By Michael Cabanatuan
San Francisco Chronicle

The Bay Area might need smaller houses, higher gas taxes and tolls on busy roads and congested business districts if it is to meet the state's goals for the reduction of greenhouse gases, transportation and land use officials said Friday. The good news, however, is that a new poll shows that many Bay Area residents are ready to take those steps if it means a better future for the state and world. Setting goals is significant, leaders with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments told a crowd of 800 at a conference at the Oakland Convention Center. But making the lifestyle changes to meet them is far more challenging. Read more »

By John DeStefano, Jr.
Mayor, New Haven, CT

Our American values are built upon a careful balance of individual rights and initiative weighed against shared community action and institutions.  In New Haven, we have chosen to accomplish that goal by engaging all of our residents and offering a resident card irrespective of immigration status.  Not all agree with this direction.  And, some ask “What part of ‘illegal’ doesn’t the City understand?”  But, they miss the point and they miss our American history.  The point is that by not acting, the Federal government is winking its eye and tacitly acknowledging and legitimizing the presence of some 13 million undocumented residents. Therefore, we must, for reasons of public safety and for reasons of building a strong community; implement our own solutions.

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By Bernadette Del Chiaro
Clean Energy Advocate, Environment California

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) is forecasting a potential electricity shortage this afternoon of 290 megawatts (MW) due to heavy use of air conditioners throughout the state. This shortfall – the difference between the amount of peak electricity resources the state has on hand and the predicted demand - is roughly the equivalent to the amount of solar power California has installed throughout the state. This narrow but critical gap between supply and demand highlights how even a relative small amount of solar power can play a huge role in keeping the lights, and doing so without air pollution.

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In the heat of the last campaign for Mayor, Michael Moore didn’t support Gavin Newsom.  Since then, Mayor Newsom has led San Francisco to become one of the greenest cities in the world and has stood up for same sex marriage when most other politicians ran the other way. And he, along with Supervisor Tom Ammiano and our partners in labor and the health care community are delivering universal health care for every San Franciscan. Read more »

By Asmb. Lloyd E. Levine
Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee

Yesterday in the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce Committee, legislation that I’ve authored to phase out the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by 2012 – Assembly Bill 722 – was passed by the Committee on a bipartisan 9-3 vote. It was the first hearing for the bill, which was first announced on January 30, and since that time has garnered an amazing amount of attention around the world – and really, for quite a simple idea.  It takes 18 seconds to change a light bulb – but that 18 seconds can make all the difference to our environment, as well as California’s energy future. The goal of the legislation is to reduce power use while simultaneously cutting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 1.8 million metric tons per year, which is the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the roads and highways. Read more »

By Adrienne J. Tissier
San Mateo County Supervisor
San Francisco Examiner
Originally Published  April 2, 2007

Unlike the cure for the common cold, solutions to a significant cause of global warming are commonly known. In fact, more than a few middle-schoolers understand that reducing the number of personal automobiles on the road, reducing the length of time such cars are driven, will in-turn reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The solutions to global warming are found in modern urban planning and zoning and three little words: Transit Oriented Development. Build well-designed, affordable housing within walking distance of efficient mass transit, and the air-fouling traffic jams will unclog themselves. Better yet, build well-designed, affordable housing within walking distance of jobs, schools and retail, and car use will plummet. Read more »

By Anita Shafer Aaron,  Executive Director
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

There are several policy guidelines that, if embraced by San Francisco government and residents, would result in a much more accessible and usable community for blind and visually impaired residents and visitors.  Given San Francisco’s population, estimated to be 740,000, we can estimate the number of blind and visually impaired residents of San Francisco to be between 23,000 and 37,000. We also know that two-thirds of individuals who are visually impaired are over 65 which means it is critical to consider seniors when establishing policies and practices that affect individuals who are blind/visually impaired. Read more »

By Dr. Mitch Katz, Director, SF Department of Public Health
Gene O’Connell, Executive Administrator, SF General Hospital

San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center must rebuild its acute care hospital building in order to comply with a state law mandating the seismic safety of all acute care hospitals within California. San Francisco General occupies a unique and critical role in the healthcare delivery system in San Francisco.  Approximately 85% of the patient population either receives health care services subsidized by government programs such as Medicare or Medi-Cal or is uninsured. San Francisco General prides itself on providing high quality care to those who are in need.  We must all work together to ensure the future of San Francisco General so as to ensure the health and safety of San Francisco. Read more »

By Robert N. Klein and David Bluestone, Americans for Stem Cell Therapies and Cures

San Francisco is the benevolent host to California’s surrogate national stem cell program; it stands in sharp contrast to the inactivity (and intolerance) of the federal government.  California’s stem cell program has created a new model for how to fund medical research in this country. Scientific and medical research is effectively the most important intellectual capital investment and asset of this society and must be funded with long term capital debt instruments. By making long term investments in today’s intellectual property, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is investing in our society’s health in the future. Read more »

By Megan Corcoran
The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

As politicians search for a solution to our city’s growing violent crime rate, they should start by looking close to home for a compassionate and common-sense policy that will help protect San Francisco youth and families. By reforming our juvenile justice system, and keeping our children out of the dysfunctional statewide youth prisons run by the Department of Juvenile Justice, we can lower crime rates and improve lives by preventing troubled kids from becoming both the victims and the students of dangerous criminals. San Francisco is well placed to become a pioneering county in changing the manner in which juvenile justice reaches the community. Read more »