Page 14 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2017

know I advocate for the many small ways we’ve a role in climate health, from saving water while washing our hands to recycling to using cleaner energy via Sonoma Clean Power, and much more. Just search for “Mitzvah Moments” at the Gazette site for several years’ worth of ideas.
building. Its purpose was to consider additional local regulations beyond those already mandated by State building code. I was skeptical since new rules would likely add to the escalating costs of building housing. More energy efficient buildings, however, have lower operating costs, and the most cost effective way to save energy is through conservation efforts, many of which could be inexpensive, particularly if included in the original design.
The situation is becoming more critical; we need to do more.
Since then, the State has added an array of other requirements, and this
year it is requiring south facing roof space to accommodate solar collectors. California plans to require new homes to meet a “zero net energy” standard in 2020, and housing will be required to install solar equipment.
The new administration in Washington seems to put a premium on undoing all the positive things that we’ve done to help make the planet AND our piece of it more healthy. Much of the news from Washington is truly unbelievable, except that it IS happening NOW.
It’s worth considering this policy direction in the context of what it costs to build a house. Between 2000 and 2016 the cost of developing housing in Sonoma County increased by over 100% while
It makes sense to throw science out the window, right?
Climate Change Policy is the Wrong Direction for Housing
“Our Role in Climate Health” is the Gazette’s April Theme. Well, that seems right up my alley, doesn’t it? My readers for several years
By John Lowry
Several years ago I participated in Santa Rosa’s advisory committee on green
I don’t think so, but some do. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just removed the word “science” from the mission statement of its O ce of Science and Technology. Historically in charge of developing clean water standards for states, this o ce’s website had said those standards were “science-based,” i.e. based on peer-reviewed science recommendations for safe pollutant levels for drinking, swimming, or fishing. Since January 30, that was replaced by saying it develops, “economically and technologically achievable standards” to address water pollution.
So why do we need the EPA anyway?
The proposed federal budget will cut the EPA by 31%, reduce employees by 19%, and eliminate funding for climate change research and international climate change programs. Cuts would halt the EPA’s work on San Francisco Bay, Napa River and other local watersheds, including wetlands restoration. Meanwhile, a Congressional bill would eliminate the EPA, which, among other things, oversees SuperFund sites to cleanup toxic wastes, the 1986 Safe Drinking Act, and the 1990 Clean Air Act. I’m old enough to remember living in Southern California when “You see LA when the smog blows away” was literally true. (Many never knew that LA sits in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains.) I remember when the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland burst into ames in 1969, sparking the revolution that led to the Clean Water Act and the creation of state and federal environmental agencies. Look at this photo of Manhattan in 1966 to see what NYC’s sky was like before the EPA businessinsider.com/manhattan-smog-photos-1966-2013-1.
Spring cleaning for a healthier climate.
incomes were up only 30%. There are multiple causes for this disparity; no single factor explains it all, but green building requirements are a factor, and zero net energy will push costs higher.
It’s that time of year again, when many are trying to downsize, disposing
of stu . Putting it in the trash isn’t healthy for the planet. We send more than
26 billion pounds of clothing and textiles to landfills each year in this country.
It’s easier to toss something in the trash rather than donate it. Here’s some easy ways to dispose of things. REI members can use REI’s Give Back Box platform
at rei.com/givebackbox to ship gently used outdoors gear and other items free; they’ll be donated to Goodwill. Another option for clothing and, especially gently used shoes is Give, by Zappos for Good, partnering with Soles4Souls, to help needy people worldwide, o ering a micro-enterprise model for entrepreneurs in developing nations. zappos.com/zapposforgood/give.
is instead: What is the most ef cient, effective and fair way to
accomplish our objective?
We need to consider policies that would impose homemade electricity on those who may not have any interest in it. If a homeowner chooses to install a system, the likelihood that he/she will keep the collector surface clean, prune back tree cover and make sure that mechanical and electronic equipment functions correctly is probably pretty good. Imposed on a resident with little or no interest, proper maintenance would be less reliable.
From a wider perspective though, the zero net energy policy reflects
a situation that existed a decade or more ago. At that time, the potential
of utility-scale wind and solar was not as obvious as it is today. And the technology that would allow us to move to all-electric building energy systems was not as advanced. As well, there was, and continues to be, a philosophical enthusiasm about getting off the grid and making our own electricity. Zero net energy would extend this policy direction by imposing homemade renewable energy production as a strategy to address climate change.
At the present time though, large-scale wind and solar have reached
Unwanted cellphones end up sitting in a drawer collecting dust; Rainforest Connection has a better use for them – helping to save tropical forests from illegal logging operations. Deforestation creates more carbon emissions than all transportation worldwide, and illegal logging makes up 50-90 % of all rainforest logging. Rainforest Connection takes used cellphones, wipes their memories clean, and installs software to alert monitors of noises associated with illegal logging. Fitted with solar arrays, they sit in tops of trees especially vulnerable to illegal logging. rfcx.org/get_involved.
The current trend toward utility-scale renewable power generation is likely to continue. No doubt small systems will continue to expand as well, and they both will contribute to our renewable future; however, the growth of renewable energy production is not dependent on the proliferation of rooftop systems. The constraint for solar and wind is their variability. They do not produce electricity at a steady reliable rate because solar needs sunshine and wind needs wind. Technologies for energy storage and efficient long distance transmission do exist; however, these will need to be in place before solar and wind could actually become the mainstays of an entirely renewable energy system.
Stand up, speak out – we will be heard!
This is not to say that people should be discouraged from producing their own electricity if they want to so. But it is bad public policy to impose this responsibility and financial burden on those who choose not to operate their own systems, when large-scale professionally managed systems can provide
Join others world-wide to speak up for science and the climate this month. On Earth Day, April 22, March for Science; there’re now 394 satellite marches, including Oakland, San Francisco, AND Santa Rosa. marchforscience.com. One week later, the 100th day of the new administration, April 29th, will see the People’s Climate March with sister marches in Oakland, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa’s Roseland. peoplesclimate.org.
© Copyright Tish Levee, 2017
NET-ZERO HOUSING cont’d on page 15
14 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 4/17
On the other hand, climate change and serious pollution are the result of producing and burning carbon fuels. Although now challenged by our own federal government, a concerted worldwide effort is underway to shift to renewable energy. Additionally, there is a consensus that California should play a leading role in promoting a renewable future.
The question is not whether we should take climate change seriously, but
a cost level similar to carbon fuel power generation, and a building boom in large-scale renewable energy production is underway. Additionally, more efficient methods of long distance transmission, which would allow surplus energy transfer to and from anywhere in North America, have been demonstrated.