Per Capita: Is it ‘here we go’ or is it ‘here we go again’?
I admit to becoming somewhat cynical about news reports of countries pledging to take real, substantive actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but, in the spirit of the season, and also admitting to a slightly dormant but unquenchable hope, I’m letting Lucy line up the…
Per Capita Davis: What does ‘urgent’ look like?
Warnings about potential adverse effects of what was heretofore known as “climate change” began long ago, but even if we stick a pin in the year 1990 (see below), there was always the semi-comforting tagline to news reports to the effect of, “if we act…
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…
Per Capita Davis: Reimagining the railroads
Back in 2016, Bill McKibben wrote the foreword for a book, the principal author of which is Bill Moyers, titled “Solutionary Rail — A people-powered campaign to electrify America’s railroads and open corridors to a clean energy future.” My neighbor across the street, a train…
Per Capita Davis: When innovation goes off the rails
For some time now the columns I’ve been writing were born out of the urgent discussion that started in the spring over how we earthlings will move forward from the pandemic. Would we learn anything from our experience about the value of and need for…
Per Capita Davis: Whatever happened with hydrogen?
Every few years or so there seems to be a renewed excitement about the potential for using hydrogen as a non-fossil fuel. Usually, the conversation is about cars. Once you get it into a car’s fuel tank, it can power the car without producing any…
Backup Battery Systems: The Final Piece of the Energy Puzzle
Our homes are more important than ever: they are our offices, schools, entertainment, and, at times, the only sit-down restaurant in town. So, having a home that powers itself, even when there’s a power outage, equates to huge peace of mind. How is this possible?…
Per Capita Davis: Innovating for the future
I’ve been searching high and low for innovations that could help power a more energy-efficient and sustainable future. There’s a lot out there, some very much closer to being a concept than an actual product or process. Still, the sheer number of ideas being pursued…
Cool Davis receives $6,000 for all-electric engagement
The Valley Climate Action Center (VCAC) recently provided $6,000 to Cool Davis to continue their work engaging Davis residents to adopt all-electric heating and cooling systems. The funds will also be used to develop an electric retrofit “roadmap” for existing homes, going directly to programs…
Per Capita: To the moon and back
Whether technology can save us from the climate crisis is an open question. It seems relatively certain that improvements in technology will inevitably at least help reduce carbon emissions, or maybe even capture some of them from the atmosphere, but hoping for or anticipating a…
Shelter-in-Place and Your Home Energy
Cool energy efficiency and conservation actions we recommend while you’re sheltering, working, learning, and playing at home.
Per Capita Davis: Some good news in a time of anxiety
I’ve been thinking a lot about “sustainability” the last few weeks and intended to write about it. But that would take me down a sort of dark road, and in these strange times I feel a need for something positive, lighter, hopeful. So here is some…
All Electric Homes in Davis: the Carrot vs. the Stick
In January, the California Energy Commission approved a new building code in Davis that encourages the construction of all-electric homes and discourages the use of natural gas to fuel residential appliances and heating systems. This comes after numerous California cities have approved similar initiatives, including…
Per Capita Davis: More pieces of the puzzle
I’m continuing to clean out my inbox and I don’t mean that to diminish what I conceive to be the value of this and other similar columns that don’t address a single idea, theme or thread. The items below are pieces of the puzzle of…
Per Capita Davis: New report on world energy outlook
There are several highly reputable organizations tracking the science of the climate crisis and issuing regular reports. Probably the best known of these is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the United Nations. Another, right up there at the top in terms of reputation…
Per Capita Davis: Big money and climate change
The previous column was the second of three addressing money and the transition to a fossil free future and it featured the actions of several billionaires to identify and support game changing new technologies. Incredible as it may sound, there are also trillionaires in the world, and…
Valley Clean Energy Customers Reaping Environmental Benefits for Same Cost
It’s been a long hot summer, but those cool autumn days aren’t too far off… And thanks to Valley Clean Energy, local electricity customers are not paying any more to run their air-conditioners than they would have paid under PG&E. At the same time, they…
Per Capita Davis: Billionaires invest in radical solutions
The last two columns were about money and the climate crisis. One was about how shareholders are pressuring the world’s largest companies to be leaders in sustainability. The other was about how some companies are doing just that. Frankly, I get tired of reading about…
VCE adds solar customers, dividends
The Valley Clean Energy board of directors a pair of decisions in June to fulfill two promises to its customers. The board voted unanimously to begin including Net Energy Metered solar customers in VCE service starting in January 2020, and additionally voted to launch a…
Per Capita Davis: It’s time to think about building decarbonization
“Decarbonization,” a word so new my computer keeps trying to spell check it to something else, defines what some have called the next frontier in California’s fight against the climate crisis. The focus for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been largely dominated by discussions over…
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Join the Davis Futures Forum and Yolo Mobility, Cool Davis working groups, as they host guest speaker Susan Handy, Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation, who will offer her perspective on the current planning for I-80 traffic congestion and the Yolo Causeway. Her presentation will be followed by a diverse panel who will give us their thoughts about the Caltrans I-80 Corridor Master Plan and the associated widening project planned within Yolo County.
DATE: Thursday December 7th
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Davis Community Church, 412 C St. Davis CA
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www.cooldavis.org/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=252
A stroll in the park with a few sprinkles! Cool Davis staff and SVCC Fellows spreading the word about the Yolo County #yolocaap workshop opportunity set for this Friday before and during 2nd Friday ArtAbout with Davis Creek residents (MHVillage.com). [Check out the cool solar panels in the background!] We want to hear their vision ... and yours ... for a resilient, healthy, and equitable future! Drop by between 4pm -7pm at Davis Odd Fellows 415 Second Street Davis City Yolo County Climate Action and Sustainability decolores.org/ Sign up for reminders: tinyurl.com/bw53bdmv Learn more: YoloCAAP.org
This Friday DEC 8!!!!!