- Sustainability - list.sfgreens.org

[Sustain] combine Transpo, Sustainability meetings this month?
by John-Marc Chandonia 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

Hi, I'd like to combine this month's Transpo and Sustainability WG meetings, if there's enough time to get through all items. The only pressing Transpo item is consideration of the TALC platform. The GM was pushed back a week due to Thanksgiving, replacing the regular Transpo meeting date. Sustainability meets the next day, the 29th, at 7:30 (also pushed back a week due to Thanksgiving). If this works out well, we could consider combining the meetings on a regular basis. JMC -- John-Marc Chandonia (jmc(a)sfgreens.org) http://sfgreens.org/

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[Sustain] Fwd: Action needed now on Energy Bill and Loan Guarantees
by Don Eichelberger 15 Nov '07

15 Nov '07

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[Sustain] Reminder: Sustainability Working Group, THU Nov 29, 7:30pm GP Office
by Eric Brooks 13 Nov '07

13 Nov '07

Reminder all, The SFGP Sustainability Working Group will meet one week -later- than normal on Thursday, November 29, 7:30pm at the Green Party 1028-A Howard St office. Discussion Items - Oil Spill - Critical Update (Possible Actions) On Fight To Stop Combustion Turbine Plant - Peak Oil Taskforce Update - Community Choice Energy Project Update

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Re: [Sustain] [SFGP-A] oil spill -- what action should we take?
by Eric Brooks 13 Nov '07

13 Nov '07

First - Yes push for federal, state local bans on the extremely dirty 'Bunker Fuel' or 'Bunker Oil' that the ship was carrying. Second - Yes push for requirement of double hulled ships. The double hull requirement passed after Exxon/Valdez applies only to oil tankers and not to cargo ships like the one that cause last week's spill. Third - To actually help with spill and animal clean-up (and or or donating toward this work) go to Bay Keeper at: http://www.baykeeper.org/news/oilspill.html Fourth and most obvious - Keep pushing hard to stop all further fossil fuel plants and switch SF to all renewables so that we set an example that helps create a domino effect worldwide for an immediate massive global transportation and energy shift to renewables and mass transit. We will of course also address this in more detail at the November Sustainability WG meeting. cheers Eric susan_e_vaughan(a)juno.com wrote: > Hello Everyone, > > Yesterday someone came running up to us at the SFGP tent and asked us what we were doing about the oil spill, saying, "Come on guys, this is huge." He was right. > > I have just listened to someone from SF Bay Keepers on Democracy Now saying that people can put pressure on Congress to ban the particular kind of oil that was spilled into the Bay on Wednesday and to mandate double-hulled ships. > > ???? Double-hulled ships? I thought we learned that lesson after the Exxon-Valdez oil spill. > > Can Eric Brooks advise on the appropriate course of action? Shall we put out a press release? > > Sue > > > _______________________________________________ > San Francisco Green Party Active Members List > To unsubscribe or edit your options, go here: > https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/active > -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara _______________________________________________ San Francisco Green Party Active Members List To unsubscribe or edit your options, go here: https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/active

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[Sustain] Fwd: Cut Out Illegal Logging
by Eric Brooks 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

