June 2009 - Transpo - list.sfgreens.org

Sustain/Transpo Meeting?
by Eric Brooks 14 Jun '09

14 Jun '09

Hi all, I have been way too overwhelmed with campaign emergencies in the last few days to even think about lining up a meeting for Sustain/Transpo tomorrow. If folks want to meet, someone else should take the ball on this. peace Eric B -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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Berkeley Says Bye To Biodiesel
by Eric Brooks 12 Jun '09

12 Jun '09

http://www.contracostatimes.com/berkeleyvoice/ci_12536568?nclick_check=1 Berkeley says bye to biodiesel By Doug Oakley Berkeley Voice Posted: 06/06/2009 04:24:15 PM PDT Berkeley has ended its six-year attempt to save the world by burning biodiesel in its trucks and machinery amid concerns it actually increases greenhouse gases worldwide and exacerbates hunger. The city stopped receiving shipments of biodiesel derived from soy bean crops last month. The City Council will consider formalizing its policy on the matter in September. "Four years ago we looked at this and thought it was a really good idea to do biofuels when there were no crop-based biofuels, but the situation has changed beneath us," said Robert Clear a member of the city's Community Environmental Advisory Commission which recommended the city change its policy on biofuels. In 2003, the city started using 100 percent biodiesel in its more than 100 cars and trucks that run on diesel fuel. But that biodiesel was derived from recycled frying grease. Over the years, the supply changed to a crop-based biofuel. New thinking on that product and its implications for global warming have changed for the worse. Although biodiesel pollutes less than regular diesel when it comes out of a tail pipe, the farming involved to produce crop-based biofuels actually increases pollution worldwide, city officials say. Clear said American farmers who are now converting their crops to grow soy beans to meet the biodiesel demand are decreasing the amount of land used to grow food for people and cattle. That in turn has caused an increase in demand for land to grow food in South America and South East Asia where farmers are burning down virgin forests. The burning of the forests releases carbon into the atmosphere and there is a decrease in the amount of carbon the plants suck out of the atmosphere: two big negatives for global warming. Add that to the fact that American farmers are growing less food because they are using their land for biodiesel production and you have a crimp on worldwide food supplies that contributes to global hunger problems. Both of those issues are something Berkeley policy makers don't want on their save-the-world agenda even though local pollution is reduced when their trucks are burning biodiesel. "It no longer looks like a thing to encourage," Clear said. "It's really too bad, because we'd love to see some magic bullets." One option is going back to using biodiesel from recycled fryer grease, but there just isn't enough of it to go around and it's hard on the engines, said Deputy Public Works Director Andrew Clough. In 2005 the city had two diesel truck engines explode when the city got a bad batch of biodiesel made from recycled fryer grease. "Right now it doesn't sound like there is a good option," Clough said. "What seemed like a really good idea maybe isn't such a good idea as we thought because of all the considerations." Reach Doug Oakley at doakley(a)bayareanewsgroup.com <mailto:doakley@bayareanewsgroup.com> ### -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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Fwd: Currently: In the Green Room with Gavin Newsom
by Ann Garrison 06 Jun '09

06 Jun '09

Here's the actual notice re Gavin on a Green ticket, with a capital "G." Seems to me like that---the capital "G"---should be cause for complaint. > From: Current TV <yourfriends(a)community.current.com> > Date: June 5, 2009 10:08:37 PM PDT > To: anniegarrison(a)mac.com > Subject: Currently: In the Green Room with Gavin Newsom > Reply-To: yourfriends(a)community.current.com > > > This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, > click here to view. > > > Take Control of the Conversation > Current Green interviews Gavin Newsom > > Current Green is just about ready to roll out a brand new live- > streamed web show about all things green called "The Green Room." > This new web-only show will be hosted by Leah Lamb and will feature > eco-minded friends from around the web (such as Treehugger, > Huffington Post Green, Daily Grist, and more). We're kicking off > The Green Room with a live interview with Gavin Newsom, the San > Francisco Mayor who is running for Governor of California on a > Green ticket. > > The live-streamed interview will take place on Thursday, June 11th, > and Current wants YOU to take control of the conversation! What > should we ask Gavin? You decide what environmental topics this > political leader should address. So, submit your questions now! > Then vote on the ones you want us to ask. And don't forget to watch > live on Current Green on June 11th at noon PDT. > > Not sure what to ask? Watch Mr. Newsom discuss solar energy and how > we can implement in our own homes. Or let Mr. Newsom tell you about > hip, cool electric vehicles. He also gets into what's next in the > green world. > > Now get on it! Submit your questions. Go back and vote. And watch > Leah Lamb and Gavin Newsom live on Current Green, June 11th at noon > PDT. > > Brigett > Online Marketing > current.com | facebook | twitter © 2009 current. all rights > reserved. > This email was sent from Current TV at 118 King Street, San > Francisco, CA 94107. To opt out of future emails, click this link. >

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Gavin Newsom running on a Green ticket
by Ann Garrison 06 Jun '09

06 Jun '09

According to Current TV, in an e-mail they sent me "We're kicking off The Green Room with a live interview with Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Mayor who is running for Governor of California on a Green ticket." The Green Room is Current's new show. They're asking audience to submit questions to ask Green ticket Gavin Newsom for 06./11 netcast: http://current.com/topics/88918209_green-questions-for-gavin-newsom/

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Please call Mark Leno about the offshore oil drilling leases.
by Ann Garrison 05 Jun '09

05 Jun '09

This is a repeat request, but I've been studying this and realized that the consequences are potentially much worse than I thought, though I'm gonna skip the details for now. PLEASE CALL MARK LENO, at all of his #s: say you don't want the legislation that would grant new offshore drilling leases off the coast of Santa Barbara to get out of the State Budget Conference Committee, which he's on. This is not gonna do a thing for the budget; Schwarzenegger and the oil interests are just using budget panic to scare everyone into agreeing. I think it's quite possible that this could lead to a lot more leases before Schwarzenegger's out of office, if it gets out of this committee and the legislature passes it. Capitol (916) 651-4003 State Capitol, Room 4061 Sacramento, CA 95814 San Rafael (415) 479-6612 Marin Civic Center 3501 Civic Center Drive Suite 425 San Rafael, CA 94903 San Francisco (415) 557-1300 455 Golden Gate Avenue Suite 14800 San Francisco, CA 94102

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Mark Leno plays a big role in the decision about more oil drilling off the California coast
by Ann Garrison 02 Jun '09

02 Jun '09

Someone in Pedro Nava's office told me that they'd see whether the budget legislation that would extend oil drilling leases off the coast of Santa Barbara, to try to solve the state budget crisis, gets out of committee in the next two weeks. If it does, they'll probably vote on it before the end of the month. Mark Leno is on this State Budget Conference Committee that will or won't send it to a vote: Assemblymember Noreen Evans (Democrat - Santa Rosa) - Chair Assemblymember Kevin de León (Democrat - Los Angeles) Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (Democrat - Woodland Hills) Assemblymember Roger Niello (Republican - Fair Oaks) Assemblymember Jim Nielsen (Republican - Gerber) The State Senate members of the Budget Conference Committee are: Senator Denise Ducheny (Democrat - San Diego) Senator Mark Leno (Democrat - San Francisco) PH: (916) 651-4003 Senator Alan Lowenthal (Democrat - Long Beach) Senator Bob Dutton (Republican - Rancho Cucamonga) Senator Mimi Walters (Republican - Laguna Hill

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