September 2012 - Sustainability

[Sustain] Fwd: Fwd: IN THIS WEEK'S SOUP: Seismic Testing, Tsunami Debris Hits Hawaii & Desalination
by Don Eichelberger 25 Sep '12

25 Sep '12

Please join this effort to stop seismic testing as it is now planned at Diablo Canyon nuke, which could kill or maim thousands of sea creatures in the newly instituted ocean sanctuary. This is senseless and needs to be prevented. Please help. Thanks, Don -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fwd: IN THIS WEEK'S SOUP: Seismic Testing, Tsunami Debris Hits Hawaii & Desalination Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:52:25 -0700 From: Patti Davis <valhala(a)cox.net> To: SCG- Team <decommission(a)sanonofre.com>, "nirs(a)sanonofre.com SONGS" <Nirs(a)sanonofre.com> Surfrider steps up... Begin forwarded message: > *From: *Surfrider Foundation <soup(a)surfrider.org > <mailto:soup@surfrider.org>> > *Date: *September 24, 2012 5:06:08 PM PDT > *To: *valhala(a)cox.net <mailto:valhala@cox.net> > *Subject: **IN THIS WEEK'S SOUP: Seismic Testing, Tsunami Debris Hits > Hawaii & Desalination* > *Reply-To: *soup(a)surfrider.org <mailto:soup@surfrider.org> > > *SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE NO. 181* > > > > *SURFRIDER FOUNDATION VOWS TO STOP SEISMIC TESTING OFF CALIFORNIA COAST* > > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CU6GkwYFfh%2ByplZMwl1W8…> > > > The Surfrider Foundation vowed last week to stop seismic testing > slated to begin off the coast of Central California this November. > Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) proposed the tests to assess the > susceptibility of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Generating Facility to > seismic activity. A 240-foot ship will tow powerful air cannons along > a 50-mile stretch of the Central Coast, shooting deafening underwater > explosions (upward of 250 decibels) every 13 seconds for 42 straight > days. This action will be catastrophic to local marine life, > especially marine mammals, which rely on their sensitive auditory > capabilities for communication and navigation. The takings permit for > the project – the estimated amount of wildlife that could be killed – > includes 15 blue whales, 13 humpback whales, 1,652 bottlenose > dolphins, 1,062 California sea lions and 1,485 southern sea otters > There is also the possibility of death or injusry to thousands of > other marine mammals, and untold scores of fish and birds. This > potential loss of wildlife is even more staggering considering it will > impact areas specially designated to protect marine life. > > View our position statement here > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=BvrvELE%2Fc%2FmY3np7SXT…> > or send a message to the Coastal Commission > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=t9m%2BeK1ZC4984Zei1Usee…> > asking them to deny the project. > > *LEARN MORE. > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1UkNoKHId3lDiZmxkMvxPIv…>* > > > > SHARK SAVES MAN DRIFTING AT SEA > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DhzXke%2BFBMXO1kh%2FKTU…> > > > A lost fisherman who drifted at sea for 15 weeks, sleeping next to his > dead brother-in-law, was eventually helped to safety - by a shark. > Toakai Teitoi was stuck on a 15ft wooden boat for more than 100 days > after he ran out of fuel and the vessel drifted deep into the Pacific. > Teitoi claims it was only after the intervention of a circling shark > that he was eventually rescued. > > > *CRAZY! > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ksMsDOrB3%2B0KWXyNYWF1C…>* > > > > > A NEW ICE RECORD IS SET IN THE ANTARCTIC > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=FD%2F%2FPQKlxiVz%2BD0zK…> > > In a potential distraction from the news that Arctic sea-ice extent > reached a record low, Antarctic sea ice reached its highest level ever > recorded for the 256th day of the calendar year on Sept. 12. The > physical geography of the two hemispheres is very different, so the > effects of global warming would be seen first in the Arctic and not > the Antarctic. > > > *INFO.* > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RANNlyAXxSmiDa1FQZwysov…> > > *JAPANESE TSUNAMI DEBRIS WASHES ASHORE IN HAWAII > * > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=nslk6sAuYnV4arRBSMTv5Yv…> > > > More than 16 months after an earthquake and tsunami devastated parts > of Japan, debris has begun to wash ashore in the U.S.'s Pacific Ocean > coastal states.The debris first arrived on beaches in Alaska and > Oregon but now Hawaii is being affected.The National Oceanic and > Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed that a large plastic > bin which washed ashore on Friday was a piece of debris from Japan and > had floated across the Pacific Ocean. The sad reality is that the > massive