GreenTown kicks off Energy Program for 2013
GreenTown kicked off its Jan. 9th community meeting with an eye on saving energy.
Lehigh Quarry’s Toxic Impact on Local Air and Watershed.
Lehigh Quarry and Cement Plant located at the base of Black Mountain in Santa Clara County, is in litigation with Sierra Club, Bay Area for Clean Environment (BACE), Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) stemming from its air and water emissions.
Toxic Air Emissions from Lehigh Cement Plant
Our next GreenTown monthly meeting will be held on December 6, 2012, 7-9pm at Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos. Gary Latshaw, retired physicist and Chair of Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter’s Air Quality Committee shares his insights on toxic air emissions from the Lehigh Southwest Cement Permanente Plant in Cupertino. Gary has [...]
Drought-tolerant Landscaping at the Packard Foundation Building
By Charley Pow, Volunteer – GreenTown Los Altos Like many areas of California, our annual rainfall of 15 inches doesn’t meet our water needs. Half or more of our residential water is used for landscaping. Addressing this need, the landscaping at the new LEED Platinum Packard building shows how to conserve water and reduce storm [...]
Hills Residents Save BIG on PG&E Bills: You Can Too!
Results are in for a one-year pilot program that employs a software-based approach to educating consumers to save energy. And they’re impressive! The program was developed by local resident Steve Schmidt, founder of High Energy Audits. Funded through a grant from the California Energy Commission and managed by Acterra, the High Energy Homes program targeted [...]
Get into Gear for the Drive Less Challenge
Take the Challenge
For a two-week period starting on Earth Day, April 22, you can challenge yourself to use an alternative form of transportation to run errands and to get to work or school. By leaving your car at home, you can improve your health, save money, conserve energy and eliminate CO2 emissions.
Ribbon Cutting at 359 State Street
Today was a ribbon cutting for the new “pop up” bike shop at 359 State Street. A few folks from GreenTown were in attendance. A pop up store, for those of you who are wondering, is temporary. Jeff Selzer, general manager of Palo Alto Bicycles and founder of Bike Arc, who runs 359 State Street, [...]
High School Solar Panels at Work!
As part of a district-wide sustainability initiative, the Mountain View Los Altos High School District installed solar photovoltaic shade canopies in the parking lots to help offset electricity use at the two high school campuses. The system, turned on around Earth Day 2011, is expected to provide enough power to meet half of the district’s electricity needs. [...]
City of Los Altos Considering Repeal of Gas Leaf Blower Ban
The City of Los Altos will consider repealing an ordinance which, in 1991, banned gas leaf blowers. According to the California Air Resources Board, gas leaf blowers produce excessive noise, dangerous combustion products (including hydrocarbons that can form ground level ozone; carbon monoxide; particulate matter; and other toxic by-products), and fugitive dust (such as pollen; [...]
Los Altos City Council Discusses the Lehigh Cement Co. Issue
On January 25th, the Los Altos City Council met to discuss the
Permanente Quarry/Lehigh SW Cement Company in the hills south of Los
Altos. According to the group NoToxicAir.org, this cement factory releases
various chemicals including 1,284 pounds of mercury/year which is the
2nd highest of any cement plant in the US and is over ten times the 90
pounds/year recommended by the EPA. These chemicals periodically
float up over Los Altos and Los Altos Hills when the wind blows from
the south.
