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Environmental Efforts Forefront In 2008
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| GREEN REFLECTION. Colorado Lagoon looks tranquil, but remains the source of contention among neighbors. —Gazette file photo |
By Kelly Garrison
Features Editor
Cheers — here’s to greening the city.
About a year has passed since community members first clinked glasses at the launch of Green Drinks Long Beach, where guests chatted about sustainability issues over cocktails. And if “green” efforts are a cause for revelry, then there’s much more in the way of city sustainability where that came from.
Starting with work on a plan of action aimed at bettering the environment, the 11-member Sustainable City Commission in May commemorated its one-year anniversary. Coordinator Larry Rich said the year ahead holds opportunities for the Office of Sustainability to help make the best of a challenging economy and a new presidential administration.
“Not too many other cities have something like the Office of Sustainability,” he said. “Our next challenge is sustaining our commitment to this and (seizing) the opportunity for federal monies that are available to cities showing that commitment.”
In announcing plans to step down from his position in July, Long Beach Harbor Commission President James Hankla added to city efforts, saying that he wanted to see the Port of Long Beach take greater steps toward environmental stewardship. The urging followed his advocacy in both the Green Port Policy and the Clean Air Action Plan. He also backed Clean Trucks Program, which bans pre-1989 diesels from the port now, and will push the envelope to 2007-level trucks by 2010.
Another port initiative in November powered the Long Beach effort with shore-side electricity using “cold ironing” at its first terminal. Other steps toward sustainability included the Long Beach City Council’s approval over the summer of a policy requiring trash haulers to institute recycling programs for apartment buildings within the next 12 months — or face losing their permit.
Long Beach Transit, meanwhile, retrofitted its buses with particulate traps to reduce emissions and replaced older, diesel buses with hybrid models.
In October, the city’s Green Ribbon Committee was commissioned to draft a green building ordinance for private development. The draft ordinance will be heard by the City Council in the coming months. Other city initiatives include starting a Bike Share program, increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet and observing the newly launched “Day Without A Bag” on Dec. 20.
Also this year, planners organized three meetings to invite public comment on a project proposing to reconfigure the Long Beach Breakwater. The rock reef, built in 1941 by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Navy’s Pacific fleet, has sparked debate between different groups about its uses and impacts on the environment.
In April, city streets made way for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which commenced with a series of environmental features. The first-ever Green Power Prix-View this year included activities, displays and product demonstrations highlighting renewable energy sources, water and energy conservation, green building and more at the Long Beach Convention Center.
In May, local officials addressed solutions for everything from trash to urban runoff during a Let’s Talk Trash forum at the Aquarium of the Pacific. In response the problem, officials said they plan to look into natural filtration and water preservation systems, new mandates controlling pollution flows and better education programs.
Also this year, the Aquarium of the Pacific celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its inception on June 20, 1998, it has drawn about 12 million visitors and has hosted countless environmental exhibits, including the recent Oceans on the Edge — which focuses on 10 problems impacting the ocean.
Meanwhile, an assortment of events devoted to Earth Day (April 22) included A Celebration of Our Ocean Planet at the Aquarium of the Pacific and a Long Beach Honors Earth Day event at Recreation Park. Also that month, an advocacy group called Long Beach Cyclists organized the city’s first-ever “bike-pool” from downtown to the Alamitos Bay Marina farmers market.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, thousands more volunteers ventured outdoors to remove tons of debris from parks, waterways, beaches and other areas during the 24th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Cleanups took place at seven Long Beach sites and were part of the international initiative to reduce pollution and educate the public.
Community members turned their attention from worldwide issues to a local ecosystem with the Colorado Lagoon Restoration Project, a $15 million project proposing to revitalize the 36-acre East Long Beach estuarine habitat. Supporters gathered for several “Wetland Habitat Restoration Parties” in November in the latest effort to get the project underway.
Also during fall, a new community group began responding to structural problems at the Main Library by breaking ground on an initiative known as Urban Paradise. The effort will begin with a test garden that, if approved by the city, could transform the area into a sustainable arts venue.
At the El Dorado Nature Center, Director Mary Blackburn announced her retirement after 22 years with the organization. She spent much of her career there, training employees and volunteers who would later tell her she had changed their futures for the better.