amount of tsunami debris is still only a fraction of total > amount of marine pollution that is out there. The battle exists on > many fronts. > > > *MORE. > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=SaZRif9z47w3PsOZQR7AIov…>* > > > > > > NORTHEAST OCEAN TEMPERATURES REACH RECORD HIGH > > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=IFhpoMe08l2GTjPWbxoV04v…> > > > Federal ocean scientists said this year’s sea surface temperatures > along the northeast coast of the U.S. set all-time records, with > as-yet unknown consequences for marine ecosystems. Above-average > temperatures were found in all parts of the ecosystem, from the ocean > bottom to the sea surface. The average sea surface temperature > exceeded 51 degrees during the first half of 2012, topping the > previous record high set in 1951. The average sea surface temperature > the past three decades has ranged around 48 degrees. > > > *NOT GOOD.* > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=eyysCD3rixXDnRb6BkFegov…> > > > > > > > MYSTERIOUS DEEP SEA CIRCLES > > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XK7scDlWCYDKx3V2Npn4r4v…> > > > Yoji Ookata, a deep-sea photographer and diver who has been > documenting the ocean for more than 50 years, saw something he had > never observed before: A circular pattern of rippling sand about 80 > feet below sea level and 6 feet in diameter on the ocean floor. Ookata > dubbed his new find the "mystery circle" and was shocked to discover > that a single puffer fish, no more than a few inches long, had created > the circles using just one fin. > > > *WOW!* > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oYPLDj3wK8Z6dceTG8%2Fvb…> > > *DESALINATION NO REMEDY FOR CALIFORNIA WATER WOES* > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=LCg9qvZdUUvjO%2F1rEZ1Tj…> > > > Producing drinking water from seawater has been technologically > achievable for several decades. Until recently, however, application > of seawater desalination ("desal") on a large scale has been primarily > limited to arid regions of the world that have a cheap supply of > energy, such as in the Middle East. Desalination plants can take water > from the ocean or drill down and grab the less salty, brackish water > from seaside aquifers. It is a worldwide phenomenon that has been > embraced in thirsty California, with its cycles of drought and growing > population. But many projects have been stymied by skyrocketing costs > and legal challenges. > > *LEARN MORE. > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RovRnNkGMovFXH2%2FPsVsk…>* > > > > SURFRIDER LAUNCHES RISE ABOVE PLASTICS SPEAKER TRAINING PROGRAM > > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=cjhaWcPRhipJOxsTJBcejYv…> > > > The Rise Above Plastics (RAP) Speaker Program, founded by the > Surfrider Foundation, has two simple goals - to educate the world > about plastic pollution in our oceans, beaches and waterways and > inspire and empower individuals to do something about the issue. Using > a combination of online tools and classroom and beach education, the > RAP Program offers training courses for passionate activists to become > educated members of the Rise Above Plastics Speaker Group. > > *INTERESTED?* > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZkA5BbnmGqKYuak%2FBKZIG…> > > > > > > > MARINE BIOLOGISTS USE DOG TO TRACK & SAVE WHALES > > > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=e4vJsi%2FWgWUd4igBXr0vT…> > > > A dog named Tucker, once a stray on the streets of Seattle, is playing > a vital role in saving orcas, an endangered species. Tucker, a black > lab mix, bears the proud distinction of being the world’s only working > dog who is trained to detect and follow the scent of orca scat in the > open ocean at distances of up to a mile away. > > * > AWWWWWW. > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=V2JxprIfMpPslONiFXwsA4v…>* > > > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rOgMLGFM38ICh%2FY2MEOjF…><http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yBGs6R5YgQqB1KruKMeykYv…><http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=OZHTsZJuvNAxhLG4uLv6NVG…><http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RPCfXcf43f3BJT%2FHAiq13…><http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=D0itGDJR8yNGlCkor6Pwyov…><http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=FGOAY2%2FoT3rqL1wvKy9f0…> > > > How are we doing? Please send your "Soup" feedback to > soup(a)surfrider.org <mailto:soup@surfrider.org>. > > To join Surfrider click here > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=u6Fajhd0AS7geB75142Yo4v…> > or to unsubscribe click here. > <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=94tuACTeW6KQPGK7Yjoiwov…> > > > > empowered by Salsa <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email>