Greenpeace <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9tkgqoelnmKQwRn2xC%2…> November 6, 2007 Cut Out Illegal Logging <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9uLcmWQGTCjG0qzxlAlr…> I'll never forget my first encounter with a wild orangutan. Hiking through a protected forest in Borneo, I rounded a bend to find her standing right in front of me in the path, staring back with bright amber eyes that were at once intense and deeply peaceful. Nor will I forget my first sight of illegal logging in orangutan habitat -- miles of ancient forest turned to cut and blackened stumps in the ground. Illegal logging is taking a terrible toll on people and the environment throughout the world. Every year, illegal loggers destroy millions of acres of ancient forests, harming local communities, wildlife and our climate, and pushing species like the orangutan ever farther down the road to extinction. That's why this issue means so much to me, and why I've worked hard to make sure that consumers like you don't have to wonder if the wood products you're buying have contributed to the kind of destruction I've witnessed. Take Action Today >> Congress has a chance to cut illegal logging now! <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4uJCajr%2F4p2frsDekY…> This is why I'm proud to tell you that Congress is on the verge of taking a major step to put an end to the import of illegal timber. A new law being considered by Congress would ban imports of illegal wood once and for all, and put a system in place to make sure that ban has real teeth. Along with our partners at the Environmental Investigation Agency, I've worked hard all year to see this day happen, but now I need YOUR help to make sure Congress follows through. I can't describe to you how important this bill is. The U.S. is the world's biggest importer of wood products, and this landmark legislation will be the first serious safeguard against illegal wood imports into this country, benefiting forests, wildlife, communities and our climate. But, corporate interest groups are threatening to make the bill ineffective with weakening amendments. Please take action <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=M7tem6xwPpXNdJM6aWuO…> now to make sure that doesn't happen. Sincerely, Carroll Muffett Deputy Director of Campaigns p.s. Right now, Greenpeace activists are in Sumatra (really close to where I was in Borneo) working to defend the rainforest for the critically endangered orangutans and tigers who call it home. My friend Hayden is participating in the forest camp there, and writing about his experience. Be sure to read his blog <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=hsIg2RfJmynT%2FQcKpm…> to follow the story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Great Whale Trail <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7e0x%2FRJqYZYPnr%2BH…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Last week we told you about our Great Whale Trail, where we're tracking humpback whales by satellite as they make their annual migration to the Southern Ocean. And we gave you the opportunity to get your friends involved and help fundraise to protect the whales. The response so far has been amazing! Already, hundreds of you have created your own Whale Defender pages, and invited your friends follow the trail. If you haven't already, it's not too late! Sign up today <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=BCbHGwhpeI6lbFF%2Be4…>. Our top fundraiser right now is our very own staffer Whitney Howard, who has raised an amazing total of $865.00 from her family members and friends! Kimberly Smith is close on Whitney's heels with a grand total of $420. Check out our website <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9%2FOLk2revNEjYphMKe…> to see what other people have raised, make your own donations, or set up your own page. Then be sure to get your friends involved too. Here are a few tips to get going: * Make sure you have sent an email to all your friends and family asking them to help with your fundraising. * Send a reminder email (or txt). Most people need to be asked more than once. * Put a link to your fundraising page in Facebook or MySpace if you use them. * Remember you can also fundraise offline any way you like. * Use our web banners to promote the Great Whale trail if you have a website or blog. The humpbacks, several with their calves, should begin arriving in the Southern Ocean to begin feeding over the next few days. You can follow their progress on the map <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1fu%2B0fo%2BAZDduC8C…>. Thanks so much for helping us to help the whales! Your friend, John Hocevar Oceans Campaigner p.s. I could sure use your help on my Whale Defender page <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mDA6Iv0GCZ9JVkn1OKiH…>! If you don't have one of your own, please be sure to donate on mine, and send your friends too. Thanks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 Ways to Help 1: Donate Now <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1CrAhYCQQDUyzMeWhxzv…> Help Greenpeace Take a Stand. Become a Member Today. 2: Take Action <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=84aQYlfPCqmrdNlnmxFr…> Visit our Action Center and take action today. 3: Tell a Friend <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=UAyFTOVyI%2BN6ZuSK0F…> Forward this message to a friend. Help spread the word. Forest Camp Blog <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Hyhs7QxcaDG6BrYaaD0C…> I spent this morning at one of the dam construction sites as one of the standby medics. I was the only one who got hurt this morning though. I was climbing down the face of one of the dams when I used a piece of wood that hadn't been nailed in as an anchor (always test your anchors!). I came tumbling down into the water, along with my camera. My camera appears like it will recover. And I escaped with only a small scrape. Read more of Hayden's blog. <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=678nPq8eNFo6snbvPlyq…> *Get the 2008 Calendar* buy calendar <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4IcYpRFW5gFcSh60rzQ%…> Holiday shopping early? Get our beautiful 2008 wall calendar. Buy now for $9.59. <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1tdSkVcY0S5tWJRPbRgv…> <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=amJTvF48%2BvpgHbXcuA…> 702 H Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20001 (800) 326-0959 Get the facts about humpbacks <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=u2Tb64I%2FPNlDhZoQms…>.

