Buildings are Key to Salt Lake City’s Clean Air Future

Buildings represent a large and growing part of our local air quality problem. A new infographic, released at the Mayor’s Project Skyline Awards Ceremony, presents statistics on building energy efficiency and economic benefits. For example, buildings contribute nearly 40% of pollutants on a typical winter day. By making buildings more energy efficient, we can conserve enough resources to power up to 37,000 homes every year. If Salt Lake City were to adopt energy savings best practices, building owners across the city could save up to $48 million dollars annually.

As many know, Salt Lake City has significantly poor air quality, especially during the winter months; however, fewer know how dramatically we can improve our air quality by improving the energy efficiency of our buildings. By making large buildings in Salt Lake City more energy efficient, we could remove one million pounds of pollutants, which equates to taking 32,000 vehicles off the road for one year. Additionally, we would prevent 650 million pounds of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere each year! View the complete infographic for additional facts.

Join us and become a part of Project Skyline to save money, improve property values, and clean our air.

Salt Lake City Announces Project Skyline Challenge Award Winners

Today, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency for the U.S. Department of Energy, and Matthew Dalbey, Director of the Office of Sustainable Communities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, joined City leaders and building owners in honoring the winners of the Project Skyline Mayor’s Challenge 2015 Awards. Project Skyline, a multi-year challenge to reduce building energy use in buildings across the city, was launched in May 2014. The goal is to challenge building owners across Salt Lake City to proactively meet – and exceed – the air quality and energy-saving targets of the Sustainable Salt Lake – Plan 2015 by 15 percent by 2020. Throughout its first year, Project Skyline has been overwhelmingly successful, hosting educational and networking workshops, providing resources for evaluating the building’s energy use, and helping establish energy-saving goals for each business involved.

At the 2015 Project Skyline Awards Luncheon, five winners were recognized for their leadership in Challenge efforts over the past year.

This year, the Energy Innovator Award goes to Basic Research. Basic Research has improved the efficiency of their 230,000-square-foot facility by improving the lighting, HVAC systems, and installing the largest privately owned solar photovoltaic project in the state of Utah. By making these improvements, Basic Research has improved their ENERGY STAR score from 10 to 99.

The Sustained Excellence Award goes to Fidelity Investments. Across the country, Fidelity Investments is working to obtain LEED certification in 65 percent of their buildings and their location on 49 N 400 W is no exception. The building falls under LEED Silver certification, and recently, they added LED lighting and lighting controls and photovoltaic panels to improve the building’s ENERGYSTAR score to 96.

The McGillis School, a private co-ed school located on the Northeast bench of the Salt Lake Valley, has earned the Most-Improved EnergyStar Score Award. In 2014, the school reported an ENERYSTAR score of 97, which marks a 17 point improvement from 2013.

The Energy Efficiency Leadership Award goes to Newmark Grubb ACRES. Throughout the past year, Newmark Grubb ACRES has helped tremendously attending and presenting at multiple workshops. Company leadership also participates on BOMA Utah’s Energy and Sustainability committee and helped launch the BOMA Utah Kilowatt Crackdown. Additionally, the company is working on energy efficiency in several of its properties and are continuing to improve their ENERGYSTAR scores.

Lastly, the Benchmarking Champion Award goes to the Salt Lake City School District. Since 2009, the Salt Lake City School District has begun benchmarking to monitor energy consumption in over 40 buildings. Not only are 72 percent of the district’s schools benchmarked, but they are also certified ENERGY STAR buildings. They have seen an an 18 percent improvement in ENERGY STAR scores in all of their buildings.

Congratulations to these businesses. For more information on Project Skyline and the Mayor’s Challenge, visit our website.

Double Up Food Bucks

SLCgreen is excited to highlight the Double Up Food Bucks program, which began July 1^st, 2015 and is available at 19 different farmers’ markets around the state.