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[Sustain] SF Guardian Report On Historic CleanPowerSF Victory
by Eric Brooks 20 Sep '12

20 Sep '12

Hi all, Here is the excellent SF Guardian report about the CleanPowerSF victory Tuesday. http://tinyurl.com/9tk9nwb Historic, veto-proof vote launches CleanPowerSF 09.18.12 - 6:24 pm Steven T. Jones The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today cast an historic vote that was more than a decade in the making, approving the CleanPowerSF program – which challenges PG&E’s monopoly by offering 100 percent renewable energy directly to city residents – on an 8-3 vote that would be enough to override an implied veto threat by Mayor Ed Lee. The outcome was far from certain throughout the two-hour hearing as conservative Sups. Mark Farrell and Carmen Chu led efforts to undermine the program, which was the final work product of retiring San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Executive Director Ed Harrington, who previously served as the city’s controller for 17 years. The pair of supervisors offered a series of amendments challenging the state requirement that city residents must proactively opt-out of such community choice aggregation (CCA) programs if they want to remain with PG&E, offering convoluted language that would have required people to opt-in to the program before its launch, and requiring that the $13 million in reserve funds from the SFPUC be covered entirely by CleanPowerSF customers, which could increase its rates. “It looks like the amendments would be harmful to the success of the program,” Sup. Eric Mar observed, prompting Farrell and Chu to flash broad conspiratorial smiles at one another. Sup. Scott Wiener, who was undecided and considered a key swing vote in reaching a veto-proof majority, said he also had concerns about the opt-out requirement and wanted to better understand how the amendments would work and whether they were legal. “For me, I’m not interested in putting any poison pills in here,” he said. Wiener posed questions about the amendments to Farrell and to Harrington, who said it was possible for the SFPUC to have CleanPowerSF customers repay the initial allocation of reserve funds over time but that he wasn’t sure how the opt-in change would work without sabotaging the program. “It harms the ability to have an intelligent conversation with people,” Harrington said, noting that rates are based on the number of customers in the program, so it would be nearly impossible to survey everyone’s potential interest without being able to tell them how their bills would be affected. As it is, the SFPUC has already done extensive surveys of which neighborhoods and demographics are likely to be interested in taking part in CleanPowerSF, initially paying about $10 more per month for 100 percent renewable energy (PG&E’s portfolio includes less than 30 percent renewable). “We’ve done extensive surveys already,” Harrington said. Based on that research, the city is initially rolling out the program to less than a third of city residents, who will be repeatedly notified about how to opt-out, anticipating about 90,000 customers remain in the initial program. The program has been repeatedly tweaked over the last eight years that it’s been in development, during which time Marin County launched a successful version of the CCA concept that was developed in San Francisco by legislators Tom Ammiano, Carole Migden, and Mark Leno. “I feel pretty comfortable trusting Ed Harrington on whether the numbers add up,” said the measure’s chief sponsor, Sup. David Campos, arguing against the Farrell/Chu amendments, later adding, “With Ed Harrington leading this charge, this is as good as it gets. If you don’t like CCA under Ed Harrington, you’re not going to like CCA.” Farrell claimed to support CCA in concept, but he strenuously objected to the opt-out requirements that Migden included in the enabling state legislation, which she had argued was the only way to make CCAs viable against PG&E’s proven willingness to spend tens of millions of dollars to sabotage would-be competitors. “It’s the wrong way to legislate, the opt-out. It’s smells of coercion,” Farrell said. Campos countered that, “The best thing we can give the consumers in San Francisco is a choice, a meaningful choice.” Wiener ultimately made a motion to delay the item by a week, something Mayor Lee yesterday told the Chronicle he wanted, in order to further study the opt-out issue, telling Farrell that his amendment “feels a little seat of the pants to me.” Campos and other progressive supervisors who were supporting CleanPowerSF argued against the continuance, noting that it has been