Bottom Line:  Green Teams can make organizations more sustainable and businesses more profitable.

Some employees respond to our current sustainability challenges and opportunities by becoming intrapreneurs, regardless of their role or positions. These intrapreneurs start green teams in their organizations to make them more sustainable and--for businesses--more profitable.

Bottom Line: Get help jumpstarting sustainability at your public agency with this guidebook.

Sustainability is a simple idea with big implications. With all the information and ideas floating around, figuring out how to move towards your sustainability goals may seem overwhelming.

Bottom Line: Ecology Action’s RightLights Program provides subsidized energy efficiency upgrades of business lighting and refrigeration systems, with free professional assistance to help you lower your energy bills and boost your cash flow.

Is your business’ utility bill too high? An innovative non-profit offers a great opportunity to businesses to reduce their energy bills, save money, and boost productivity.

Bottom Line: Green@Home HouseCalls help fight climate change by saving residents energy and money while reducing climate changing CO2 emissions. Trained volunteers meet with residents in their homes to install simple energy-saving devices and create home energy conservation plans.

Did you know that U.S. households produce 21% of the country's global warming causing emissions? That means that smart choices at home can really make a difference! Green@Home helps communities take action to reduce global warming by making their homes more energy efficient. “HouseCalls” are available to all residents of participating cities whether you rent or own.

Bottom Line: Vampire power usage (also called “stand-by” power usage) can be eliminated by following a few simple steps

Your home electronics use a lot of electricity when they are turned on, but did you know that many electronics and computer equipment, go into stand-by and continue to consume electricity, even after you've turned them off?

Bottom Line: The College of San Mateo is offering two innovative new classes that will help advance your career in the alternative and renewable energy field.

Dependence on fossil fuel energy sources is a continued threat to the long-term sustainability of our community. While most people know that wind, geothermal, and solar energy are fast growing industries in California, few have the knowledge or background in these areas to make a career in alternative energy. In fact, with a stagnant economy and high unemployment, renewable and alternative energy careers (so called “green tech” jobs) are one of the few areas of job growth in the country.

Bottom Line: Light emitting diodes (or LEDs) are a very sustainable lighting source, and they are increasingly available (and cost competitive) for use in public spaces by cities or schools.

Based on semiconductor technology, LED’s have many advantages over traditional light sources including the widely used incandescent bulb and the newer (and energy efficient) compact fluorescent light.  LED’s use less energy, last longer, are smaller, and can be changed more quickly.  They do not contain mercury.  Their disadvantage, as with many new technologies such as solar energy, is greater up-front cost for the user.

Bottom Line: At the heart of industrial waste prevention is the idea that every product, service, and manufacturing process can benefit from a Life-Cycle Assessment.

By now, most of us are probably familiar with the iconic 3 R’s of early environmental and waste prevention slogans: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The 3 R’s have provided a simple, yet solid foundation on which consumers can base their purchasing and disposal-related decisions. However, when the focus of waste prevention shifts upstream to the world of design, manufacturing, and industry, the 3 R’s often fall short of achieving their mission.

Bottom Line: Incentives from California and the Federal Government for installing solar at your home or business make it a great time to GO SOLAR!

California is striving to create thousands of megawatts of new solar-generated electricity, moving the state towards a clean energy future. And you can help! Join the thousands of home and business owners who have earned cash back rebates by installing solar energy systems through the California Solar Initiative. Customers earn cash rebates for every watt of solar energy generated on homes, businesses, farms, schools, and government and non-profit organizations.

Bottom Line: New financing programs make solar energy cheaper than carbon based energy.

The City of Berkeley's Financial Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology (FIRST) is a game changing financial instrument. Berkeley officials brainstormed the idea of paying for residential solar panel installations with a City bond. Homeowners who agree to join the program pay off the bond through special assessments on their property tax. Under the program, which began on Nov. 5, 2008, the City will pay up to $37,500 per home for new solar panels. The homeowners get to choose solar panel brands and installers from a list approved by the City. The term of the bond is 20 years. After solar rebates and subsidies are applied to the installation cost, monthly payments for homeowners are around $120.

Bottom Line: Public utilities reimburse ratepayers for the extra cost of buying energy efficient products.

Because of an innovative "decoupling" revenue model, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) can actually make money by selling less of its product - energy! Lucky for you, this can save you lots of money and helps the environment! PG&E has a host of incentive programs and rebates to encourage its business and residential customers to conserve energy. The number of incentive programs and rebates are too many to list, but here are a few to get you started:

Bottom Line: Local community colleges are expanding vocational training in the growing clean energy fields to produce highly coveted employees.

The San Mateo County Community College District Vocational Programs train people to enter specific career fields upon completion of coursework. Vocational programs offer a wide variety of career choices including automotive technology, child development, graphic design and dental hygiene. Many community groups offer scholarships for particular fields and for individuals who have specific needs or backgrounds.

