Green Options » Local Politics

New Tesla Plant Wins Final Go-Ahead in California

Timothy B. Hurst — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:40:45 +0000

The San Jose (Calif.) City Council has unanimously approved Tesla Motors’ new electric car manufacturing plant. The plant will produce the $60,000 electric sedan that the 5-year-old company currently has in development.

Tesla plans to move the company’s headquarters to the new site as well, which will ultimately employ about 1,000 people when it opens in 2010.

>>More on Tesla Motors at Green Options

Wisconsin Looks to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Amiel Blajchman — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:15:20 +0000

Wisconsin’s Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming has recommended that the state achieve 2005 levels by 2014; reduce emissions by 22% from 2005 levels by 2022 (someone one day will have to explain to me the fascination with number alliteration); and finally, it calls for 75% reductions from 2005 levels by 2050.

The task force has also recommended a two-pronged approach, adopting state level support for either a federal or state-level cap and trade program, as well as a series of policy recommendations for several important state industry sectors:

Energy Sector
Transportation Sector
Agriculture and Forestry Sectors
Industry Sector
Waste Sector
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Schwarzenegger Declares Statewide Drought, Orders Agencies to Address California’s Urgent Water Needs

Nayelli Gonzalez — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:29:59 +0000

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought today, following two straight years of below-average rainfall, very low snowmelt runoff and the largest court-ordered water transfer restrictions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in state history.

The governor also issued an Executive Order meant to address related problems caused by the water shortages, such as extreme fire danger due to dry conditions, economic harm to urban and rural communities, loss of crops and the potential to degrade water quality in some regions.”

For the areas in Northern California that supply most of our water, this March, April and May have been the driest ever in our recorded history,” Governor Schwarzenegger said during a press conference. “As a result, some local governments are rationing water, developments can’t proceed and agricultural fields are sitting idle. We must recognize the severity of the crisis we face.”

His order directs the Department of Water Resources and other entities to promote state and local conservation programs to reduce water consumption locally and regionally for the remainder of 2008 and prepare for potential worsening water conditions in 2009. The order also directs DWR to accelerate water transfers to shortage areas, pursue federal assistance and improve coordination between government agencies, identify risks to water supply and help farmers suffering losses.

Last month DWR released a final snow survey for the year that indicated snowpack water content was only at 67 percent the normal amount, and runoff was forecast at only 55 percent of the norm compared to previous years.”This drought is an urgent reminder of the immediate need to upgrade California’s water infrastructure,” the governor added. “There is no more time to waste because nothing is more vital to protect our economy, our environment and our quality-of-life. We must work together to ensure that California will have safe, reliable and clean water not only today but 20, 30 and 40 years from now.”

Photo: Office of the Governor

Peripheral Canal Bill a No Go - Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Canal Shot Down by California State Assembly

Nayelli Gonzalez — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:32:02 +0000

A California State Assembly committee last week declined to entertain a controversial bill set to build a canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and shelved it until next year.

Senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, has worked on gaining approval from various parties for Senate Bill 27 for two years. Ultimately, farmers, environmentalists and Delta locals opposed the proposed legislation and may have convinced the assembly committee to reject the bill as is.

Often viewed as a new permutation of the 1980 “Peripheral Canal” bill, which proposed the construction of a Delta water-transfer facility and was viewed by many as threat to the local environment, SB 27 has been controversial from its inception.

Greening Children in Michigan

Heidi Suydam — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:35 +0000

Today NPR News aired a story about a rural Michigan school district that is pursuing green by using wind turbines to power their schools and offices. The Jr. High Principal, Kathy Dickens, took the initiative three years ago by applying for grants to pursue wind harvesting. As a result of her efforts The Lakers School District was awarded a quarter million dollar grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission.

With that money they purchased three large refurbished wind turbines which now power their elementary school and the superintendent’s office. They have since received another grant and energy smart incentives. The Lakers School District now owns a biodiesel processor in addition to their wind turbines. This spring their high school students will have a “Pressing Party”. They will gather sunflower seeds from the plants growing beneath their wind turbines, combine them with soybeans then press these seeds and beans to obtain oil to make alternative fuel.