John Mott-Smith

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

This column by Cool Davis member, John Mott-Smith is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise.

I find it difficult at times to get my mind around the scope or scale of global warming.

We speak about this issue as affecting the “planet” or the “atmosphere” or the “weather” or the “oceans” (plural) or the “permafrost” or the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic but, really, how massive does a phenomenon have to be, how much heat is required, to make a change in these huge things, and how can we understand it. Read more

Motion-sensitive lighting illuminates the walkways on the UC Davis Quad, saving the university big bucks in energy costs. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise file photo

This column by John Mott-Smith, a member of Cool Davis, is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise.

For years, whenever I traveled outside of the Sacramento region, whether to Europe, Asia, New York or Los Angeles, when the question was asked “Where are you from?” my answer was always either “Sacramento” or “near San Francisco” or “a small town between SF and Sacramento.”

If ever I said “Davis,” the follow-up question was, “Where’s that?” To which I would reply, “It’s in Yolo County,” which was met by a blank stare.

This is changing; at least in my experience. It seems now that everywhere I go people know about Davis. And why? Mostly because it’s where the University of California at Davis is located.
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John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

This column by Cool Davis member, John Mott-Smith is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise.

Davis is proud of its record on energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability, and justifiably so, but there are other communities that think they are the leader in pioneering efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I visited two of these recently — Seattle and Portland — to take their measure and compare our city to theirs. Read more

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

This column by John Mott-Smith, a member of Cool Davis, is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise although it has been reordered slightly to emphasise our locality.

I wrote recently about wind energy in Yolo County, and a reader emailed to ask if I knew anything about the wind turbine on County Road 99 about a half-mile north of town. The column pointed out that many turbines on wind farms can be huge and the blades slicing through the air can be loud and disruptive and this local design might be less noisy.

So I went and looked. Read more

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

John Mott-Smith is a member of Cool Davis and a regular columnist at the Davis Enterprise from which this article has been cross-posted.

It’s that time of year again, when the folks at Cool Davis put on the annual funfest to make real their organization’s promise to “promote sustainability and have fun doing it.”

The issue of climate change and its potential adverse effects can be deadly dull and somewhat depressing. The Cool Davis Festival celebrates the positive aspects of responding to climate change, including more comfortable and efficient homes and businesses and a healthy lifestyle.

The 2012 Cool Davis Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. For the past two years, the festival has been presented at the Veterans’ Memorial Center, but this year is moving to Central Park to showcase the important role the Davis Farmers Market plays in the overall sustainability of the community. Third Street will be closed between B and C streets to make room for events and demonstrations. Read more

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

This column on wind energy and our campaign for ‘One Cool City’ is by John Mott-Smith, a member of Cool Davis and is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise.

When we think of renewable energy in Davis or Yolo County, we (or at least I) think almost exclusively of solar, with a bit of biofuels thrown in. But the county is currently assessing the potential for wind energy in the Dunnigan Hills and recently organized a combination symposium and field trip to explore the topic.

Basically, at this point the county and potential wind farmers are looking at whether there is enough wind enough of the time to make it profitable to build up to 400 turbines, each 360 feet tall. And those who live in the hills are determining what impacts this might have on their lives and property. Read more

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

This column is written fortnightly by John Mott-Smith, a member of Cool Davis, and is cross-posted from the Davis Enterprise

Back in February, I wrote a column about nuclear power and the trouble I was having balancing the risks against the benefits. Basically, is the benefit of energy generated without producing any greenhouse gas emissions worth the potential downsides of catastrophic meltdown and nuclear proliferation?

I’m still gathering information (thanks to all who sent in suggestions for reading) but I’ve developed a lean toward a non-nuclear future, though I haven’t yet fallen over completely to that side of the argument. Read more

John Mott-Smith Credit: Davis Enterprise

I recently traveled to New York, home of the United Nations, ostensibly for the purpose of observing an example of dense development and the ensuing consequences for greenhouse gas emissions. That was my cover story.

The real (secret) purpose of my journey was to report in to my United Nations comrade, Agent 2100, about my activities and progress in perpetrating the hoax of global climate change. I was to receive further training from the secretive One World (aka “OW”) institute and return to the quiet burg of Davis, Calif., with new marching orders. Unfortunately, my cell leader sent me an encrypted message warning ominously that the Heartland Institute was on to us, so I could only realize my first purpose and take stock of how a big city copes with the challenges of sustainability. Read more