when their costs are rolled into rates, but they don't want them to hit wealthy heavy electricity users because those customers may just install rooftop solar systems.

 

Footnotes:

SDG&E To Raise Rates On Some In September: http://youtu.be/-eDQdtqiHOA

(note: this does NOT include cost of San Onofere Nuclear Generating Station)

 

Lee Schavrien, Senior Vice President, San Diego Gas and Electric

Lee Friedman, Economist, Professor of Public Policy UC Berkeley

 

It may cost you more to turn on the lights starting September 1st. San Diego Gas and Electric is raising rates for some households and most businesses. High energy users, or about 25 percent of SDG&E customers will see some increase on their bills. The rate hike was approved by the Public Utilities Commission earlier this year. The utility says the rate hike is needed to help pay for energy from renewable sources which is more expensive than electricity produced from natural gas. California's greenhouse gas reduction goals call for 33 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. A new report by nonpartisan organization Next 10 finds that rate reform is needed in order to meet California's greenhouse gas reduction goals.