Sustainable Novato

Great turn out!

Are you ready to take climate action with us this spring? We are offering two 5-session climate action workshops. Learn how to live sustainably and bring climate-friendly practices to your home. The sessions take place every other week via Zoom. As always, the program is free for Marin residents! The next workshops start on Mar 30 and Apr 5. Sign up here: https://www.resilientneighborhoods.org/sign-up-for-a-team.html

Marin County Sustainability Team, Marincan, Sustainable Mill Valley, Sustainable San Rafael, Sustainable Novato, Sustainable Marin, San Anselmo Climate Action Commission

Not good! We’ll need to take a hard look at the way we use our precious and limited resources- like fresh water. The age of unlimited water use needs to end, and we need to take a close look at our biggest consumers!

Scientists warn that the alarmingly low waters in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are unlikely to change anytime soon. Both bodies of water are located in the main channel of the Colorado River basin, which supplies approx 25% of the water for coastal Southern California. Read more: https://go.nowth.is/3RFLU6y

In 2000, Lake Mead was filled with so much water that it was splashing against the lake’s spillway gates. In 2023, after years of global warming and megadroughts, Mead is estimated to be nearly 70% dry.

Meanwhile, Lake Powell is now at 23% from its full capacity. Powell’s water levels are so low that the nearby Glen Canyon Dam is at risk of no longer being able to properly provide electricity for nearly 6M customers across Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Nebraska.

‘Now the water use is maxed out. Every state is taking too much, and we have to cut back. And so there’s just not enough. You would need wet year after wet year, after wet year after wet year, after wet year. Even then, because the demand is so high, it still wouldn’t fill,’ said Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, to the Los Angeles Times.

Scientists warn that the alarmingly low waters in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are unlikely to change anytime soon. Both bodies of water are located in the main channel of the Colorado River basin, which supplies approx 25% of the water for coastal Southern California.

Similar enzymes discovered in 2020, but this new discovery involves a natural process and has some VERY promising implications as we clean up our mess and recover / move away from our dependency on single use plastics!

Wax worm saliva and the enzymes therein are the key to polyethylene degradation by Galleria mellonella - Nature Communications The crucial first step in the biodegradation of polyethylene plastic is oxidation of the polymer. This has traditionally required abiotic pre-treatment, but now Bertocchini and colleagues report two wax worm enzymes capable of catalyzing this oxidation and subsequent degradation at room temperature.

This is a fantastic service! We’re lucky to be in a community that had invested in future-proofing our city and conserving our resources.

💦♻️💦 𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩 has been providing high quality recycled water to North Marin Water District to irrigate large landscapes for over a decade.

Recycled water frees up potable water for homes and businesses and helps KEEP NOVATO GREEN, especially during the drought!

🌈 the more you know

𝓓𝓲𝓭 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓚𝓷𝓸𝔀?
☆☆ 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 ☆☆ Provides free and safe disposal of common household products like aerosol cans, cleaners, pesticides, paints, batteries, motor oils, and small electronics etc.
✳ To schedule an appointment (required for drop off) and to learn more about what is and is not accepted, as well as other disposal and recycling resources, visit our website. https://novatosan.com/services/household-hazardous-waste-program/

This is a great local resource, and such a convenient way to de clutter / keep e-waste (ie heavy metals) out of our landfills! 🙂

EVERY THURSDAY!!! Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB) is providing Free E-Waste Pick-Up for Novato Residents. Pick ups are made by appointment only. Schedule yours today!

➡️ EMAIL: [email protected] or
➡️ CALL: (415) 454-4554
➡️ For more information visit the CCNB website: https://www.ccnorthbay.org/events/recycling-specifics/

Fun activities for the family or just with friends this spring!

Common misinformation about our EV future and ! EV’s are the future and they’re here to stay 🙂.

Engineering Explained: Yes, The Grid Can Handle EVs We’ve all seen it. Insufferable fanatics of fossil fuels, seeking to win an argument against electric vehicles, pull out what they think is the ultimate argument against them: “Where does that power come from?” They have all of their facts from decades ago in order. All power comes from coal-f...

A German company figured out a safe and effective method to recover the silicon from used solar panels! They’re helping to produce the worlds first 100% recycled PV arrays 😎♥️

PERC Solar Cells from 100 Percent Recycled Silicon - Fraunhofer ISE Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the largest German recycling company for PV modules, Reiling GmbH & Co. KG, have developed a solution, in which the silicon in the discarded modules was recycled on an industrial scale and reused to produce new PERC solar cells.

