Speaking at SF Green Festival, November 13

I am scheduled to speak at the SF Green Festival on the topic of Marin Clean Energy on the evening of November 13, from 6:00-9:00pm.  

One of the benefits of this event is that if you attend, you get free attendance to the full Green Festival for the weekend.  The weekend festival includes a number of impressive speakers, including Dr. Cornel West, Van Jones (Founder of Green For All), and rapper/activist Chuck D. 

Here is the information: 

Energy Caucus

(A Green Festival Event)

November 13th, 6-9pm

Freedom Hall at Glide Memorial Church

330 Ellis Street (at Taylor)

San Francisco

(Four blocks from Powell St BART)

Join Bay Area local energy enthusiasts (also known as Locavolts) to discuss what's working in local campaigns for clean energy including Community Choice, Energy Efficiency, Solar Financing, and Green Jobs. This is a participatory event.  The first half will be brief updates on clean energy initiatives in the Bay Area.  The second half will be facilitated topical and regional breakout conversations.

Speakers include

• Ross Mirkirimi of the San Francisco Supervisors (invited)
  
• Paul Fenn of Local Power on Community Choice
  
• Ian Kim of the Ella Baker Center on green-collar Jobs
  
• John Rizzo of the Sierra Club on clean energy in San Francisco
  
• Kirsten Schwind of Bay Localize on local clean energy in the East Bay
  
• John Corcoran of Marin Clean Energy on clean-energy progress in Marin
  

Among many others...

Breakout Topics 7:30-8:00pm

• PG&E's history in fossil fuels and energy efficiency, misinformation, and the media
  
• Collaborating with unions and Redevelopment on workforce development  
  
• Making sustainable energy affordable and accessible
  
• Fighting Power Plants and LNG
  

Breakout Topics 8:00-8:30pm

• Improving Energy Efficiency and Home Performance
  
• Building Power and Raising Money for Clean Energy
  
• CCA implementation steps and strategies
  
• AB32 Compliance for cities 
  

Food/refreshments will be provided.  $5-10 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds.  Every person who attends The Bay Area Clean Energy Caucus will receive FREE admission to the Green Festival!

For more information, visit the Local Clean Energy Alliance website.  Special thanks to good friend Dave Room for organizing this. 

Backlash over San Francisco's Green Building Proposal

The San Francisco Controller's office released a report recently analyzing Mayor Gavin Newsom's green building proposal. The report concluded that the Mayor's proposal would
impose "higher costs" which would "reduce the overall level of construction, raise the price of rental and owner-occupied housing, raise commercial rents, and potentially discourage businesses from locating and expanding in San Francisco."





Ouch.





In today's San Francisco Chronicle, the executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council's Northern California chapter and the executive director of the American Institute of Architects - San Francisco shot back. They wrote:

"absent from the San Francisco controller's report were important considerations: Green buildings result in dramatic operational cost savings over their life span, and significant increases in worker health and productivity... Building owners see LEED buildings as an investment to enhance value, rather than a cost."

The Board of Supervisors has yet to decide on the Mayor's proposal.

San Francisco moves to greenest building codes in U.S. (SF Chronicle)

San Francisco moved a step closer Wednesday to imposing the country's most stringent green building codes, regulations that would require new large commercial buildings and residential high-rises to contain such environmentally friendly features as solar power, nontoxic paints and plumbing fixtures that decrease water usage... more