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[Sustain] Global Exchange Joins STOPPP! Coalition
by Eric Brooks 05 Nov '07

05 Nov '07

Hi all, Excellent news. Global Exchange just endorsed our campaign. The full list of supporting organizations and leaders is now: Sierra Club - San Francisco Bay Chapter The San Francisco Green Party Greenaction The San Francisco Bayview Newspaper Defend Bayview Hunters Point Womens Energy Matters Greenwood Earth Alliance Our City Global Exchange Maurice Campbell Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai Espanola Jackson Patrick Monk, RN -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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[Sustain] Price: Renewable vs Fossil - With Big Caution On Waste Methane
by Eric Brooks 03 Nov '07

03 Nov '07

This great information! I do have one big caution however on waste methane. Since the CO2 that would result from burning waste methane is persistent in the atmosphere for centuries longer than free methane itself, even though methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas, the resulting C02 will actually generate more global warming than that which would result from just releasing the methane directly into the air. So, we should not promote directly burning waste methane. Instead, we should capture waste methane, split it into hydrogen, and then either burn the hydrogen in fuel cells and/or pipe the hydrogen to communities for heating and cooking. cheers Eric Brooks posted by: rfreeh <rfreeh123(a)sbcglobal.net> The following assume private investors own the facilities. > > *Natural Gas Baseload:* depends heavily on the ever changing cost of > natural gas. For 24 hour baseload power from an existing power plant > this is roughly 6.5 to 7 cents/kwh. (The state contracts that were > signed during the energy crisis, and are still in effect, are for 7.3 > cents/kwh; at the time this seemed outrageous--today it doesn't look > so bad.) The price to build brand new natural gas plants has gone up > significantly, so natural gas fueled power going forward may range 7 > to 8 cents/kwh. (It was 3 cents only a few years ago--how's that for > sticker shock) This does not account for increasing future natural gas > prices or potential carbon assessments. > > *Natural Gas Peaking:* can range from 10 cent/kwh to over 50 cent/kwh. > > *Wind:* costs 7 to 9 cents/kwh, but is eligible for a 2 cent/kwh > federal tax credit. For this reason actual wind contracts were until > recently selling for as low as 5.5 to 6 cents/kwh. > > *Solar Thermal:* Mid scale (under 100 mw) central power generation > using the heat of the sun (not for your roof) would be 25 cents/kwh > (or higher if not placed in a desert region), but the federal > government has a generous tax credit of 30%, bringing the cost closer > to 16 to 18 cents/kwh. Building to larger scale would reduce the cost > signficantly, as will development of the technology and market. It is > very close to cost competitive with natural gas. > > *Photovoltaic:* so called "solar panels" of the type that go on > rooftops or anywhere else you want, on average ranges from 25 to 40 > cent/kwh in locations with clear access to the sky and plenty of > sunlight (most of California would count for the latter). The lower > range would be for larger scale systems, while the higher range > applies to smaller residential systems. Commercial developers can > bring the cost down significantly due to 30% federal tax credits, as > can the $3 billion in state rebates currently being offered in > California. Photovoltaics serve the peak energy needs, and thus also > fall broadly within the range of peak natural gas generation. How to > measure this precisely is hotly disputed between advocates and critics. > > If CCAs finance renewable facilities with bonds then the cost usually > drops significantly. Photovoltaics is an exception, but this can > partly be offset by bulk purchasing, economy of scale, and the ability > to influence site choice and design. > > Another factor is that natural gas generation is highly volatile in > price, while renewables tend to be relatively fixed in cost once they > are installed. That is not to say there is no risk from renewables, > but inherent and potentially violent price volatility is not one of > them. Mitigating fuel price volatility carries a real economic cost in > the form of a hedge (market insurance) premium. So this is not merely > theoretical. > > The California Energy Commission came out with a draft report for cost > of all types of electric generation; and it clearly shows that a > number of renewables (for example, geothermal, wind, solar thermal, > waste methane) can be cost competitive with natural gas if they are > publicly financed. Local Power has also demonstrated this in a report > we did for the Environmental Health Coalition. > > Hope I did not overload you with information here. > > Robert F.