This has the beginnings of some real progress! We as citizens still need to iron out some important details with the City to make sure that the commission members have the voice they need and the local support to act.

Let us know your thoughts, we are here to help represent our members. Sustainable Novato will be staying on top of the process as the commission gets defined and moves forward!

Novato seeks to form climate commission The proposal calls for a five- to seven-member panel that would include one or two students in high school or college.

Thinking about a landscape upgrade at your property? Think ahead and keep your garden green!

There are smarter options than just putting in a water & cost intensive new lawn 🙂

Replace Lawn - UC Marin Master Gardeners Lawns are a landscape feature we've borrowed from areas where rain is more plentiful. They're great for kids and parks and ball fields, but problematic from an environmental perspective. If you aren't actively using your lawn, please consider replacing it with a more Earth-friendly option.

Over 200 signatures in just a few weeks on our petition to ban noisy, polluting gas powered leaf blowers in favor of electric. Have you signed yet? Please sign and share and comment and let’s get this done!

https://www.change.org/p/novato-city-council-ban-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-f5a8a95b-bb62-486d-9e54-acfcf313b751/u/30144900

Novato's Environmental Stewardship Goal One of the four stated goals of Novato's Strategic Plan is Environmental Stewardship. We have delivered the petition's first 220 signatures to the City Council asking them to live up that commitment. It's really a no-brainer! If you would like to send your own message to the Council, their group ema...

Enough is enough! Enough deafening noise, carcinogenic hydrocarbons and legislative delays! If you've had enough, sign the petition below right now!

The blaring noise is maddening enough, but gas powered leaf blowers also spew out more air pollution in an hour than the average car driving from Novato to Denver!

Pending State legislation might ban sales of new equipment in a couple of years, but does nothing to stop their use in your neighborhood. Ever!

Our City Council considered a blanket gas powered yard equipment ban last year but ended up postponing action until later. Later is now! We need to make as much noise as the leaf blowers and get the worst offending, most polluting machines out of our community as soon as possible.

Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sonoma, Berkeley, Oakland and many, many more California cities have already banned the infernal, flithy machines. Why are we still tolerating their obnoxious and noxious existence on our streets when clean, quiet electric alternatives are readily available and cheaper to run?!

If you value clean air and a quiet neighborhood let the City Council know by signing the petition, then share with at least three friends, and let's get it done together!

Sign the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/novato-city-council-ban-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-f5a8a95b-bb62-486d-9e54-acfcf313b751?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_32027294_en-US%3A4&recruiter=1246218253&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

www.sustainablenovato.org

Home - Sustainable Novato Photography © Saxon Holt / PhotoBotanica.com Working for Novato’s green future We advocate and educate about sustainability for the city of Novato. Sustainable Novato is a non-profit organization of volunteers who love our Earth and work to save and preserve our environment. Our blog articles are...

Go on a low-carbon diet this winter with Resilient Neighborhoods.

Experience the online Resilient Neighborhoods Climate Action Workshop series with neighbors who also care about a healthy planet. Have FUN calculating your carbon footprint and taking steps to reduce it and make your household resilient to droughts, wildfires, and power outages.

In just five meetings you and your team will achieve measurable results through impactful actions that can save you money too. Choose from the sessions starting on Jan. 13 or Jan. 18. Sign-up below for this popular FREE Marin workshop.

https://www.resilientneighborhoods.org/sign-up-for-a-team.html

Utilities like PG&E are lobbying the state of California to make it harder and more expensive for people to get solar. They are trying to gut a program called net metering, which lets solar users share their extra solar energy with their neighbors for a bill credit.

We need to make it easier for people to get solar, not harder. Rooftop solar gives everyday Californians the power to control their energy bills and keep the lights on. The Public Utilities Commission will make a decision on net metering on December 10, we must ensure that they see that California supports rooftop solar!

Please sign a public comment to Governor Newsom to save solar in California! If you care about climate change, clean energy, and energy democracy for all Californians please sign a public comment today!

It’s easy and only takes 30 seconds to sign here: http://go.pardot.com/e/894461/SaveCASolarFriend/51nrv/82013139?h=y7Th8-so3cVW7f2xHcJUB7BTWbv1xM0pBOS0HT_20ts

Once you’ve signed, please consider forwarding this to your network.

Thank you!

