Category Archives: General Sustainability

Help Shape the Future of the Wasatch Mountains!

Photo Credit: Steve_W via Flickr.

Photo Credit: Steve_W via Flickr.

The Mountain Accord is a collaborative public process to make long-term decisions and take action regarding transportation, environment, recreation, and economy in the central Wasatch Mountains (between I-80 and Little Cottonwood Canyon).

Your input is crucial to this important process! Comments are currently begin accepted on MountainAccord.com until November 20. Respond to a short questionnaire about the ideal scenarios for transportation, environment, recreation and economy.

Mountain Accord Public Comment Period Opens!

Local Businesses to Host Mayor Becker for Four ‘Meet Up with the Mayor’ Visits on Saturday

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Mayor Ralph Becker invites residents to join him on Saturday, Oct. 4 for a visit and chat at any of the four great local businesses he’ll be visiting for his “Meet Up with the Mayor” stops.

Ralph wants to hear from residents about anything that’s on their minds and will be joined by Community Council leaders from the different neighborhoods he’s visiting. Have a question about a current City project? Want to bend Ralph’s ear on a concern? Or talk Ute football.

Mayor Becker will be hosted by a great sample of beloved Salt Lake City businesses including Bruges Waffles & Fries in Sugar House, Harmon’s Emigration Market in Yalecrest, Hatch Family Chocolates in the Avenues and Publik Coffee Roasters in the Ball Park District.

Stop by one of these great locations Saturday and “Meet Up with the Mayor”:

Bruges Waffles & Frites
2314 S. Highland Drive
10-11 a.m.

Harmon’s Emigration Market
1706 E. 1300 South
Noon-1 p.m.

Hatch Family Chocolates
376 8th Ave.
2-3 p.m.

Publik Coffee Roasters
976 S. West Temple
4-5 p.m.

Other great ways to stay in touch with Mayor Becker include connecting via social media, calling or dropping him an email. Here’s where to find Ralph:

Phone:                                801-535-7704

Email:                                 mayor@slcgov.com

Facebook:                          https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayor-Ralph-Becker/67917736349

Twitter:                               https://twitter.com/slcmayorsoffice

Instagram:                          http://instagram.com/slcmayorsoffice

Youtube:                            https://www.youtube.com/user/slcmayorsoffice

Register for the USGBC-Utah 2014 Sustainability Summit

AtmosphereOfChange

Sustainable Building Summit: An Atmosphere of Change
Friday, October 3
The Leonardo (209 E 500 S)

This year’s Sustainability Summit includes world class keynote speakers who will be joined by local and national presenters. Speakers will share the best of today’s transformational sustainability, along with innovation and disruption for the future.

Keynote speakers are Elizabeth Craig, US EPA Director of Climate Protection Partnerships, and Mitch Joachim, architect and visionary. They will be joined by a bevy of innovative national and local sustainability speakers, including Salt Lake City Green’s own Tyler Poulson.

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USGBC-Utah is extremely honored to be able to present Mayor Becker with the 2014 Craig Forster Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustainability.

Over 30 years ago, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker was taken by the same allure that brought many residents to Utah’s Capital City, drawn by the area’s unique mix of geo-graphic beauty, metropolitan energy and year-round recreational opportunities.

Ralph earned two graduate degrees at his new home’s University of Utah – a Master’s in Planning and a JD – after completing undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania in 1973. He served as the Utah State Planning Coordinator under Governor Scott Matheson and then went on to launch his own Salt Lake City-based consulting firm, Bear West, specializing in community planning, environmental assessment, public lands use and public involvement before acting on his long-held desire to serve the public.

Elected to the Utah State Legislature in 1996, Ralph was a member of the House of Representatives for 11 years and battled for the issues most important to his Avenues constituents. He served in legislative leadership positions for most of that tenure, including five years as House Minority Leader.

In 2008, Ralph brought this considerable body of education, experience and engagement with local issues to his new office of Mayor of Salt Lake City.

In his first term, Mayor Becker has greatly expanded transportation options for the City’s residents and visitors, with a special focus on public transit, trails and bikeways. He also championed the state’s first municipal protections in the areas of employment and housing for the City’s LGBT community – an effort that has since been replicated by Salt Lake County and over a dozen local governments throughout Utah. Under Mayor Becker’s leadership, City government has become much more transparent, and new opportunities have been created for residents to engage and participate in the decision making process.

Mayor Becker is a leader who has made, and will continue to make, collaboration and partnerships an essential element in his efforts to see Salt Lake City as an even more vibrant, livable and sustainable community for its current residents and into the future.

Ralph is an avid outdoorsman who, when he is away from work, can be found backcountry skiing, river running or backpacking. He is also the proud father of two sons and a 19-year-old granddaughter.

I know there are many people who will want to see the Mayor receive his award, and they will also be eager to hear him give his lunchtime presentation on
his lifetime commitment to the natural environment, community sustainability and his service on President Obama’s State, Local and Tribal Task Force on Climate Change and Resiliency.

