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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
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
1 10, 2021

Air Quality for All

2021-10-01T15:36:58-05:00

At Sustainable San Mateo County’s Happy Hour on July 20 titled “Air Quality for Equality”, attendees discussed disparities in air quality in San Mateo County and the wider Bay Area. Guest speaker David Canepa, who serves on the county’s Board of Supervisors and sits also on the Board of Directors at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, correlated these disparities to racial and socioeconomic differences and highlighted some of the work the county is doing to combat these impacts. Ulysses Vinson, director of SMC Labs, explained how his firm is partnering with an air quality company, Clarity, to monitor [...]

Air Quality for All2021-10-01T15:36:58-05:00
17 07, 2021

San Mateo County Gets Ready for Wildfire Season

2021-07-17T23:01:08-05:00

In 2020 alone, while nearly 2.5 million Californians were infected by COVID-19, nearly 10,000 fires burned 4.2 million acres across the state (The New York Times 2021, Cal Fire 2020). That is more than one football field’s worth of land burned for each Californian infected by COVID-19. Fire preparedness is pivotal to preserving the health of our surrounding ecosystems and communities. As a local resident, I wanted to learn more about what work is being done to prepare for wildfires this year. I reached out to Samuel Herzberg, a Senior Planner at the San Mateo County Parks Department, and Portola [...]

San Mateo County Gets Ready for Wildfire Season2021-07-17T23:01:08-05:00
30 06, 2021

Just How Bad Is the Drought?

2021-06-30T20:33:25-05:00

On June 22, Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency due to this year’s extreme drought conditions. To date, 2021 ranks as the second driest year for California, with 1977 being the driest year on record. Yet San Mateo County hasn’t asked residents to cut back water use. Why? At our June Happy Hour, Tom Francis explained that San Mateo County’s water reserves are in much better shape than many jurisdictions in the state. As Water Resources Manager at the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), Tom tracks water levels closely. He said 85 percent [...]

Just How Bad Is the Drought?2021-06-30T20:33:25-05:00
14 06, 2021

Innovations for a Low Carbon Food System

2021-06-14T00:50:48-05:00

At our May 26 Happy Hour, our guest speaker, Jill Kauffman Johnson explained how microalgae and other microorganisms can help us work toward a low carbon food system. Jill is the Executive Advisor of Sustainability and Society at Corbion (http://www.corbion.com/), a bio-based products company centered around innovative food and specialty ingredients derived from microalgae. Food systems are responsible for a large fraction of our global greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, as we learned (thanks to a trivia question), in the U.S. in 2019, 10 percent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions came from the agricultural sector. Jill explained that every [...]

Innovations for a Low Carbon Food System2021-06-14T00:50:48-05:00
14 05, 2021

Hit the Road in Green Mode

2021-05-14T14:02:35-05:00

Our Happy Hour on April 15 explored sustainable transportation in San Mateo County. We were excited to have Carlos Moreno from Peninsula Clean Energy, Mary Thomasmeyer from Commute.org and Emma Shales from Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) as guest speakers. Carlos, the Community Outreach Specialist for Peninsula Clean Energy, explained that since Peninsula Clean Energy launched in 2016, it has been providing electricity to the area from clean energy sources. Customers can choose between going with 50 percent or 100 percent of their electricity coming from renewables. Both options are 100% carbon-free. So far, Peninsula Clean Energy has had a [...]

Hit the Road in Green Mode2021-05-14T14:02:35-05:00
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
15 02, 2017

2017 Indicators Launch & Lunch

2020-10-01T16:26:31-05:00

Child Care, Education, and Community Health Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm San Mateo Public Library - Oak Room 55 West 3rd Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94402 Join us and hear from local experts on child care, education, and healthcare, as we explore how our community is managing the high cost of living in San Mateo County. We will share highlights of this year's annual city survey focused on the cost of living and solutions to housing, transportation, and income challenges. Additionally, new data from the Indicators Report will reveal fresh statistics on income, jobs, agriculture, energy, [...]

2017 Indicators Launch & Lunch2020-10-01T16:26:31-05:00
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