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: Reduce your ecological impact and potential health hazards by drinking tap water instead of bottled water. Bottled water is not necessarily any cleaner or safer than water from the tap.

Health and QualitySan Mateo County Tap water is highly regulated and tested for public safety by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes the EPA to enforce health standards for drinking water and requires public notification of water system violations and annual reports to consumers on contaminants found in drinking water. Alternatively, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which often uses EPA's tap water standards to determine safety. However, the FDA exempts from testing water that is packaged and sold within the same state, which accounts for 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States. Bottled water is not necessarily any cleaner or safer than water from the tap.

Bottom Line: The City of Millbrae completed a $6 million facility at its Water Pollution Control Plant that will turn grease from local restaurants into biogas and pay for itself in 17 years.

The City of Millbrae (with the help of Chevron Energy Solutions) recently completed a new $6 million facility at its Water Pollution Control Plant that will turn inedible used kitchen grease from local restaurants into biogas -- generating renewable energy to treat the city's wastewater. Their old plant was aging and too small to support the installation and use of modern cogeneration equipment that can capture and reuse biogas. Instead of wasting a valuable energy source, the City took on the challenge of building a custom system that can be replicated anywhere.

Bottom Line: Transit Oriented Development is a smart approach to accommodate future growth in San Mateo County, and reduce our communities' environmental impact.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD), sometimes called "Smart Growth" or the "New Urbanism" is an approach to planning communities which concentrates more dense, mixed-use development along transit corridors and near transit hubs. Mixed-use is usually interpreted as developing housing above commercial/retail space, but can also include residential/office use or offices combined with retail shops. On the peninsula, TOD is most appropriate when built near CalTrain stations, but TOD can also be included along major bus routes such as El Camino Real.

Bottom Line: Through SOS, Hillsdale High School installed solar panels and the students received a hands-on education about conservation and alternative energy.

Owens Electric & Solar is leading the way in renewable energy education in San Mateo County through its Solar Our Schools Program. After completing its first official program at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, Director Brian Quock has valuable insights to share.

The SOS program links Owens and BP Solar grants (for classroom materials, staff time, and solar panels) with a 5-week course for students to learn the basics of solar and other renewable energy sources, conservation and future technologies. During lunch and afterschool sessions, Brian educates the students on designing solar systems and involves them in the installation and monitoring process at their school. The results have been very positive, as the students have been a part of the process from education and participation to fundraising.

Bottom Line: The City/County Association of Governments' Utilities Task Force has developed a countywide strategy, involving the cities and the County, as an approach to guaranteeing sufficient utility infrastructure, to preserve natural resources and to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

San Mateo County cities have three critical reasons to develop and follow an energy strategy, 1) the ever increasing financial cost of energy and water, 2) the impact that creating additional energy related infrastructure will have on local communities, and 3) the increasing concern about climate change and its effect. As the Sate Legislature continues to develop new climate protection legislation it is imperative to implement a strategy that puts the county and local government in control of the situation rather than being controlled by it.

The objective of the San Mateo County Energy Strategy is to frame the discussion and to define practical actions for the cities and the county about water, energy, alternative energy, and climate protection. It also recommends a countywide effort including goals as well as concrete, clear strategies, actions and resources to reach the goals.

Bottom Line: The San Mateo County Energy Strategy recommends immediate action to promote energy efficiency and water conservation measures. Among the goals is surpassing California's AB32 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

The San Mateo County Energy Strategy is an effective approach to guarantee sufficient utility infrastructure, preserve natural resources and achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Energy and water consumption are directly tied to greenhouse gas emissions so the strategy focuses on using less water and less and cleaner energy.

State legislation such as AB32 will impact city and county governments. AB32 calls for a return to 1990 greenhouse gas levels by the year 2020, which represents a 25% drop from today's emission rates. Long-term, the law calls for emissions to be reduced to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Bottom Line: Become part of the global warming solution by going on a Low Carbon Diet!

This "30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds" is a fun, accessible, easy to use guide written by David Gerbson that will show you, step-by-step, how to dramatically reduce your CO2 output in just a month's time!

Supported with over two decades of environmental behavior change research; this illustrated workbook offers much more than a list of eco-friendly actions. It walks you through every step of the process, from calculating your current CO2 "footprint" to tracking your progress.

By making simple changes to actions you take every day, you'll learn how to reduce your annual household CO2 output by at least 15%! And, for those who are more ambitious, you'll discover how you can help your workplace, local schools, and community do the same. Join the growing number of citizens who have decided to take global warming into their own hands. "Low Carbon Diet" is the winner of the 2007 Independent Publisher "Most Likely to Save the Planet" Book Award.