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.

How Updated Energy Codes Will Benefit Utah

On Sunday, the Desert News printed an Op-Ed by David Brems with GSBS Architects and Kevin Emerson with Utah Clean Energy outlining how Utah needs new new energy codes that make buildings and homes more efficient. Here is an excerpt, you can read the entire piece online.

Air pollution is a top concern for Utah citizens. So is financial stability. Improving our air quality while saving money for Utahns is a win-win opportunity. This summer, decision-makers will be voting whether or not to adopt up-to-date building energy codes that will help new homes and buildings constructed in Utah cut energy waste, lower air pollution and reduce Utahns’ energy bills.

The average Utah home wastes far too much energy because it was not designed and constructed with energy efficiency as a priority. This is where the energy conservation codes come in. While lacking the flashy glamour of solar panels or electric vehicles, the “2015 International Energy Conservation Code” can dramatically reduce energy waste and related air pollution by incorporating common sense, readily available, yet often invisible efficiency solutions to new homes and buildings.

Industry leaders like GSBS Architects and public interest organizations like Utah Clean Energy see tremendous value in adopting the new energy code. But despite the benefits it brings to Utah families, businesses and consumers, getting the new code adopted has become a political undertaking. It shouldn’t be. Just consider the benefits from updating the energy codes.

Read more.

Utah Clean Energy has also released the following infographic — Three Ways Updated Energy Codes Benefit Utah. Take a look!

Salt Lake County Launches Farmlink Pilot Program

Salt Lake County Urban Farming is piloting a Farmlink program that aims to link available land in Salt Lake County with interested growers.

If you or someone you know is interested in finding land to farm, or if you have questions about our program, please contact Aaron Barlow by email at abarlow@slco.org, or by phone at 385-468-1824. You can download the Farmlink application online.

Some land may be owned by public entities such as Salt Lake County or a municipality, while some may be privately owned. Private landowners are motivated to lease land for commercial farming because the Utah Legislature has provided an opportunity for property tax reduction, given certain circumstances.

Salt Lake County Urban Farming website.

Meet the Master Recyclers!

The inaugural class of Salt Lake City Master Recyclers are more than halfway through the program, and they are loving it!

So far, the class has explored the Salt Lake County Landfill operation, learned about Salt Lake City’s curbside sanitation services (your friendly weekday garbage, recycling and compost collection), taken a behind-the-scenes tour of Rocky Mountain Recycling’s facility, explored the ins and outs of the City’s composting operation and, most recently, “tagged” along with Salt Lake City’s can inspection team.

What’s up next? A waste audit with Momentum Recycling and a tour of their local clean glass recycling facility, the climate impacts of waste and a class on effective community engagement strategies. Upon completion of the program later this month, each participate will dedicate 10 hours of volunteer time helping to educate the community about what they learned. At that point, they’ll become certified Master Recyclers!

Are you interested in participating in the future? Check out the newly launched SLCMasterRecycler.com!

Idle Free Signs

New #IdleFree signs are going up around the city. Do you know of a location that could use a sign? To suggest sign locations or to learn more, click here.

Help to make your workplace or child’s after school/summer program idle free! Contact Olivia Juarez at 801-535-7761 or Olivia.Juarez@slcgov.com for more information or to request a FREE sign.

Check out these great photos from businesses around town that have put up new signs:

Thanks to UCAIR for your generous support of an Idle Free City.