This week, various people nominated by President Biden have been interviewed by the Senate. One of them, ex-Governor Jen Granholm, has been nominated to serve as Secretary of Energy. 

In her testimony, she spoke about the need, and opportunity, for the country to "Electrify everything," and how this electrification can create jobs and boost the economy. You can see a bit of that HERE. This includes our homes, and our transportation. 

GM has announced that, starting in 2035, they will no longer manufacture cars with internal combustion engines. 

Proposed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg talked about his goal to install 500,000 new charging stations for electric vehicles in the next decade (HERE). More exciting, if confirmed, Mayor Pete has the power to dole out $1 billion in grants for competitive grants to help states and cities fund individual transportation projects, including "proposals that offered alternatives to driving, such as bus or bike projects." 

When we look at the GHG emissions of the Town of Fairfax, our number one source of emissions is the cars we drive. Anything that can help us move in a better direction will be fantastic. 

On the Climate Action Committee, we are a few of your neighbors, committed to helping this town to reach its Climate Goals. We will do everything we can to try to take advantage of any of these kinds of opportunities, to build a better future together. In the meantime, each of us should continue to do whatever we can to move towards what will ultimately be required - the electrification of everything. 

Let's make a promise that we will never again buy a gas-fired vehicle. Let's make a promise that we will move towards electrification of our homes. Let's all use MCE Deep Green or PG&E 100% solar. We on the CAC will continue to do everything we can to help. 

Together, we can be the change the world needs. 

Yesterday, the New York Times reported on a study that looks at the affordability of electric vehicles. You can see the article on the NYT site for free, by clicking HERE. 

The MIT study looked at the life-cycle costs of various kinds of vehicles, together with their environmental benefit. As the chart above shows, there is a range for all types, from all gas to diesel to hybrid, to all electric. 

In the yellow blob above, you can see that the cars are all clustered at the bottom left corner - minimum cost, minimum environmental impact. 

The lower cost comes, as I understand it, both from lower costs for fuel as well as lower costs for maintenance. 

Of course, there is still the hurdle of the first cost. I am not buying an electric car right away because of this. 

BUT, there is good news on that front, as well. (HERE). 

News came out yesterday that Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a huge amount of money in the upcoming budget for the state of California to support electrification of transportation. Critically, this bill is NOT targeted at the rich; it has significant amounts of money earmarked to help people with lower incomes and older cars to trade in the older gas-guzzlers for newer, low emission vehicles. 

These are very exciting bits of news. The details for the State program are not finalized, of course (the budget needs to pass!) but it looks as if our state is going to be helping us all to move in the direction we need to. 

Let's all commit that the NEXT car we buy, will be electric. 

A new study shows the rapid uptake on Electric Vehicles. 

Unsurprisingly, California is CLOSE to the top, with 72 EV public charging stations per 1000 population (we are LOSING to Vermont and DC). (HERE)

We Do know that the Bay Area is the number one metropolitan area for EVs in the US (HERE). 

Finally, we know that, as of 1/1/2020 (according to DMV), we had a total of 180 EVs registered, which means, with our current population of 7578, we have 24 EVs per thousand persons. And, we have a total of 3 public charging stations (HERE). 

So, in Fairfax, we are not so high as the state as a whole nor as the Bay Area as a whole. 

BUT, I tried to look up how many bicycles, electric bicycles, and just walkers we have. The Bay Area is the number 3 metropolitan area for bicycle commuting in the country (HERE) and I know that, back in the day, i used to bike to the ferry many days. 

At any rate, our number one challenge in decarbonizing is, you might de-car-ing or at least, de-gas-car-ing. This will not be easy, and it will take time. Obviously, the state is pushing in this direction already, and it seems inevitable that we will find ways to get better. 

So, let's keep working to find ways to do it better!

Flurry of news today, and wanted to update everyone. 

Most important, maybe, for us in Marin is the upcoming Zero Carbon Retreat, free to all, and sign up HERE. 

Second, a new study published today in the Scientific Journal Nature Climate Science. The article details which policies available for decarbonization have the least negative impacts for small businesses and average households These are obvious concerns we are thinking about as we try to design solutions for Fairfax. You can access a SUMMARY of this report HERE (unfortunately, they do charge for this report, but the summary is free).