years in development and sitting in board committees since January, while the Farrell/Chu amendments weren’t offered until this meeting had already begun. “This is not going to change because we wait a week to make a decision,” Campos said. “The terms of this deal are not going to change.” The motion for a continuance failed on a 4-7 vote, with Wiener joined by Farrell, Chu, and Sup. Sean Elsbernd (who offered no comments throughout the hearing). Then, as the vote on the Farrell/Chu opt-in amendment came up for vote, Wiener said, “I don’t feel comfortable voting for amendments that I don’t know what they’ll do,” and it failed on a 3-8 vote. Sup. Malia Cohen had earlier indicated a willingness to support the other Farrell/Chu amendment: saddling CleanPowerSF customers with paying the SFPUC back for reserve fund costs – which Harrington indicated could be dragged out over many years to minimize the impact on rates, and which might not be necessary at all if the initial program exceeds expectations. That amendment was then approved on an 8-3 vote, with Sups. Jane Kim, Christina Olague, and John Avalos opposed. Another set of amendments that would keep low-income city residents out of the initial rollout and take other steps to reduce their rates if they opted in – which was developed by Kim, Olague, and Sup. Eric Mar – was unanimously approved by the board. Then it was time for the big vote on creating the CleanPowerSF program, approving the contract with Shell Energy Northern California to administer it, and authorizing the initial $19.5 million expenditure. Would there be eight votes to override a veto by Mayor Lee, who has been under pressure by PG&E and their downtown allies to kill the program? “To be perfectly candid, I struggled mightily with this contract,” Wiener said, reiterating his concern about its opt-in requirement, noting that the measure wasn’t perfect, even though it was significantly improved from earlier versions. It sounded as if he were about to vote against it. “What we have the opportunity to do is move forward with clean power,” Wiener said, noting that even Marin County supervisors who initially opposed its CCA have come around to supporting it. “This is something I believe we should try.” And with that, the board voted 8-3 to launch the program in mid-2013, with Chu, Farrell, and Elsbernd opposed. Campos said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the vote, while key supporters say they are cautiously hopeful it will stand up during next week's final supervisorial approval on second reading and in a veto override vote, if that becomes necessary. Campos said he was thankful for the work of Harrington, who got a standing ovation after the vote as the board recognized him for his long service to the city. Earlier in the meeting, Harrington told supervisors that while the program isn’t perfect, and it contains some risks that he considers reasonable, there is no other way the city has identified to meet ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals it has set for itself over the last decade. It is city policy to reduce emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2017 and 80 percent below those levels by 2050. “This program before you has the only chance of reaching those goals. There’s nothing else,” Harrington said. He also said “it’s an incredibly efficient way to spend money,” noting that the city has spend $90 million on solar and other renewable energy projects that power fewer than 7,000 homes, whereas this $19.5 million will power 90,000 households, possibly without ever tapping into that $13 million reserve fund set aside to cover any losses by Shell, which will buy renewable energy, a role the city hopes to eliminate as it develops its own projects. Harrington said the ultimate goal of CleanPowerSF is to develop a large enough customer base that the city could use revenue bonds to finance a wide variety of renewable energy projects – many using solar arrays along city-owned property connected to its water system stretching all the way to Hetch Hetchy Valley – that would pay for themselves. “The real issue is can you build a facility that will have this rate structure support it?” Harrington said. That’s the real power and potential of CleanPowerSF – finally taking action to address global warming, which will have a huge impact on San Francisco and future generations – as supporters noted in a rally outside City Hall before the meeting. Sen. Mark Leno said that he doesn’t usually weigh in on proposals before the board, but that, “This is an exceptional time and this is an exceptional vote. This is the time that we need to address our inconvenient truth.”