Long Beach City College joined the greening trend in November with the completion of new central plants at both campuses. Superintendent-President Eloy Oakley said the additions were part of its 2020 Unified Master Plan and would save both energy and money.
A variety of other sustainability topics were detailed in the beginning of 2008 as part of the first-ever Green Gazette.
The special section covered issues pertaining to everything from air and water pollution to school programs and city initiatives.
About a year has passed since community members first clinked glasses at the launch of Green Drinks Long Beach, where guests chatted about sustainability issues over cocktails. And if “green” efforts are a cause for revelry, then there’s much more in the way of city sustainability where that came from.
Starting with work on a plan of action aimed at bettering the environment, the 11-member Sustainable City Commission in May commemorated its one-year anniversary. Coordinator Larry Rich said the year ahead holds opportunities for the Office of Sustainability to help make the best of a challenging economy and a new presidential administration.
“Not too many other cities have something like the Office of Sustainability,” he said. “Our next challenge is sustaining our commitment to this and (seizing) the opportunity for federal monies that are available to cities showing that commitment.”
In announcing plans to step down from his position in July, Long Beach Harbor Commission President James Hankla added to city efforts, saying that he wanted to see the Port of Long Beach take greater steps toward environmental stewardship. The urging followed his advocacy in both the Green Port Policy and the Clean Air Action Plan. He also backed Clean Trucks Program, which bans pre-1989 diesels from the port now, and will push the envelope to 2007-level trucks by 2010.
Another port initiative in November powered the Long Beach effort with shore-side electricity using “cold ironing” at its first terminal. Other steps toward sustainability included the Long Beach City Council’s approval over the summer of a policy requiring trash haulers to institute recycling programs for apartment buildings within the next 12 months — or face losing their permit.
Long Beach Transit, meanwhile, retrofitted its buses with particulate traps to reduce emissions and replaced older, diesel buses with hybrid models.
In October, the city’s Green Ribbon Committee was commissioned to draft a green building ordinance for private development. The draft ordinance will be heard by the City Council in the coming months. Other city initiatives include starting a Bike Share program, increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet and observing the newly launched “Day Without A Bag” on Dec. 20.
Also this year, planners organized three meetings to invite public comment on a project proposing to reconfigure the Long Beach Breakwater. The rock reef, built in 1941 by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Navy’s Pacific fleet, has sparked debate between different groups about its uses and impacts on the environment.
In April, city streets made way for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which commenced with a series of environmental features. The first-ever Green Power Prix-View this year included activities, displays and product demonstrations highlighting renewable energy sources, water and energy conservation, green building and more at the Long Beach Convention Center.
In May, local officials addressed solutions for everything from trash to urban runoff during a Let’s Talk Trash forum at the Aquarium of the Pacific. In response the problem, officials said they plan to look into natural filtration and water preservation systems, new mandates controlling pollution flows and better education programs.
Also this year, the Aquarium of the Pacific celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its inception on June 20, 1998, it has drawn about 12 million visitors and has hosted countless environmental exhibits, including the recent Oceans on the Edge — which focuses on 10 problems impacting the ocean.
Meanwhile, an assortment of events devoted to Earth Day (April 22) included A Celebration of Our Ocean Planet at the Aquarium of the Pacific and a Long Beach Honors Earth Day event at Recreation Park. Also that month, an advocacy group called Long Beach Cyclists organized the city’s first-ever “bike-pool” from downtown to the Alamitos Bay Marina farmers market.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, thousands more volunteers ventured outdoors to remove tons of debris from parks, waterways, beaches and other areas during the 24th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Cleanups took place at seven Long Beach sites and were part of the international initiative to reduce pollution and educate the public.
Community members turned their attention from worldwide issues to a local ecosystem with the Colorado Lagoon Restoration Project, a $15 million project proposing to revitalize the 36-acre East Long Beach estuarine habitat. Supporters gathered for several “Wetland Habitat Restoration Parties” in November in the latest effort to get the project underway.
Also during fall, a new community group began responding to structural problems at the Main Library by breaking ground on an initiative known as Urban Paradise. The effort will begin with a test garden that, if approved by the city, could transform the area into a sustainable arts venue.
