The LookOut is a monthly digest of climate-related issues and events taking place in Humboldt County.
In Favor of Old-Growth
After the Planning Department’s failure to uphold legal protections for four old-growth redwoods in the Lower Redway Q-zone, Humboldt County supervisors are updating, clarifying, and reinforcing the Q- zone ordinance. According to this ordinance, trees with diameters bigger than 12 inches cannot be removed willy nilly, reflecting the desire of Lower Redway residents to preserve their neighborhood’s canopy and remaining legacy trees.
The controversy over the loss of those old-growth trees in Redway has inspired many residents to suggest countywide legal protections for old-growth. The ordinance would likely set a larger diameter threshold than that in Redway—perhaps twice as much—and it would exempt the timber industry and hazardous trees, which would require emergency permits like the ones in Redway.
A committee will be formed to hammer out an updated version of the existing Q-zone and to also create the new county-wide ordinance. This committee will be composed of arborists, planning commissioners, tribal representatives, Lower Redway residents, and state agencies.
Supervisors also plan to impose a temporary moratorium on removing old-growth trees outside Redway until the ordinance is ready. That’s to discourage landowners who might want to cut down big old trees on their property while the ordinance is being developed.
Going Nowhere at Night in Arcata
Cal-Poly Humboldt has postponed its threat to defund Arcata bus service in the evening. At an Humboldt Transit Authority meeting on August 5, a CPH representative agreed that funding would continue for the rest of the fall semester, except for the Green&Gold route. Ridership on this route is the lowest, costing CPH $20 per ride. The representative cited the need to spend student fees more efficiently.
On the other hand, CPH students constitute more than 70% of the ridership on the only buses that people can use to get around from 7 – 10pm in Arcata. Losing that service impacts students, the Valley West community and the homeless. The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities sees this as a step in the wrong direction. You can help by taking the CRTP bus survey or by emailing [email protected]to describe how you would be impacted and to find out how you can help.
courtesy of Lost Coast Outpost
Good for the Grid
A major battery energy storage system [BESS], Sandrini Energy Storage, was just completed in August in Kern county. Redwood Coast Energy Authority has a contract for a hundred percent of its 92 MW output. This type of dispatchable, firm power is essential for evening out intermittent energy sources. The new BESS complements the 300 MW Sandrini Solar array, also in Kern county, 100 MW of which RCEA buys.
Not every BESS stores renewable energy. Batteries can be charged by dirty energy as well, but releasing that energy during peak usage makes it unnecessary to fire up the dirtiest and most expensive electricity plants of them all. Grids in the US are adding battery energy at a fast clip.
HAPPENINGS
350 Humboldt’s general meeting will be held on September 10 at 1:30 at the Arcata Redwood Park near the 14th Street parking lot. (People driving might want to park in the parking lot on the south end where there is more room.) Don’t forget to bring a chair!
We’re participating in the All Species Parade in Arcata again this year. It’s on September 19 at 1pm. We need volunteers to parade around with sandwich boards showing solar panels and wind turbines. The future of all species depends on renewable, clean energy. Contact Nancy at [email protected] to sign up.
Other events
The wonderful volunteers at Repair Cafe will do their best to fix your broken stuff for free on September 13 at the Arcata Community Center from 10am to 2pm. Bring small appliances, electronics, clothing, lamps, jewelry, and more. They’ll even sharpen your dull knives.
The next Solidarity Gathering at Humbrews [856 10th St. in Arcata] will take place on September 14 at 5 to 7 o’clock. Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities will talk about local transit, plus we’ll get the perspective of bus drivers from AFSCME 1684, union for the workers who “make Humboldt happen.”
These monthly gatherings, organized by Friends of the Eel, combine learning about what’s happening with the pleasure of good company, food and drink. Humbrews donates a portion of its sales at the gathering to the participating organizations, so come, ye hungry, thirsty people!