Back for its second year, this program helps low income families who participate in SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) stretch their food dollars by matching dollar for dollar on farmers’ market and farm stand purchases. This win-win-win program helps families afford fresh, healthy produce, while also supporting local farmers, and keeping food dollars within the local economy.

“According to a study completed by Sustainable Seattle, every dollar spent at a farmers’ market generates $2.80 of local economic activity. The benefit of Salt Lake City’s portion of the grant has potential to contribute as much as $336,000 to our local, Salt Lake City economy while increasing access to healthy food among our food insecure residents.”

Salt Lake City is committed to developing a more accessible, healthy, and equitable local food system. Food Security is one of the twelve core areas in the City’s Livability agenda. Therefore, Salt Lake City has committed $60,000 to the Double Up Food Bucks program. This funding will support the program in conjunction with additional Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant funding awarded to Utahns Against Hunger.

So far this season there have already been 500 SNAP/ food stamp transactions at local farmers’ markets. With nearly 32,000 individuals participating in SNAP in Salt Lake City, the Double Up Food Bucks program will help even more families put fresh fruits and vegetables on the table.

For more information about how the program works, and where you can find a farmers’ market near you that supports this program, click here and visit the Utahns Against Hunger website.

Cottonwood Canyons Foundation Mountain Clean-up at Alta Ski Area, July 11th

By Nicole Muehle, SLCgreen Intern

Come out to Alta on Saturday, July 11^th from 8:00am to noon, and help clean-up Albion Basin. Volunteers will be able to ride the ski lift up to the top, and then hike down while picking up the winter’s trash. All volunteers are required to register by calling either (801) 466-6411 or emailing volunteer@cottonwoodcanyons.org.

For more information on events that Cottonwood Canyons Foundation will be holding, see the flyer below.

City Continues Efforts to Reduce Emissions with New Electric Vehicles

With ongoing air quality problems, the City continues efforts to reduce its overall emissions. Seven new, all-electric vehicles are being added to the City’s fleet this year, replacing older, fossil fuel-burning vehicles and helping to achieve aggressive emission reduction goals set by Mayor Becker. Salt Lake City has a total of 224 clean vehicles as part of its fleet, including clean diesel, CNG, all-electric and hybrid-electric options. Since 2009, the percentage of clean fleet vehicles operated by the City has grown from just over 2% to more than 15% of the total fleet. The City has historically focused on integrating hybrid-electric vehicles, with 120 of these in the current fleet, but new all-electric sedans represent an even greater air quality benefit due to zero tailpipe emissions.

“Our program to carefully assess emissions and local air pollutant impacts, as part of the cost-to-own analysis for fleet purchases, is paying dividends,” said Mayor Becker. “We weigh these factors to produce outcomes that mitigate climate and air quality impacts and save taxpayer resources.”

Salt Lake City currently operates public EV charging stations at six separate locations. The City recently received a $200,000 grant from the Utah Division of Air Quality to expand public charging options and will use these funds to install 25 new charging ports throughout the City.

Residents can review, and weigh-in on, the City’s work to reduce its overall carbon footprint via the Sustainable City Dashboard tool, here.

Idle Free City Celebration

An Idle Free City celebration took place at Liberty Park Tuesday morning. This media event included speeches by Mayor Becker, UCAIR Director, Ted Wilson, and Youth City students. High pollution levels are affecting air quality this summer. Join the Clear the Air Challenge, which starts today, and remember, turn your key, be idle free!

Land Available. Farmers Wanted!

Are you a farmer looking for land? Salt Lake County plans to contract with a qualified individual or organization to use County-owned parcels of land less than an acre each along 1100 West and north of 3300 South for small plot urban farming to provide agricultural-based economic development opportunities to a local farmer. The bid, available here, is open until July 14th, 2015.

The Climate 25–Diverse Voices on Climate Change

By Jessica Oglesby, SLCgreen Intern

In “The Climate 25” The Weather Channel brings together 25 diverse voices and perspectives on climate change. Interviews range from a CEO of a Fortune 100 company to a US Army General to a Syrian refugee. Through these interviews the series explores the interconnections between climate change, security, energy, and peace.