At the El Dorado Nature Center, Director Mary Blackburn announced her retirement after 22 years with the organization. She spent much of her career there, training employees and volunteers who would later tell her she had changed their futures for the better.
Long Beach City College joined the greening trend in November with the completion of new central plants at both campuses. Superintendent-President Eloy Oakley said the additions were part of its 2020 Unified Master Plan and would save both energy and money.
A variety of other sustainability topics were detailed in the beginning of 2008 as part of the first-ever Green Gazette.
The special section covered issues pertaining to everything from air and water pollution to school programs and city initiatives.
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| Faltering Economy Defines 2008 In Long Beach | Foresight, Budget Cuts Highlight Year In Education |
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of gazettes.com.
Sherry wrote on Dec 31, 2008 2:54 PM:
" Of the money we have seen thrown around thus far let me ask you this, that 168 billion that our country borrowed to give away to us in the form of an "economic stimulus package" ...did it do a darn thing to create jobs or stimulate our economy? NO, nothing. And we borrowed the money from China.
This past year the high cost of gas nearly destroyed our economy and society. More people lost jobs and homes as a direct result of that than any other factor in our history.
Fannie and Freddie continue to get all the blame. Of all the homes I have seen lost in my area SW FL and believe me I have seen many, none were due to an adjustable mortgage. They were due to lack of work.
Families went broke at the pump alone. Then added to that most saw record rate hikes at their utility companies. The high cost of fuel resulted in higher production and shipping costs that were passed on to the consumer, in most cases higher prices for smaller packaging.
Consumers tightened their belts, cut back, went out to eat less or stopped totally. Drove around on tires that needed replacing longer, some even quit buying medicines they really need.Unfortunately cutting back and spending less results in even more layoffs. A real economical catch-22.
And, as we are doing the happy dance around the lower prices at the pumps OPEC is planning to cut production to raise prices. They are even getting Russia in on the cutbacks. Oil is finite. We have used up the easy to get to reserves already. It will run out one day.
We have so much available to us. Solar and Wind are free sources of energy. Of course to get the harnessing process set up is somewhat costly it is still free energy.
It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive an electric car. The electricity to charge the car could be generated by solar or wind at least in part and in most cases totally.
If all gasoline cars, trucks, and suv’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. What a powerful resources we have neglected.
Jeff Wilson has a profound new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com Powerful, powerful book! I think we need to rethink all these bailouts and stimulus packages. We need to use some of these billions to bail America out of it's dependence on foreign oil. Create clean cheap energy, create millions of badly needed new green collar jobs and get out from under the grip foreign oil has on us. What a win -win situation that would be for America at large "
This past year the high cost of gas nearly destroyed our economy and society. More people lost jobs and homes as a direct result of that than any other factor in our history.
Fannie and Freddie continue to get all the blame. Of all the homes I have seen lost in my area SW FL and believe me I have seen many, none were due to an adjustable mortgage. They were due to lack of work.
Families went broke at the pump alone. Then added to that most saw record rate hikes at their utility companies. The high cost of fuel resulted in higher production and shipping costs that were passed on to the consumer, in most cases higher prices for smaller packaging.
Consumers tightened their belts, cut back, went out to eat less or stopped totally. Drove around on tires that needed replacing longer, some even quit buying medicines they really need.Unfortunately cutting back and spending less results in even more layoffs. A real economical catch-22.
And, as we are doing the happy dance around the lower prices at the pumps OPEC is planning to cut production to raise prices. They are even getting Russia in on the cutbacks. Oil is finite. We have used up the easy to get to reserves already. It will run out one day.
We have so much available to us. Solar and Wind are free sources of energy. Of course to get the harnessing process set up is somewhat costly it is still free energy.
It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive an electric car. The electricity to charge the car could be generated by solar or wind at least in part and in most cases totally.
If all gasoline cars, trucks, and suv’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. What a powerful resources we have neglected.
Jeff Wilson has a profound new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com Powerful, powerful book! I think we need to rethink all these bailouts and stimulus packages. We need to use some of these billions to bail America out of it's dependence on foreign oil. Create clean cheap energy, create millions of badly needed new green collar jobs and get out from under the grip foreign oil has on us. What a win -win situation that would be for America at large "
Mike Ruehle wrote on Dec 31, 2008 1:41 PM: