Portable Backup Batteries Power Essentials During Climate Change Driven Storms
By Michael Kluk and Leslie Crenna Portable, solar-powered batteries can provide a measure of safety and resilience in the event the power grid goes down and they’re a great way to avoid polluting, fossil-fuel powered generators. These batteries eliminate messy liquid fuel, relying instead on…
Solar Tubes Can Brighten Your Future
Solar tubes can be a cost-effective way to bring natural light into your home. They consist of a clear dome on your roof that collects sunlight, a tube, anywhere from eight to fourteen inches in diameter that is mirrored on the inside, and a diffuser…
Q&A with Derek Stehlin, Spin Manager
In 1966, a proposal was made to the Amsterdam City Council to initiate a bike sharing program, with the goal of reducing the number of cars clogging the roads. It was rejected unanimously. Amsterdam now has a thriving bike culture, an aggressive bike sharing program,…
Driving Into the Sunset: Chevy Bolt To Be Replaced by Electric Equinox and Silverado
Every so often a car comes along that defines a trend. The Volkswagen Beetle of the 50’s and 60’s introduced Americans to small functional cars that were easy on gas. The Ford Mustang of the 60’s made it possible for ordinary folks to afford a…
UC Davis Expert Confirms IPCC Report Dire-Yet-Not-Too-Late Findings
If you needed confirmation that we face an uncertain environmental future because of climate change, the recent Synthesis Report (SR) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides ample evidence that we do. On the other hand, it lays out a clear path to…
Slow but Steady: The Transition to an All-Electric Home
Monica Parisi is making big changes to her East Davis home that promise benefits to her and the environment. First things first: so, in 2015 she installed solar panels, which set a strong foundation for an all-electric home. Rooftop solar gives Monica access to inexpensive…
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: Actually a Climate Change Busting Bill
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA for short) would be more aptly named the Climate Change Mitigation Act. At $369 billion, it is easily the biggest investment in US history aimed at slowing climate change. A significant amount of this total will be directed…
Local Bike Touring: A Low Carbon Alternative to a Road Trip. . . and Much More Fun
Bike touring can be a great way to take a vacation. You may be looking for an alternative to the same old car or airplane-based trip. You may want to satisfy your wanderlust in a climate friendly way. You may simply need to get out…
Drought Hits California – Again or Still? Some Facts to Ponder
A compilation from the City of Davis website and writer Michael Kluk In October 2021, the Davis City Council reinforced the Governor’s call for a voluntary 15% reduction in water usage and adopted sprinkler irrigation watering restrictions as a preventive measure to assist the City…
Goin’ All-In with an All-Electric Home
My wife Susan and I recently completed a transition to an all-electric home. Those old enough to remember the “Live Better Electrically” campaigns of the late 1950’s may think this is folly. The Westinghouse “total electric homes” promoted from that era promised a “home where…
Proposed NEM Regulations Make Rooftop Solar Less Financially Attractive
In a previous newsletter, we told you about a bill in the Legislature, AB 1139, that would have modified the Net Energy Metering (NEM) system in California to the detriment of rooftop solar owners. That Bill died in the Assembly. You would have thought that…
Investor-Owned Utilities Propose Significant Rooftop Solar Cost Increase
California’s three investor-owned utilities, including PG&E, have just made a joint proposal to the CPUC that would significantly reduce the financial benefit of owning rooftop solar. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) establishes the rate that electric utilities can charge for power, including those with…
It’s Easy to Grow Citrus in Containers
Editor’s Note: Thank you to Editor James Fowler from Yolo County Master Gardeners (UCCE) for agreeing to share this article. Michael Kluk is both a master gardener and a writer for Cool Davis. See his bio at the end of this article. In the Winter…
GM Recalls Chevy Bolt Due to Fires, Electric Vehicles Still Safer than Combustion Vehicles
General Motors has issued a recall of 2017, 2018, and some 2019 Chevrolet Bolts due to battery related fires, offering a short-term software fix and promising a longer-term fix in 2021. Owners are being asked to park their cars away from structures until the fixes…
Could You Be Induced to Switch to an Induction Cooktop?
We’ve all heard you can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Easier said than done, but the idea has enshrined in popular culture the physical property that friction between two objects creates heat. Lesser known, but important nonetheless, is the idea that you…
Pairing Electric Vehicles with Solar: the EV/PV Life with “Tarry Scoot”
For more about electric vehicles and incentives, visit our Drive Electric webpage. For Jon Bjornstad, the decision to install solar panels on his home was not necessarily about saving money. He’s not opposed to saving money and not in a position to ignore a good financial…
Freedom from Fossil Fuels and Respect for the Animals
Greg Stoner and Kathleen Gill live in the modest North Davis home they purchased over a decade ago.  In recent years, they made a decision to create a more sustainable homestead for themselves and their community. While motivated to simply “do the right thing,” Greg…
Welcome READ-Y (Resilient Embodied Action Davis-Yolo)
Resilient Embodied Action Davis-Yolo (READ-Y) is our newest Cool Davis working group and they are committed to a big task. Formed through the energy of its two principal organizers, Gail Kennedy and Jan Beange, READ-Y will work to improve the social and emotional resilience we…
Davis Friends Host Climate Speaker Series
Thursday, February 18, at 7:30pm at the Davis Friends Meetinghouse, 345 L Street
Reducing Consumption of Animal Products
Members of the Cool Davis community are continuing to answer the call to install rooftop solar, make their next car electric, ride their bike or walk more, forgo some recreational travel, reduce consumption, and generally live a lower-carbon lifestyle. Some of these steps are taken…
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#mayisbikemonth may be over but these #loopalooza photos are still fresh! Davis City Bike Davis The Bike Campaign and Bike Garage Davis Bike Club Bike Davis Kids Davis Bike Collective Bike Party Davis
Cool Davis is hoping all our friends living in Rancho Yolo remain well! This is a reminder of our fragile grid and the need to look after each other during heat emergencies. Hurray that the City of Davis City now has Social Services staff to join City of Davis Fire Department to assist when a vulnerable neighborhood's power goes down.
For other down neighborhoods - remember to check on your neighbors! If your power is still on consider ways to reduce your energy use pre-cool , cover windows, delay appliance use, double up with neighbors in a cool location - cooling center (see City post for cooling center info), movie theater etc to reduce loads. After the emergency, move forward on your plans for how you will reduce and manage energy use in the future. We have to stand together to adapt to new climate challenges. Cool Davis and our many partners are here to help.
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