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[Sustain] Rally for CleanPowerSF - Tue, Sep 18, 12:30pm SF City Hall, Polk St Steps
by Eric Brooks 17 Sep '12

17 Sep '12

** *View a web version <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=mbo248g6n2WIpdtAfF1kPg> | Send to a Friend <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=Mqk_tVGpHmipQcHD_5pabw> | * ** 300x225_cleanpowersf_v3.jpg <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=13FkR-wn5Uf89VWlvQRsxQ> **Rally and Press Conference** *Where*: Polk Street side of City Hall *When*: Tuesday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m. Please come to show your support for CleanPowerSF. *You can RSVP and help spread the word on Facebook. <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=a2hiNXKjj2uZeJQ7phzRhg>* Thank you for your recent actions supporting CleanPowerSF. The Budget and Finance Committee of the SF Board of Supervisors has voted 2 - 1 in favor of creating CleanPowerSF. On Tuesday, the full Board of Supervisors will vote on the program launch. We will be having a rally and press conference on the Polk Street side of City Hall before the before the final vote on the program launch --- Tuesday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m. Please come to show your support for CleanPowerSF. *You can RSVP and help spread the word on Facebook. <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=RPJhBcx3fuvWzmp1OiovGQ>* /PG&E is pulling out all the stops to kill the program./ *Please also call these key Supervisors and tell them to support CleanPowerSF!* Scott Weiner, (415) 554-6968 Malia Cohen, (415) 554-7670 David Chiu, (415) 554-7450 Sean Elsbernd, (415) 554-6516 Thank you for all you do for the environment, Michelle Myers /Chapter Director/ /Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter/ Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=YMozWJbGQ163gk2F_vnrAw> 2530 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA

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[Sustain] Rally for CleanPowerSF - Tue, Sep 18, 12:30pm SF City Hall, Polk St Steps
by Eric Brooks 17 Sep '12

17 Sep '12

** *View a web version <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=mbo248g6n2WIpdtAfF1kPg> | Send to a Friend <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=Mqk_tVGpHmipQcHD_5pabw> | <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=tu78vGDtgZEMK4HXqtexBg>* ** 300x225_cleanpowersf_v3.jpg <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=13FkR-wn5Uf89VWlvQRsxQ> **Rally and Press Conference** *Where*: Polk Street side of City Hall *When*: Tuesday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m. Please come to show your support for CleanPowerSF. *You can RSVP and help spread the word on Facebook. <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=a2hiNXKjj2uZeJQ7phzRhg>* Thank you for your recent actions supporting CleanPowerSF. The Budget and Finance Committee of the SF Board of Supervisors has voted 2 - 1 in favor of creating CleanPowerSF. On Tuesday, the full Board of Supervisors will vote on the program launch. We will be having a rally and press conference on the Polk Street side of City Hall before the before the final vote on the program launch --- Tuesday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m. Please come to show your support for CleanPowerSF. *You can RSVP and help spread the word on Facebook. <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=RPJhBcx3fuvWzmp1OiovGQ>* /PG&E is pulling out all the stops to kill the program./ *Please also call these key Supervisors and tell them to support CleanPowerSF!* Scott Weiner, (415) 554-6968 Malia Cohen, (415) 554-7670 David Chiu, (415) 554-7450 Sean Elsbernd, (415) 554-6516 Thank you for all you do for the environment, Michelle Myers /Chapter Director/ /Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter/ Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=YMozWJbGQ163gk2F_vnrAw> 2530 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA

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[Sustain] Fwd: SF Sept 16 Health Care Wars - Market Ideology is Killing Americans
by Don Eichelberger 11 Sep '12