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[Sustain] Crucial SFPUC CT Hearing Video Finally On The Web
by Eric Brooks 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

Hi again, The three hour SFPUC Oct 19 Special Hearing on the CTs, in which we and Commissioners Sklar, Hochschild, and Normandy complete deconstructed and debunked the SFPUC staff's presentation on the CTs is -finally- on the City web site at http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=22 Click on the hearing next to the date 11/1/07 to watch it. peace Eric Brooks Our City & SF Green Party 415-756-8844

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[Sustain] 3 Point Media Message On CTs
by Eric Brooks 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

Hi again all, Now that this campaign is gearing up and becoming public, it will be very important for us to start using a tight media message that will get repeated over and over again in the press. It is very important that such a message be very short and contain no more than three very basic concepts. Here is my recommended message (please reply with improvements, especially if they will make it even shorter): First, here are just the titles of the three points, put together, which can be said out loud on their own if you only have 15 seconds. 1) Three Old Diesel Turbines At Mirant Are The Problem & Can Close Now 2) The New Plant Costs Hundreds Of Millions For The Same Pollution 3) Let's Just Replace -All- The Old Plants In 3 Years With Clean Energy Now the actual talking points: 1) The Utilities Commission says we need to build this new plant to close the older Mirant power plant. But if we shut down the 3 -really- dirty diesel turbines that make only 3% of Mirant's electricity, air pollution from the old plant compared to the new plant would be the same. 2) It makes -no- sense to spend 200-500 million dollars in public and ratepayer funds on fossil fuel plants that will emit the -same- pollution, and will actually do so -longer- because the contract for these plants lasts for decades. 3) The City's clean energy projects and environmental laws will let us close Mirant in just -three- years. We need to spend that 200-500 million dollars to build the clean energy now, not to build more polluting power plants. -- IMPORTANT - Main Rebuttal Point: Our opposition will respond with - "The CTs will only run for reliability, so they will pollute less." Our response is simple. "The Federal Energy Commission, California Utilities Commission and the California Independent System Operator are in charge of reliability, -not- San Francisco. Since Mirant is already running for reliability because those agencies demand it, they will still require the CTs to run just as much. - end - If you decide to use these points, print them out on a single sheet so you have them right in front of you when you talk to the press. peace Eric Brooks Our City & SF Green Party 415-756-8844

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[Sustain] New Anti-Power Plant Organizing List
by Eric Brooks 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

Hi all, Because the campaign to stop the Combustion Turbines is heating up and we need to be able to very easily and quickly email and keep in touch with eachother, I have created a new email list for the STOPPP! (Stop Polluting Power Plants) coalition, and added you to the list. For the most part I and a couple of others are the only ones who have been copying the rest of you to keep you tied in to the campaign, so this list won't likely result in much crosstalk or spam. (SF Green Party Sustainability members, please note that I have added our working group to this list because the SFGP has joined the coalition and our involvement as a working group is very important to the success of the campaign.) So now all you have to do to contact everyone in our circle is to send one email or reply to the address: stoppp(a)our-city.org Note: I have not added public officials to this list, so if you want electeds like Kim-Shree Maufas (or others) to be kept in the loop, please email them a -separate- copy of specific emails. Very Important: Please do not post this email list address on any web page, blog, or web paged email group, because this would allow marketing spammers to copy it and send so much spam that we would have to change the list address. If you decide that you would prefer to not be on this list, send an email to me at brookse32(a)aim.com Thanks all, Eric Brooks Our City "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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