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Built Environment

22 08, 2023

Overcoming Obstacles to EV Charging Expansion

2023-08-29T15:58:15-05:00

An expert from Peninsula Clean Energy and researchers from Stanford University will describe innovative ideas for overcoming barriers to building out a much-needed network of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations during a free “Happy Hour” program on Wednesday, August 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Hosted by Sustainable San Mateo County, Happy Hours bring community members together to discuss sustainability issues in an informal setting. Pre-registration is required at https://bit.ly/HappyHourAug2023. Speakers during the program, “Overcoming Barriers to EV Charging Expansion,” will be: Phillip Kobernick, Joe Ficalora, Associate Programs Manager at Peninsula Clean Energy, which recently hit the [...]

Overcoming Obstacles to EV Charging Expansion2023-08-29T15:58:15-05:00
12 04, 2023

Big Turnout for SSMC’s Awards Celebration

2023-04-12T17:20:45-05:00

Nearly 300 people attended Sustainable San Mateo County’s 24th Annual Awards Celebration on March 30 at the College of San Mateo to honor champions of sustainability, bid on auction items and enjoy dinner together. It was the first time the event was held in person since 2019, and attendees greeted old friends with great enthusiasm. San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo and former Menlo Park Mayor Kirsten Keith, who currently serves as SSMC’s vice chair, presented Sustainability Awards to Diane Bailey and Tom Kabat of Menlo Spark for their electrification successes; Redwood High School, a continuation school in Redwood City; [...]

Big Turnout for SSMC’s Awards Celebration2023-04-12T17:20:45-05:00
12 04, 2023

Program Aims to Empower Youths

2023-04-13T12:02:33-05:00

In celebration of Earth Day, six local organizations promoting climate action will host “Youth for Climate Policy,” a free webinar designed to show youths how they can effectively influence local government leaders to address climate change. This program will take place on Zoom on Friday, April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required at tinyurl.com/Youth4ClimatePolicy. Presented by Sustainable San Mateo County, and cosponsored by 350 Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, Acterra, Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Peninsula Clean Energy, the program will offer practical tips on how to connect with leaders at the [...]

Program Aims to Empower Youths2023-04-13T12:02:33-05:00
23 11, 2021

Focus on Biodiversity

2021-11-23T11:35:48-05:00

For the October Sustainability Happy Hour, we looked at biodiversity (the variety of life found within a particular ecosystem or habitat) in the Bay Area. We were joined by two knowledgeable experts, Sophie Christel from Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and Annie Burke from TOGETHER Bay Area. They shared strategies being employed by groups across the region to address the many challenges to biodiversity, exacerbated by climate change. Sophie Christel kicked off the evening explaining that the Bay Area is one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots on Earth. The region’s diverse geology and topography, combined with the coastal influence, creates [...]

Focus on Biodiversity2021-11-23T11:35:48-05:00
20 10, 2021

Looking Ahead

2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00

A New Approach There are powerful forces in San Mateo County opposed to affordable housing. How can a city move the needle when residents routinely oppose any housing development and lobbyists pressure them to maintain the status quo? “The No. 1 issue is political will,” said Diana Reddy, a longtime affordable housing advocate who was elected to the Redwood City City Council in 2018. Just a few years ago, housing proponents argued that we needed more homes that teachers and nurses could afford. Now the problem of homelessness is so overwhelming that cities are focusing more often on housing [...]

Looking Ahead2021-10-20T16:37:58-05:00
20 10, 2021

Conclusion and Acknowledgments

2021-10-20T13:46:01-05:00

Conclusion The current housing crisis did not happen overnight. It is rooted in 250 years of shameful local practices, harmful actions and outright racial discrimination. Sadly, profit and resistance from homeowners opposed to change have too often been more important than social equity. It’s time to focus our attention on making more affordable housing available in every city in San Mateo County. For the sake of our quality of life, and to build a mutually beneficial relationship that restores our ecosystems, more housing must be found immediately. ABAG’s alarming Regional Housing Needs Allocation numbers, recent state legislation alleviating some of [...]

Conclusion and Acknowledgments2021-10-20T13:46:01-05:00
20 10, 2021

Impact of Climate Change on Housing

2021-10-21T17:44:37-05:00

Climate change impacts every aspect of life, and the housing crisis is no exception. In order to solve the housing crisis and make sure homes are resilient, climate change needs to be taken into consideration. Wildfires Due to climate change, precipitation will likely decrease and higher temperatures will increase, elevating the chances of wildfires and their destructive consequences. A significant portion of San Mateo County is located in the wildland-urban-interface (WUI), which is defined as zones where fire-prone forests coincide with human habitation. More than 35 percent of terrain in the county has a high likelihood of fire ignition.29 As [...]

Impact of Climate Change on Housing2021-10-21T17:44:37-05:00
19 10, 2021

Historical Background

2021-10-20T15:59:20-05:00

History has value, but presenting the historical perspective of the current housing crisis in San Mateo County is no routine matter. Understanding how the San Mateo County housing crisis has evolved may be confrontive and difficult to accept. However, a failure to understand that history will result in a lost opportunity to move forward and improve the situation. The current housing situation has more than 250 years of history that have slowly built the reality of today’s housing inequity. The housing crisis we are grappling with has its roots in the displacement of indigenous populations from the late 1760s, [...]

Historical Background2021-10-20T15:59:20-05:00
27 07, 2020

Indicators Report

2022-11-28T19:25:28-05:00

About the Indicators Report Sustainable San Mateo County has been tracking sustainability progress in the county since 1997 through its annual Indicators Report. This report provides fact-based information on sustainability indicators and local trends impacting San Mateo County’s economy, environment and social equity. Since its inception, the Indicators Report has been welcomed as a credible source of information by governments, businesses, civic groups and nonprofit organizations that use it to set goals, measure progress and prioritize resource allocation. Propelled by the philosophy that “what gets measured, gets managed,” the report presents metrics, success stories and showcases positive changes that [...]

Indicators Report2022-11-28T19:25:28-05:00
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