11 Sep '12

This Sunday, 3 P.M., 518 Valencia/16th, SF.... -------- Original Message -------- Subject: SF Sept 16 Health Care Wars - Market Ideology is Killing Americans Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:51:36 -0400 (EDT) From: dbechler <dbechler(a)value.net> Reply-To: dbechler(a)value.net To: done7777(a)sbcglobal.net Single Payer Now <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=A1SwASSMMTbcoS71fZBsrDC…> *Health Care Wars: How Market Ideology and Corporate Power Are Killing Americans* *A panel discussion of John Geyman's new book "Health Care Wars." Eleven Single Payer Now activists will discuss Dr. Geyman's book. Sunday 3pm Sept. 16 518 Valencia, SF (5 doors south of 16th St)* Dear Healthcare Activist, I hope you can attend our September 16 meeting in San Francisco. See leaflet pasted below and attached <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=YsDFwaCX7Vx6wW0cEuF2kjC…>. We also need help building the meeting. Please let us know if you can attend and if you can help build the meeting ___ I plan to attend the 3pm Sept 16 meeting ___ I can come early at 2:30 to help set up. ___ I will post a leaflet in my local coffee shop. ___ I can help call our phone tree. I will send you a suggested script and local numbers. Please let me know how many people you can call. Some people call 5 people, some 10, some 25, some more. Thank you, Don Bechler Chair - Single Payer Now <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ui77pvMt1A3KMHxl824QRTC…> 415-695-7891 Cell 415-810-5826 *Health Care Wars: How Market Ideology and Corporate Power Are Killing Americans* A panel discussion of John Geyman's new book "Health Care Wars." Eleven Single Payer Now activists will discuss Dr. Geyman's book. *Sunday 3pm Sept. 16 518 Valencia, SF (5 doors south of 16th St)* Single Payer Now panelists include Don Bechler - past member of SF Labor Council from IAM 1781 Judy Beck - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1021 single payer committee Diedre Booker - Assn. Professional Flight Attendants, retired Ann Chen - member SEIU 1000 retired Barbara Commins - RN, member CSUEU/SEIU 2579 at SF State Lou Gold - member SEIU 2579 retired Barry Hermanson - Green Party representative to Campaign for a Healthy California Michael Lyon - Gray Panthers Donald Nemeyer - Federation of American College Teachers, retired Rob Stephenson Ellen Yoshitsugu - member United Educators of San Francisco local 61 Sponsored by Single Payer Now For more information call 415-695-7891 or dbechler(a)value.net www.singlepayernow.net Support HR 676 (The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) & SB 810 (The California Universal Healthcare Act) Posted 9/1/2012 labor donated Single Payer Now survives on the generosity of our supporters. Please consider making a donation <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5xmLwbCRBdIuoy9pAJJmE%2…>. www.SinglePayerNow.net <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sH5ysxA2fRhIaakTxJ6BHPr…> | 415-695-7891 | dbechler(a)value.net <mailto:dbechler@value.net> You have received this email through your subscription to Single Payer Now's email list. If you did not subscribe, or would no longer like to receive email updates unsubscribe here. <http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=t45NmqW9C73H%2ByN4dPtFB…> empowered by Salsa <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email>

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[Sustain] Fwd: Utilities beat back community solar bill in California
by Don Eichelberger 07 Sep '12

