Cleaner Greener China

following Vincent Lo, who read off the script, Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom gave a motivating speach about how little one actually needs to do to accomplish a lot.  The notes below will certainly not do his presentation justice, but he set the bar very high. he avoided and the “plans”, and focused on what has been achieved to day and how those schievments will lead to further steps.  he avoided the abstract, and gave har numbers, could name programs, and challendged those in the US who choose to skirt their responsibilities.

- I come here as a mayor of a city, and when I think of environ issues.. think of them in the urban issue. First time in history (2005), that more people live in urban cores than in rural areas.  China will have more people in their urban cores, than in the US alone.

- when you consider the fact that 75% of resources are consumed in urban environment, it is important to keep in mind the urban agenda. Mayors & city councils will lead the way

- When the US pulled out of Kyoto, local mayors around US came together and developed their own standards.  there is not a mayor who does not have “a plan”, but the measurements have not yet come in. For 2008 in SF, reduced CO2 6% below 1990 level.

SF has presented their data for third party ananlysis and have met with sierra club and other NGOs to work through issues.
- Important to be held accountable.
- it is not that challendging or overwhelming difficult.  We have only said it is.  That what has been done in SF, has been easy.  It has been good for economy

keys to succees:
- green building standards - must meet LEED gold standards for all new buildings soon
- Most agressive solar program (up to 6000USD credit).  It is a bad decision not to put the solar on your room
- recylcing - highest recylcing rate of US (70%). want 100% diversion rate by 2020
- plastic water bottles - 1 billion bottles in CA alone - SF standards were higher than the water bottlers anyway -
- banned styrofoam containers from SF
- Energy efficient programs (natural gas not coal,
- alternative fuel taxis (current 1/3..soon 100%)
- partnered with Darling international to collect oil from local restaurants and then convert into biofuel
- 2/3 of public transport is on alternative energy.  100% in next few years
- Urban wind farms in San Francisco - use people’s back yards - required rezoning
- tidal flow energy in SF bay, geothermal, and others beyond “solar”

It took a piece of paper and a pen to sign an executive order to push more efficient cars and fuel

marginal costs are negligible..  this can be done in any city of the world.

If China “gets” this, it will leave us their dust.

america better wake up, because a lot of the ideas are going to be generate in China

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