Finally, on the eve of the Biden inauguration, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the Trump administration so called "Affordable Clean Energy Plan" which essentially rolled back the Obama regulations pushing to decarbonize the electricity generation in this country. (Learn more HERE). The effect of this decision is going to be to continue greening the electricity sector, which will  help make it easier for normal people to green their lives without extensive changes OTHER than moving slowly and steadily towards electrification of our homes and transportation. 

With a new administration will come new opportunities, no doubt, for accelerating needed change, the the Town's Climate Action Committee is watching closely to see how we, HERE, in our Town, can take advantage. 

Thank you all for being part of this Town and part of the solution. Please go HERE (for MCE Deep Green) or HERE (for PG&E 100% Solar) to make the biggest difference you can now, AND save money. 

Late notice, I know, but the Climate Reality Project is hosting an event on Building Electrification tonight - join if you can:

https://www.climaterealitybayarea.org/chapter-events/2021/1/14/2021-building-the-momentum-for-building-electrification
​

As many of you know, the Fairfax Climate Action Committee conducted a survey last year of Town Residents for ways we can work together to get us to zero emissions by 2030. 

One thing we did NOT ask about is the idea of electrifying ride-sharing programs. There is a growing movement among jurisdictions to require this. Uber is moving towards this goal already, as you can see HERE. 

Transportation experts are all over the place about how transportation will evolve in the next decade - we have ride-sharing, electrification, autonomous vehicles. We have carpooling, we have public transport, we have bicycles. 

As we try to de-carbonize, and to do it in ways that support all sectors of society, this idea of requiring all commercial ride-share services to be fully electric is interesting. Since we didn't ask in our survey - What do you think?? 

​Thank you!

This morning, I got an email from an organization called the American Council for Energy Efficiency. This group has a system for ranking cities and towns on their actions to approach carbon neutrality. The gist of this article was that a town does not need to be a behemoth like San Francisco to be effective. Even small towns, like us, can be leaders. 

​Check it out HERE. 

Indeed, they note that some of the most effective cities in the country at moving the zero emissions needle are San Luis Obispo, Goleta, Manhattan Beach, and West Hollywood. 

On the CAC, we are going to try to learn from these early leaders, and see how we can build upon their successes. And, lets unleash the creativity of this community, and see if we can get onto that list in months to come!

The Climate Action Committee for the Town of Fairfax is pleased to announce the appointment of our newest member, Beth Verdekal. 

Beth is a former resident of Fairfax, and, like the Prodigal Child, has returned to us, bringing much needed new energy and excitement. 

The CAC is a group of volunteers, doing our best to help our Town navigate the wicked problem of how to bring us all together to build the kind of environmentally sound, zero-emission community the world needs us to be. 

Welcome Beth! and thank you!

The Survey of the Residents of Fairfax [HERE] that was conducted by the Town's Climate Action Committee showed a strong support for the idea of requiring all-electric buildings for new construction. This is in line with the trend in the Bay Area and across the state. 

The Business Section of the San Francisco Chronicle covered this topic well, this morning [HERE]. 

On Monday night, the Climate Action Committee will host an Open Forum with the Town Residents to talk through ways we can work together to bend the climate curve. 

We hope you can join us. 

Monday, January 11 - 6:30pm-7:30pm

Zoom Meeting:

• https://mazzetti.zoom.us/j/97358122565?pwd=TEEyeFM4YmdLQTQwekJBbTVIelVDQT09&from=addo#success
• Meeting ID: 973 5812 2565
• Passcode: 086983

Phone one-tap:

• US: +16699006833,,97358122565#,,,,*086983# 
• or +13462487799,,97358122565#,,,,*086983# 

​2020 was the hottest year ever. 

Climate Change is turning cities into ovens. (and bonfires). 

Star fish are drowning because the oceans are warming. 

But, we can fix the problem. 

0 by 30. Let's get it done. Join us Monday night to brainstorm. 

Join Zoom Meeting

Phone one-tap:
US: +16699006833,,97358122565#,,,,*086983# or +13462487799,,97358122565#,,,,*086983#

Meeting URL:
https://mazzetti.zoom.us/j/97358122565?pwd=TEEyeFM4YmdLQTQwekJBbTVIelVDQT09&from=addon

Meeting ID:
973 5812 2565

Passcode:
086983

Join by Telephone

For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.

Dial:

US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 436 2866 or +1 301 715 8592

Meeting ID:
973 5812 2565

Passcode:
086983