Register for the 2014 Sustainability Summit
Friday, October 3
The Leonardo (209 E 500 S)

Agenda

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This Evening: The Future of our Wasatch Canyons

LWV Mountain Accord Flier

You’re invited to explore proposed development plans for the Wasatch Canyons at a special event this evening. Learn about the Mountain Accord and the future of our canyons for recreation, transportation, economy and environment.

Panelists include Laura Briefer, Water Resources Manager for Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, Natalie Gochnour, Associate Dean, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Will McCarvill, President, Wasatch Mountain Club, Jon Nepstad, Principal, Fehr & Peers, Transportation Lead for Mountain Accord and David Whittekiend, Forest Supervisor for the Uinta-Cache-Wasatch National Forest.

Mountain Accord Discussion
Thursday, September 18
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Tessman Auditorium, Main Library (210 E 400 S)

The evening is hosted by The League of Women Voters of Salt Lake.

Mayor Becker Responds to EPA Announcement of Emission Goals for U.S. Power Plants

powerplant2Following today’s announcement of the EPA’s new Clean Power Plan, which would set emissions standards for power plants, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker issued the following statement.

“I am pleased that President Obama and EPA Administrator McCarthy are using the appropriate tool of the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emissions from the largest source of carbon pollution–coal-fired power plants. The authority and direction, established by Congress and President Nixon in 1970, was intended to regulate threats to our health and welfare from air pollution.

The flexible step announced today, carefully developed after many years of input and giving industry multiple options to reduce carbon emissions, uses Clean Air Act authority upheld time and again by the U.S. Supreme Court. The common sense regulations will serve to help our region and state address air pollution and the unparalleled risk to our wellbeing from climate disruption.

As Administrator McCarthy noted, we have a collective, moral obligation to make responsible decisions on behalf of the health of our families and children, and the long-term viability and livability of our community. We need look no further than the profound air pollution issues here in our region for a call to action. We are also already seeing changes from climate change in our watersheds and snowpack that will impose enormous costs on us and future water users in the Salt Lake Valley.

Taking this responsible and necessary step will go a long way to starting effective societal solutions.”

Learn more about the Clean Power Plan

 

World Urban Forum 7

Medellin, Colombia. BorisG via Flickr

Medellin, Colombia. Photo BorisG via Flickr

Salt Lake City is excited to participate in the World Urban Forum, hosted by UN-Habitat this April in Medellin, Colombia.

The City will participate in a special networking session called “Clean Energy and Transport Solutions in an Urban Hemisphere: Lessons from the Americas.”

Over the past few months, Salt Lake City has been collaborating with San Jose, Costa Rica to share experiences & lessons learned from the two cities’ alternative transportation programs. During the session, the City will share our lessons learned from running the Clear the Air Challenge and the “twinning” process with San Jose.

The session is the result of a partnership between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Organization of American States (OAS). Learn more about the forum below, or on the OAS website. 

We’ll be updating the @SLCgreen Twitter feed live from the World Urban Forum (#wuf7) from April 7-11. Stay tuned to stay in the loop!

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SLCgreen is Hiring!

Partners_RoseParkThe SLCgreen crew is looking for a self-motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our 2014 intern staff!

Please note that is a seasonal PAID position for 20-25 hours a week.

Review the job description below and email your resume to kate.lohnes@slcgov.com by Friday, March 14th for consideration.

Job Title: SUSTAINABILITY INTERN

Job Code Number: 330066

FLSA: Non-Exempt

EEO CODE: 6

Pay Level: SEAX

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Assists with SLC Green internship program, including development of intern orientation and serving as a resource for intern projects. Ensures advancement of intern projects through collaboration with interns and full-time office staff.
  2. Coordinates public outreach at community events to promote sustainability initiatives. This includes applying for booth space and scheduling interns to staff these events.
  3. Organizes and keeps up to date log of outreach and education materials. Requests print bids for projects and submits print orders. Contacts government agencies to obtain outreach materials.
  4. Updates sustainability information and events on the city’s website; responds to resident and business inquiries to sustainability programs; administers sustainability email list serves.
  5. Develops and coordinates the SmartTrips program.
  6. Performs other duties as assigned.

 

e2 Business + Green Drinks

It’s time for the annual SLCgreen Drinks event!

Join SLC Green Drinks and SLCgreen for a special evening at the Hotel Monaco on February 24th from 6-9 p.m.

You’ll have a chance to meet Salt Lake City businesses who have made a commitment to sustainability with the support of SLCgreen’s e2 Business Program.

The evening will feature appetizers from Bambara restaurant, beer from Uinta Brewing, wine from Kiler Grove Winery and a short update from SLCgreen members.

This is a great opportunity to meet the e2 businesses that are strengthening the sustainable business community in Salt Lake City.

Come show your support!

SLCgreen e2 Business + SLC Green Drinks
Monday, February 24th
6:00-9:00 p.m.
Hotel Monaco (15 W 200 S)
$5-10 suggested donation
Please note that Hotel Monaco is located on the TRAX line.

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