07 Sep '12

Here's more of PG&E and cohorts doing what they do best- protecting their investors' pockets and killing an innovation for delivering decentralized power because it would make their power grid carry less photon gold. I hope SF Community Power Authority will be able to incorporate the kinds of innovation in energy delivery this murdered legislation would have provided. Don -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Utilities beat back community solar bill in California Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:33:29 -0700 From: Roger Herried <rogerh(a)energy-net.org> Utilities beat back community solar bill in California <http://grist.org/climate-energy/utilities-beat-back-community-solar-bill-in…> By David Roberts <http://grist.org/author/david-roberts/> One of the big pieces of a future that makes sense <http://grist.org/article/toward-a-future-that-makes-sense/> is an energy system that involves clean power, less waste, more intelligence, and a wider distribution of economic benefits. (Think locally owned solar panels hooked into a smart grid.) I lump all that under the term "distributed energy" and have been making fitful efforts to track some of the battles going on around it. The latest episode is a sad one. Last year in California, state Sen. Lois Wolk (D) set out to tackle a pretty simple problem: Access to distributed energy (mostly rooftop solar panels) is restricted to those who can afford it and own a suitable roof. About 75 percent of Californians don't fall into that category --- they either rent, don't have the equity, or have a shaded or wrong-facing roof. That's a huge market to be tapped. So she put forward Senate Bill 843 <http://grist.org/news/how-to-put-solar-panels-on-your-roof-even-if-you-dont…>, which would allow customers in the service territories of the state's three big investor-owned utilities --- Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) --- to "subscribe" to distributed energy projects (20 megawatts or less) anywhere in their territories. So, for instance, a condo co-op could get together and invest in a solar project covering a nearby parking garage. Or a congregation could get together and invest in panels for the top of their church. They would sign a contract with a solar developer and pay a monthly fee (wrapped into their power bill) for a portion of the energy produced. Under the legislation, up to 2 gigawatts of power could be financed this way across the state; no state money would be required. According to a report by Vote Solar <http://votesolar.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/SB-843-job-econ-impacts-rep…> [PDF], in the process of adding 2 GW of distributed renewable energy, the program would create 12,000 new jobs, $230 million in state sales tax revenue, and $7.5 billion of economic activity in the state. The bill was backed by a broad coalition that included businesses, schools, nonprofit groups, and the Department of Defense. Sounds good, right? But it didn't sound good to the big quasi-monopoly utilities, PG&E and SCE (SDG&E supported the bill). Late last week, they led a last-minute flurry of lobbying and killed it <http://solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.11080>. The murder took place in the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, under what sounds like some pretty shady circumstances. Apparently Wolk made a deal with committee chair to back a scaled-down version of the program, but once committee doors shut, the chair flip-flopped. Wolk was blunt: "PG&E and Southern California Edison control the committee ... the coalition of support behind this measure was simply no match for the high paid lobbyists and the campaign contributions of these monopoly corporations." One of the utilities' objections (which are detailed in this op-ed <http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/30/4770011/another-view-solar-bill-would.html> from PG&E) was that the bill would shift the cost of maintaining the electricity system to other customers. This is, um, bullsh*t. SB 843 was explicitly designed so that participating customers would still pay all their own transmission, distribution, and public-purpose charges. And regardless, one of the great benefits of distributed energy is that it /reduces/ those costs; you don't need new power lines when the power plant is on your roof. The utilities' alleged concern over costs is touching, but somewhat ironic. PG&E is still paying out a $70 million settlement over its boneheaded San Bruno pipeline explosion <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/23/pge-san-bruno-explosion-memo_n_144…>. Guess where that money comes from? That's right, ratepayers. Oh, and PG&E also recently tried to bump up its guaranteed "return on equity" from 8.75 percent to 11 percent, which the Division of Ratepayer Advocates deemed "out of line with today's market and unfair to customers <http://www.dra.ca.gov/general.aspx?id=1860>." Guess where that extra annual $337 million in profits would have come from? Right again. As for SCE, its shareholders are currently banking $54 million a month in profits <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/29/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20120829> for running the San Onofre nuclear plant, which, um, isn't running. Guess where that money is coming from? Yup. So really, utility concern over ratepayer costs? Spare me. I suspect the real objections were elsewhere. First, the 2 GW in distributed solar wouldn't have counted toward the utilities' obligations under California's aggressive renewable energy mandate, under which utilities have to get 33 percent of their energy from renewables by 2020. Second and relatedly, the program would effectively have cut utilities out as middlemen. Customers would have been contracting directly with power providers. That is a threat to the entire utility model, which relies on tidy planning, captive ratepayers, and a publicly guaranteed rate of return. That model all but prohibits the kind of disruptive evolution the electricity system desperately needs, but it works quite well for utility shareholders and they will fight to the death to preserve it. I don't know how the program would have played out had the bill passed. Maybe it really would have been a mishegas like the utilities warned. But these facts remain: * We need rapid evolution in the electricity sector. * Under the current regulatory regime, utilities are all but incapable of that kind of innovation. * The prospects of reforming that regulatory regime are dim. Given all that, I don't see any alternative but to go /around/ utilities, to find ways for customers --- communities, businesses, civic groups --- to work directly with microgrid and distributed energy providers. We need some of that magic that comes from a competitive market and we'll never get it as long as utilities maintain their monopoly on power. On that note: supporters of SB843 intend to redraft it and have another go at it in January. I'll keep you posted. -- Roger Herried Abalone Alliance Clearinghouse archivist Energy Net <http://www.energy-net.org>

