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Greenbelt Newswire
In this edition ** This is the December-January edition of the Newswire. The next Newswire will come out in February. Happy holidays! ** Volunteers of the Month: Andrew Chahrour and Erik Alskog November’s volunteers of the month are the research team of Andrew Chahrour and Erik Alskog. Andrew and Erik have been working together to answer an important question: How many housing units could legally be built on greenbelt lands today? They have been carefully analyzing county planning documents and mapping the results, and have done a terrific job managing this complicated project. Andrew Chahrour is a Bucknell grad from Cincinnati, Ohio, who moved to Berkeley in June. He is also the co-founder of ConsumerConscience, an online community devoted to ethical consumerism. Erik Alskog, originally from Washington, attended Dartmouth College. Prior to interning at Greenbelt Alliance, he participated in a graduate program in energy planning and sustainable development at the University of Oslo. He now lives in San Francisco. Thanks for all your hard work, Erik and Andrew!
Action Alert: Fight Climate Change with Smarter Transportation Funding The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is putting together its Regional Transportation Plan, the $100+ billion blueprint for how transportation funding will be spent in the Bay Area over the next 25 years. For the first time, MTC is considering setting broad goals and concrete targets in the three areas of economy, equity, and environment – including greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets – and using them to evaluate projects and programs. Tell your regional representatives you support setting emissions-reduction targets and making sure transportation funding is spent in a way that will meet those targets. Write to the MTC Commissioners care of James Corless by mail at 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607 or by email. Get your letter in by December 19 if you can.
Event: Help Your City Tackle Global Warming Each time we allow our elected officials to approve sprawling business-as-usual developments, we’re making global warming worse. We’re digging ourselves deeper into a crisis that threatens our health, our economy, and our environment. It doesn’t have to be that way. Greenbelt Alliance is co-sponsoring a free Local Climate Action Initiative Workshop where you can find out how to get your elected officials to stop digging us into a hole, and start growing responsibly. Tell your friends!
To RSVP, contact Matt Vander Sluis at (916) 313-4515 or by email.
Action Alert: Show You Care about Sonoma County’s Future Tonight, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will have their first meeting on the updated draft of Sonoma County’s General Plan. This will kick off the final round of approvals for the plan—a document that will shape the county’s next 15 years of growth and development. The meeting will be an opportunity to see whether the County is truly committed to protecting farmlands and natural areas, ensuring a sufficient supply of water, and reducing contribution to climate change. Please come to the meeting tonight to let the Board know that Sonoma County residents are paying attention to the General Plan, and want it to include strong policies to protect land, water, and climate.
Action Alert: Protect the East Bay’s Los Medanos Hills Pittsburg is about to adopt a watered-down hillside ordinance that will allow far too much development in the landslide-prone Los Medanos Hills. The Planning Commission will soon be presented with a final draft of the ordinance, and will make its final recommendation to the City Council on January 8. The Council will then hold its first reading of the ordinance on February 4. After a year of hard work, this is our last chance to put a stop to this weak, developer-friendly ordinance. Please join us to show your support for protecting the hills!
Update: Redwood City Event Highlights Green Neighborhood Planning Greenbelt Alliance’s Livable Communities Outreach Team works around the region to help local residents and elected leaders see how planning decisions can shape their communities. Last month, the team held “LEEDing the Way,” an urban outing in downtown Redwood City, attended by more than 50 people. The event focused on three things: LEED-ND, the U.S. Green Building Council’s new rating system for green neighborhood development; Greenbelt Alliance’s compact development endorsement program; and Redwood City’s smart growth efforts. It included a walking tour, was co-sponsored by the Northern California chapter of the American Planning Association, and was attended by several local elected officials, including Mayor Barbara Pierce. Next up for the team will be a February outing in San Leandro. To find out more about the Livable Communities Outreach Team, contact Marla Wilson. Announcement: Great Ways to End This Year and Start the Next Now’s the perfect time to give a tax-deductible donation to Greenbelt Alliance. Your year-end gift can help Greenbelt Alliance reach more people than ever before in 2008, which will be our 50th year! Or consider gift memberships for the holidays. Donate securely online. Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get outside more? Go on a Greenbelt Outing! The Winter Outings Calendar email will be out soon, and you can find out about upcoming hikes now.
Greenbelt Alliance in the News Listen to Professor Richard Walker interviewed on KQED radio’s Forum program about the Bay Area’s environmental history – including the pivotal role Greenbelt Alliance continues to play. And check out Greenbelt Alliance’s Urban Outings in the San Francisco Chronicle! Every other Thursday, we highlight walkable neighborhoods with nature close by – examples of what makes the Bay Area such a great place to live. Send us your destination ideas, or comment on the stories online!
Mon Dec 31: New Year's Eve Exploration, San Francisco Sat Jan 5: Mount Diablo Necklace, East Bay Sun Jan 6: Muir Beach Birdwalk, Sonoma & Marin
Become a Member or Renew Your Membership Support Greenbelt Alliance's work to protect the Bay Area's open space and make its cities
better places to live. Join or renew now, or join the Greenbelt Guardian monthly donor club.
Thank you for reading! To subscribe to the Greenbelt Alliance Newswire email list, enter your name and email address at www.greenbelt.org. To unsubscribe, simply send an unsubscribe request to unsubscribe@greenbelt.org. |
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