Update from Karen Chang, Community Resource Commission (CRC) chair, and Erik Lundquist, Associate Planner, city of Calistoga, from their presentations to Calistoga 350:
* SB375, AB32, and SB32 have provided MAJOR incentives for communities to pursue sustainability - to combat Climate Change and install green initiatives
* Our city (through the efforts of Erik and Karen) wants to reduce local emissions below the goal set by state legislation (15% of 2005 levels)
* The Napa County Public Transit Authority devised 53 action items to meet the above goal in the following sectors: Transportation; Buildings and Energy; Solid Waste; Agriculture, Natural Resources and Urban Forests; Community Engagement; Local Govt. Operations.
* Calistoga city council is the first local body in the county to vote in support of these 53 items
* The CRC amplified the above sectors in a year long fact finding process, and the city council enthusiastically supported this effort, called the Calistoga Climate Action Plan (CCAP), "This is our starting point," said Ms. Chang.
* The city has won a $60,000 grant for CCAP Section T1, "Enhance our commitment to urban-centered growth, adopting policies, zoning, and design standards in each jurisdiction to encourage mixed-use, 'walkable', and 'bikeable' neighborhoods." We, as a city, are exploring ways to invest these funds in the goals of the CCAP.
* The CRC enthusiastically encourages local residents to become involved, beginning with their "every third Wednesday" meeting (Nov 18), 5:30, at the Community Center, and their Making Cents of Solar presentation from the Napa Valley Solar Partnership (7:00). The NVSP is a project of Community Action of Napa Valley, and is partly funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Making Cents of Solar presentation
Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m.*
The Napa Valley Solar Partnership (NVSP) and the
Calistoga Community Resource Commission (CRC)
invite you to attend a brief free presentation
designed to help simplify the sea of information about residential solar systems and to answer your questions about the current favorable economics that make now a great time to invest in solar for your home.
* CRC meeting: 5:30; Making Cents of Solar 7:00
As the Wall Street Journal recently opined, “…for anyone thinking about putting solar panels on their roof, there probably hasn’t been a better time.” – WSJ, 9/8/09
Church bells will ring in Calistoga on Saturday, October 24th, from 11:00 a.m. to about noon. Bellringers at Community Presbyterian Church of Calistoga, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and Saint Simeon Russian Orthodox Church will each ring their bells 350 times, to sound the alarm about our need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. They join churches from across the country who have been sounding the alarm over the past months, expressing their concern about our impact on the environment and the effect it will have on future generations.
October 24th is International Climate Action Day, organized by 350.org, a grassroots organization working to reduce levels of carbon in the atmosphere back to 350 parts per million (ppm), a number at which the earth can sustain a healthy environment.