Some may be surprised to encounter so many conservative voices in this series, like Christine Todd Whitman (former New Jersey Governor and EPA administrator), former congressmen Bob Inglis, and President George H.W Bush’s EPA chief, William Reilly, all of whom acknowledge climate change and talk about their own perspectives. Inglis believes that the republican orthodoxy is changing, and that they have got to start looking at market solutions like a carbon tax. Former New Jersey governor Whitman gripes that “the way the republican party is addressing the issue of climate change is both frustrating and puzzling.” She explains that the republican party has a long history of environmental action — like Nixon establishing the EPA — and that conservation is conservative.

National and global security are big topics that many of the 25 speakers touch on, including the four military members that were interviewed. Retired General Charles Jacoby explains that while climate change has become politicized, his years as a soldier have trained him to evaluate situations based on harsh realities, thus he recognizes the threat that climate change poses. He explains the military’s grave concern over the growing impacts of extreme weather, and competition over natural resources, including energy and clean water. For this 4-star general, and distinguished combat veteran, “the issue of climate change is always foremost in our minds.”

Henry Paulson, the former Secretary of Treasury (under Pres.Bush), believes that “climate change poses a massive threat to the world”, and that to do nothing about climate change would be “radical risk taking.” He believes that this is the greatest economic risk the US has ever faced. George Luber of the CDC sees other great risks of climate change when it comes to human health. He says that heat waves kill more people every year than all other extreme weather combined, and climate change has already resulted in more intense and frequent heat waves. Moreover, changes in climate will result in increased spread of diseases like Malaria and Lyme’s disease.

Other prominent voices in the series include: New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, former CIA director James Woolsey, former deputy Undersecretary of Defense Sherri Goodman, Bangladeshi General Major Muniruzzaman, and special advisor to President Obama, Dr.John Holdren. Less prominent, but equally important voices include: community leaders in Uganda and Papua New Guinea, a Global Crop Diversity Trust special advisor, a WWF climate change policy expert, and the CEOs of Energy Innovation and Care USA.

Together the 25 voices form a refreshingly diverse picture of how urgent the issue of climate change is and how wide-reaching its impacts are. What do all 25 of the smartest voices on climate, security, energy and peace have to say about climate change? Watch the rest of this fresh video series to find out!

Top 3 Favorite Interviews:

General Jacoby <<http://weather.climate25.com/project/general-charles-h-jacoby-ret/>>

Heidi Cullen <<http://weather.climate25.com/project/heidi-cullen/>>

Henry Paulson <<http://weather.climate25.com/project/henry-paulson/>>

Watch all of the interviews here!

Mayor Becker Joins Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda

By SLCgreen Intern Jenny Spaulding

Mayor Becker has joined the Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda, showing his support for national climate change action. The MNCAA is an organization of mayors that are asking President Obama to “fight for the strongest possible climate agreement” at the UN Climate Conference in Paris in December.

Many initiatives in Salt Lake City reduce local environmental impact, however the Mayor recognizes the importance of federal action. The MNCAA released a letter to the president stating that “The United States can and should be the leader in the transition to a clean energy economy.”

Salt Lake City is now among the twenty-six cities represented by the coalition. Mayor Becker announced that “Salt Lake City is proud to be joining the MNCAA in this important call for action.”

Downtown Farmers Market Opens this Saturday!

By SLCgreen Intern Nicole Muehle

The Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market begins this Saturday, June 13th at Pioneer Park and will continue through the end of the summer. This year the market will be offering everything from canning classes to musical performances from local artists. See the full list of market events happening this summer!

Attending the Downtown Farmers Market is a great way to eat sustainably and get to know the local vendors. Spring and early summer crops include greens, strawberries, herbs, and spinach. There will also be baked goods, jams, and spreads.

Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market

Saturdays: 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (June 13^th-October 24^th)

Tuesdays: 4:00 p.m.-Dusk (August 4^th-October 20^th)

Located at Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 W.