The Energy Efficiency of Holiday Cheer
Sierra Club California Summit 2017
More Movement for Zero-Emission Buses
Bravo to the Legislature’s 100 Percenters
The Energy Efficiency of Holiday Cheer
By Eddie Moreno
As the sun sets earlier and earlier in the day, the cold crisp air signals it's time to dust off those beautiful peacoats and scarfs and toss out the old moth balls.
It also kicks off the holiday season, a time of family gatherings and big meals. That means the home is astir with the sound of humming appliances, particularly in the kitchen.
Here are ways to keep the home a special place for the holiday season, while saving energy and money.
The refrigerator is the one of the biggest power consumer in most households. Avoid unnecessarily low temperatures by keeping the fridge between 37-40 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year.
Defrost food by putting it in the fridge the night before you use it and wait until leftovers have cooled down before putting them in the fridge. Both will reduce the power used to control the internal temperature.
On the stove top where most of the action is, use a burner that matches the pot size. If the burner size is larger than the pot heat is lost and energy is wasted. Keep lids on pots and pans so you can cook at lower settings.
When baking, try to minimize opening the oven door. Each time it is opened about 20% of the heat is lost. Try to turn off the oven a few minutes before the food is ready to let the residual heat finish the job.
After everyone has eaten, the kitchen undoubtedly looks like a disaster area. Clean up can be both time and energy efficient.
Avoid unnecessary pre-rinsing before putting dishes in the dishwasher, this often means less work for the water heater—and for whoever is doing the dishes! Most modern dishwashers can handle your grandma’s casserole. Only run the washer at full capacity and, if possible, choose “energy-save” or “light wash” cycles.
Money saved from these energy efficiency life hacks means more money to spend on our beloved family members.
If you are considering purchasing a home appliance as a gift, look for the ENERGY STARⓇ label. This logo means that a dryer, for example, is among the highest-performing products in terms of efficiency and quality. Buying a dryer is a sweet gesture, but the energy cost savings makes it the gift that keeps on giving.
Sierra Club California Summit 2017
A few of the special moments from last month's Summit in San Luis Obispo County. Thanks to everyone who participated!
More Movement for Zero-Emission Buses
By Kathryn Phillips
Los Angeles just made another big move to cut pollution from buses to zero in the region.
By a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council passed a motion to transition the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s transit bus fleet to all electric, zero-emissions by 2030.
This follows last summer’s decision by the countywide Los Angeles Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority to go all-electric by 2030.
Sierra Club’s My Generation Campaign worked with volunteers and a broad array of allies to help push through this latest bus purchase policy. You can read My Gen’s Evan Gillespie’s blog about it here.
The Los Angeles City Council decision is just the latest bit of good news in the zero-emission bus world.
In October, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s board instructed its staff to develop a pilot program to introduce electric buses into that agency’s fleet. Sierra Club California volunteers Dave Grubb and Ray Pingle led testimony for Sierra Club at the San Diego board meeting considering electric bus technology.
Less than a year ago, San Diego’s staff had been among the most resistant to zero-emission buses during stakeholder meetings about the issue at the California Air Resources Board, so this latest move by the San Diego board was particularly encouraging for clean air proponents.
Also, the California Air Resources Board is finally preparing to launch the rulemaking process for a statewide regulation to encourage all public transit districts to shift their bus fleets to electric buses.
The air board staff is expected to schedule a workshop in December and, after releasing and refining a draft regulation, is anticipating bringing a completed regulation to the board in the spring.
If you are interested in being involved in zero-emission bus advocacy in your community, fill out a volunteer interest form and let us know.
Bravo to the Legislature’s 100 Percenters
By Kathryn Phillips
Sierra Club California’s report card analyzing how state legislators voted on key bills is now available online and the news for 23 current legislators is excellent.
Those 23 earned 100 percent scores on the report card, which means they voted with the environment on the bills Sierra Club California staff selected to score this year.
The scored bills range from legislation to protect the endangered Vaquita, a small porpoise, to a bill to label cleaning products. They cover a variety of environmental issues carried by more than a dozen different legislators.
The senators earning a perfect score are Ben Allen, Jim Beall, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Connie Leyva, Mike McGuire, Holly Mitchell, Bill Monning, Nancy Skinner, Henry Stern, and Scott Wiener. The assembly members scoring 100 percent are Rob Bonta, David Chiu, Laura Friedman, Todd Gloria, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Ash Kalra, Monique Limón, Kevin McCarty, Adrin Nazarian, Bill Quirk, Eloise Gómez Reyes, Mark Stone, and Tony Thurmond.
A 24th legislator, Jimmy Gomez, also scored 100 percent, but resigned from the Assembly before the session was over to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
If one of these bright stars is your representative, send a note of appreciation for a good voting record. You can find your state legislators by typing in your address at Find Your California Representative.
And if your state senator or assembly member is among the 55 legislators who received scores below 70 percent, condolences. Your legislator hasn’t figured out, yet, that Californians want clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet and deserves a polite note from you expressing disappointment and encouraging better performance next year.
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