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[Sustain] Fwd: I second the motion
by Don Eichelberger 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

Good idea from a REAL Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: I second the motion Date: Sun, 02 Sep 2012 11:41:40 -0700 From: Richard Knee <rak0408(a)earthlink.net> CC: Marston Hope <hmarston(a)epud.net> Desmond Tutu calls for Blair and Bush to be tried over Iraq <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19454562?print=true#dna-comments> Tony Blair and George W Bush should be taken to the International Criminal Court in The Hague over the Iraq war, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said. Writing in the UK's Observer <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/02/desmond-tutu-tony-blair…> newspaper, he accused the former leaders of lying about weapons of mass destruction. The Iraq military campaign had made the world more unstable "than any other conflict in history", he said. [. . .] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19454562

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[Sustain] Urgent Action! Tell SF Supervisors: Support CleanPowerSF, Green Jobs!
by Eric Brooks 01 Sep '12

01 Sep '12

Hi all, After eight years of organizing to get CleanPowerSF off the ground, the moment has at last arrived. But PG&E is putting high pressure on San Francisco City Hall to kill CleanPowerSF, so it is crucial for all of us to contact the SF Supervisors and Mayor immediately. THEN please forward this alert to everyone you know who cares about saving the planet, and putting thousands of San Franciscans to work building a green economy. ** *View a web version <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=f-6E1vg-0peniDnD0e9o6Q> | Send to a Friend <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=Mmt5tR6GhzLCBJG3TzOb0g> | Sent to (Not You? Sign Up Here <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=X3jGuCRL0KTKu5Dp7qa4OQ>)* ** *Choose Renewable Energy, Local Green Jobs, and Competition* Dear Friend,** Support CleanPowerSF! <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=8x2i833mcXQpaUyvP1CZZg> [object Object] <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=Fn2TR8Dsjh52JJ1znDqwRA> *Help launch CleanPowerSF, a program that brings renewable energy online in San Francisco and lays the foundation for hundreds of megawatts of local renewable energy and energy efficiency. This program will create thousands of local clean-energy jobs. * The Supervisors will soon vote on legislation that will enable the City to engage in a 30-megawatt clean energy purchasing agreement as phase one of CleanPowerSF. This program will kick-start the unprecedented development of local renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. This innovative program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide participants with renewable electricity immediately. *» Tell the Supervisors to vote yes for CleanPowerSF <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=nY3y-cihlWhwI-KGK_NSeQ>! <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=-vNOemRFYf2_ekdsaTATSQ>* Thank you for all that you do, / Michelle Myers/, /Conservation Director / P.S. *To read more about CleanPowerSF, go here <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=Bcckw9JrnJKdgGVeNblXwA>*. P.P.S. Share this alert with your social networks: Share this page on FacebookShare this on Facebook <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=fynkzmX7ECAREHcEiNR39A> Share this page on TwitterShare this on Twitter <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=VP8q29u29B4CVyVAb5n8hw> Unsubscribe from the SF Bay Chapter Updates <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=2WhLMrhwjBsF-9GS2M6Igg> Update My Profile <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=9LByDPl_43vMicF72a0iwA> Manage My Email Preferences <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/CO?i=&cid=5102> | Update My Interests <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=a-S9bQeYXNx50gCxn0hYGg> | Explore Our Online Communities <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=dx0w1PZFohkED1FhRKyiFQ> Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter <http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=zLTVFJ4Zk83xNDZe-C95PQ> 2530 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA

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