Bottom Line: No need to go to Costa Rica, Eco-tourism opportunities abound right here in San Mateo County

Visit the Half Moon Bay Coastside, 80 miles of coastal splendor filled with abundant natural, historical and cultural wonders. From some of the richest marine reserves and wetlands on the California coast, to small working farms where you can explore a barnyard and dine on farm-fresh organic produce; from shopping on historic Main Street in Half Moon Bay, to fishing for wild salmon or albacore tuna - the Half Moon Bay Eco-Tourism campaign has it all.

Bottom Line: Hikers, photographers, birders, gardeners and others are making contributions to climate change research.

Many scientists are measuring and studying the reaction of plant and animal species to climate change. Unexpectedly, some researchers use data that backyard naturalists have gathered to study species' populations and migrations. For example,

Bottom Line: Green business certification is a marketing asset, cost cutting measure, energy saver, workforce morale booster and overall smart business strategy.

The Bay Area Green Business Program is a successful partnership between cities, counties, environmental agencies, and utility companies that assist businesses in transitioning to practices that are environmentally friendly. There is often an upfront time and dollar investment in gaining green business certification, but almost all businesses agree the savings are worth it after a short payback period. The largest cost saving efforts usually include waste reduction and recycling, lighting upgrades, water conservation, and sourcing recycled products. Local colleges and universities may have graduate level students that are willing to help with energy audits and compliance reviews. Once a business satisfies the requirements on the green business checklist, including visits by PG&E and the water agency, the Green Business Coordinator verifies the results.

Bottom Line: Gophers are smart and persistent animals, but with a few tricks you can protect your garden.

Gopher-free garden? Well, OK, not really.

If you live in parts of the west where pocket gophers are common and you are a gardener, you no doubt have watched plants disappear as gophers pull them underground.

While it is impossible to keep all gophers out of your garden, there are things you can do to control their ravages. Of these suggestions that follow, I've found predators, raised beds and traps solutions that allow me to enjoy productive gardening.

Bottom Line: Sequoia Healthcare District is working to meet the needs of a growing community through grants and innovative new programs.
A new 2007 agreement between the Sequoia Healthcare District and Catholic Health Care West, gave the community's healthcare programs and services a facelift. Initiatives include upgrading and expanding the capabilities of Sequoia Hospital, the HeartSafe program, community grants, a nursing education partnership, and free medical clinics.

Bottom Line: San Mateo County provides free, comprehensive workforce development services to job seekers, laid-off workers, and employers.

In San Mateo County, the PeninsulaWorks One-Stop Career System, an initiative of the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), spearheads an integrated approach to workforce development.

Bottom Line: Pervious paving systems provide an economically sound and ecologically sensitive alternative for managing stormwater runoff and related water pollution issues.

Pervious paving systems (permeable concrete and asphalt, permeable joint pavers, or reinforced grass and gravel grids) allow rainwater to pass through their surface and soak into the underlying ground, recharging watersheds and replenishing ground water supplies while protecting wildlife habitats and greater ecosystems. While these systems help reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, they are not considered a treatment measure. Pervious paving must be designed to manage stormwater runoff adequately, while maintaining the same load bearing capacity as conventional paving in order to support the weight and forces applied by vehicular traffic.

Bottom Line: The Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Guidebook (First Edition: January 2009) is Now Available!

In 2007, the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County enthusiastically supported the development of a local guidebook for developing sustainable streets and parking lots. In January 2009, the first edition guidebook was released and made available for easy download. This guidebook is intended to inspire small but widespread changes that will improve San Mateo County's watershed health.

Sustainable streets integrate sustainable design principles, promote least-polluting ways to connect people and goods to their destinations, and make transportation facilities and services part of livable communities. The guidebook covers a wide range of topics, including: site layout and stormwater facility strategies, discussion on key design and construction details, and conceptual designs for demonstration projects being constructed in the county. The goal is to provide designers, builders, municipal staff, and other interested groups with practical and state-of-the-art information on creating low-impact development roadways and parking lots within San Mateo County.

Bottom Line: Green-Collar Jobs provide a prosperous pathway out of poverty for our people and our planet.

"Let's take the people who most need work, connect them with the work that most needs to be done, and fight pollution and poverty at the same time." Van Jones, Founder, Green For All

Green-collar jobs are like blue-collar jobs with a sustainable, community-building twist. Green-collar jobs are meaningful, pay family wages, and provide opportunities for advancement along a career track of increasing skills and wages. Green-collar jobs are in growing industries that are helping us kick the fossil fuel habit, curbing greenhouse-gas emissions, eliminating toxins, and protecting natural systems. Green-collar workers are already installing solar panels, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient, constructing transit lines, refining waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, erecting wind farms, repairing hybrid cars, installing green rooftops, planting trees, and so much more.

Bottom Line: Composting your kitchen waste and yard trimmings helps divert waste from landfills, saves you money on trash collection, and reconnects you to the natural cycle of nutrients.

Each week, when the time comes to dispose of (or recycle) yard trimmings and food waste, we all have two main options: 1) combine food scraps, soiled paper, and other biodegradable materials with yard waste to be composted; or, 2) put everything in the garbage bin, ensuring high trash collection costs, an increasing reliance on landfills, and a disconnection from the natural cycle of nutrients. We think #1 sounds better, don't you?

Yard and food waste make up roughly 30% of the waste stream. Composting your kitchen waste and yard trimmings helps divert that waste from the landfill, waterways and water treatment facilities, and is a natural process that recycles decomposed organic materials into a rich soil.