Burrowing Owl: one of the local species that has been identified as being in climate trouble. Photo: Doug Donaldson Burrowing Owl: one of the local species that has been identified as being in climate trouble. Photo: Doug Donaldson Some of Berkeley’s most common and beloved birds could face extinction within the next 70 years due to climate change, […]
Berkeley Climate Action Plan
Berkeley installs first permeable pavers downtown
The construction site on Allston Way. Photo: Charles Siler Traffic may be rough come school season, but the construction project closing Allston Way outside Berkeley High School is significant: the city’s first major permeable pavement installation. The block of Allston between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street in downtown Berkeley is shut down for construction until mid-November while […]
Berkeley appoints first ‘chief resilience officer’
Two community members at Berkeley’s annual city-wide disaster preparedness drill in April 2013. Photo: Emilie Raguso As a city, Berkeley prides itself on being prepared. Officials hope the recent appointment of a “resilience officer” to coordinate city-wide defenses against natural disasters will be another step in that direction — this time with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation. In […]
Op-ed: Let’s build resilient communities, not just sea walls
As we cope with the latest gloomy news about climate change — from flooding in Serbia to Antarctica’s irreversible melting to Congress’s continued inaction and denial that climate change is even happening — a new buzz word is popping up in the halls of environmental organizations and The White House alike: resilience. In the context […]
Op-ed: Berkeley should allow curbside electric vehicle charging
Public solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in Novato, where the author left his Nissan Leaf for about an hour while I getting a snack at a Mexican restaurant. Photo: Alan Gould More and more people are buying electric vehicles (EVs). For good reason. They have no tailpipes (zero emissions) and very low maintenance costs because […]
City lauds 29 ‘energy smart’ businesses in Berkeley
Local businesses that are taking steps to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions were recognized Thursday night. Photo: Mark Coplan The city of Berkeley recognized more than two dozen local businesses Thursday night for their efforts to track and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions as part of the second annual Energy Smart Awards program. […]
Berkeley greenhouse gas emissions down 8% since 2000
This infographic by the city of Berkeley illustrates Climate Action Plan successes and outlines what still needs to happen moving forward. The city of Berkeley has reduced community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 8% since 2000 despite a 10% increase in population, the city announced in an annual report mailed last week to residents and businesses throughout […]
Streamlined permitting aims to cut solar costs
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan speaks in support of a new streamlined solar permit process across nine Bay Area cities, at Sungevity’s Jack London Square offices. Photo: Julia Hannafin Oakland Mayor Jean Quan speaks in support of a new streamlined solar permit process across nine Bay Area cities, at Sungevity’s Jack London Square offices. Photo: Julia […]
‘You’re not with it if you’re not air drying your clothes!’
A clothesline hangs in Civic Center Park. If you have a yard, members of CYES will install a retractable clothesline as a sunny-day alternative to a tumble dryer. Photo: Julia Hannafin By Julia Hannafin On Wednesday a gigantic clothesline dangled over Berkeley’s Civic Center Park. T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, and all kinds of clothing swayed in the […]
Berkeley to collect more plastics in curbside collections
A wider variety of plastics will now be collected by Berkeley’s Ecology Center in its curbside collections. Photo: Tracey Taylor By Camille Baptista The Ecology Center announced today that it will now collect more types of plastic items, expanding its curbside collection and processing to handle things like dairy tubs, tupperware, vitamin bottles, plastic cups and […]
Details unveiled on proposed metered parking changes
New parking meters with credit card payment options are part of the goBerkeley program. Photo: Steer Davies Gleave/goBerkeley In a presentation before the Berkeley City Council on Tuesday night, city staff presented their suggestions for upcoming metered parking changes designed to make some parking spots available on every commercial block in three of the city’s business districts. Downtown, […]
Berkeley school recycling gets back on track
Students at John Muir Elementary sort for composting and recycling. Photo: Green Schools Initiative Berkeley schools are making a renewed commitment to recycling and composting after efforts slacked off over the past five years. This year, a local non-profit, Green Schools Initiative, has worked with eight Berkeley schools, revitalizing recycling and composting programs. Green Schools […]