Sign Petition — Save California Solar We’re In The Homestretch! Help Us Get 100,000 Public Comments By November 20! SEND A MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM STOP THE UTILITY PROFIT GRAB Dear Governor Newsom, (cc: CA Public Utilities Commission),California is a solar state where power from the sun belongs to everyone. Our commitment to growin...

TLDR; successful grant program gets renewed funding. Low income residents swaping an ICE car for an EV qualify for substantial rebates based on their zip code. Check it out!

More info on EV purchase assistance on the Bay Area AQMD website as well. 

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a37916152/bay-area-grant-program-trade-ice-for-ev/

Bay Area Grant Program Offers $9500 to Trade Your Gasoline Car for an EV California program is a Cash for Internal-Combustion Clunkers deal for people in lower income brackets.

Nice to see the work on climate change recognized by scientific community. There is no debate; only time for action!

https://apnews.com/article/2259a97932e3c368fdbd870841f16264

Physics Nobel rewards work on climate change, other forces STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for work that found order in seeming disorder, helping to explain and predict complex forces of nature, including expanding our understanding of climate change.

Sign up for webinars coordinated by the Marin County Sustainability Team as part of the “Home Sustainability Webinar Series: The Homeowner Journey.” Future topics in the webinar series include “Home Performance and Electrification,” “Solar and Battery Storage,” and “Electric Vehicles.” You can sign up for those webinars on the events page (https://www.marincounty.org/ClimateEvents).

***Raffle Prizes!****
We will be raffling off prizes to webinar attendees. Join us for a chance to win a portable solar battery charger or a smart power strip.

Events - County of Marin Event page for Sustainability Team

Exciting EV news...discounts and car show

EV Discount Campaign - September 20 through October 15, 2021
Drive Clean promised EV discounts this summer and we are thrilled to announce our September/October EV Discount Campaign! With the microchip shortage causing low vehicle inventory, many EVs are selling at above MSRP prices. We are pleased to offer below Edmunds recommended pricing for custom orders of three EVs. https://www.edmunds.com/new-cars/

Electrify Your Ride with Drive Clean Bay Area’s Fall EV Discount Campaign now through October 15th. Check out EV Discounts and get ready to go electric! https://drivecleanbayarea.org/ev-discount-campaign-engagement-page/
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EV Car Show - Sunday, September 26, 2021 3:00 - 5:30 PM - College of Marin, Kentfield
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After a well-attended EV Car Show in June we’re at it again! EV and e-bike owners and experts will show their models and share their EV experience and our educational booths will cover charging, incentives, and everything EV!

Join Drive Clean Bay Area for an EV Car Show on Sunday, September 26, 2021 - 3:00 - 5:30 PM - College of Marin, Kentfield. You’ll see dozens of EVs, including the latest models, and talk with their owners. Proof of vaccination and masks are required. Sign up https://drivecleanbayarea.org/event/ev-car-show/

New Cars for Sale - Pricing and Deals | Edmunds Compare prices on the best new cars, trucks and SUVs for sale. Shop and buy top-rated new cars at Edmunds.com to get the latest deals, rebates, and incentives.

Have you considered electric tools for gardening? Quiet and better for the planet...

https://apnews.com/article/c669f3901ba435bf76750bb5e339adba

Blowers, mowers and more: American yards quietly go electric For Jared Anderman, of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, switching from gasoline-powered tools to electric ones for lawn care was a no-brainer. “I’m concerned about climate change and wanted tools that are more eco-friendly, and also quieter.

Despite the current raging fires, here are 5 good reasons to feel optimistic about combatting climate change in the future...

https://apple.news/AD4T9JdL_T4ik3hD1z0MpLg

5 reasons to feel hopeful about the climate change fight — Mic In this day and age, if you hear the word "climate," the word "disaster" — or perhaps "crisis" — is likely to follow. From terrible wildfires, to microplastic pollution, to Earth clocking in at the hottest it's been in 12,000 years, there's no…

Here’s an easy way to ease the drought conditions brought on by climate change and save money too...

https://www.marinwater.org/recycledwater

Recycled Water | Marin Water To expand the availability of recycled water to all residents, Marin Water has partnered with the County of Marin to open a recycled water filling station on Armory Drive in San Rafael (across from the Civic Center). The filling station is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1...

https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/flattening-the-curve-of-future-emissions

Flattening the Curve of Future Emissions On climate, we can both acknowledge the progress we have made and how far we still have to go.