Speaking of public transit, the whole month of September is Transit Month. Try to ride the bus as much as possible. You might even win the contest sponsored by CRTP. Click here to get the details.
Also, CRTP, 350 Humboldt and many other organizations are sponsoring Laurel Paget-Seekins’ talk about how the federal government’s attack on inclusive democracy is hurting public transit. Find out what we can do about it on September 10 at 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm at McKinleyville Family Resource Center [1615 Heartwood Drive in McKinleyville]. Click here (same link as above) and keep scrolling to get more details about Paget-Seekins and the talk.
Redwood Coast Energy authority offers support for local community groups, nonprofits, and educational institutions whose missions align with the values of RCEA. Its Supporting Our Community Program may provide financial support, staff time or other available resources. Find out how to apply here.
Learn about the findings of California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment for the North Coast Region at a webinar on September 3 from 10-11am. This sector-specific report covers Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Lake, Siskiyou and Trinity counties. Researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt, Tribal governments, and other participants report on the unique climate challenges and impacts here in our neck of the woods. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A. Register here.
California by its own law must put together a California Climate Change Assessment every few years. The last full report was published in August of 2018. The Fifth Climate Change Assessment for the entire state is not yet finished.
If you need help to get rolling, a voucher for $1,000 from RCEA can be redeemed at six different local bike shops towards the purchase of an e-bike. Click here for more information and to apply for the voucher.
Too far to go? You might need an EV. If you have never bought or leased an EV, California has a deal for you—a $3500 rebate for a new zero-emission vehicle, or $1750 for a used EV.
Governor Newsom announced his intent several months ago to create a program to replace the federal incentives for electric vehicles by combining money from the state with money from automakers, and this is it. Better yet, there is no need to apply beforehand because the rebate comes right off the sticker price at the point of sale. You do need to sign a legal document swearing that you are a first-time EV buyer or leaser. This Cal-Matters article will give you more information about price limits, stacking discounts, and eligible automakers.
Places to Live
Infill housing projects have to make tough choices about parking. The developer and permitting agencies must confront the gap between a shining future–a nimble public transit system and many people on bikes–and the current reality of car dependence with all of the related emissions and other drawbacks.
The Arcata Planning Commission and Cleekco Designers hashed out this exact choice in relation to a 4-plex project at 440 K Street. The planned parking lot is just big enough for four cars, including a handicapped space plus the extra space that a wheelchair would need in order to access the vehicle. There is some uncovered space for bikes, but for secure overnight storage and charging they would need to fit into the small 528 square foot units. That might be feasible for little bikes but not the cargo bikes most likely to actually displace an automobile.
After much discussion the Commission conditioned its approval of the project on a parking lot design that will accommodate secure covered storage for four ample bikes. Cleekco will just have to put on its wizard hat.
More climate-friendly infill housing will be available this fall in Eureka. These sixty two apartment homes will feature secure bicycle storage plus other amenities such as community rooms and playgrounds. If you’re interested, click here to get more information about eligibility requirements and to get on the list for potential occupancy.
Mallard Apartments, the result of a partnership between the city of Eureka and Linc Housing, will consist of ninety units in all in three different locations once the project is complete.
Also, the EaRTH Center builders and city agency members held a symbolic “groundbreaking” ceremony to celebrate the first step towards actual construction. Located downtown at H and 3rd Street, the parking lot re-development project will incorporate a transit hub on the ground floor and affordable housing upstairs. Two keys to curbing climate change in one 26,400 square foot building.
Wind
One of the two developers that has a lease in the Offshore Wind Area has been paid off by the Trump administration to drop it. Per Trump’s conditions, RWE plans to use its $1.22 billion to invest in natural gas projects in other parts of the country. Presumably, RWE doesn’t find this prospect too revolting, considering that the corporation itself operates fossil fuel energy projects around the world. The other developer, Vineyard Wind, only works on renewable energy projects.
This Jefferson Public Radioreport looks at the implications for the Harbor District of possibly having no offshore wind deal after all. Its plans to build a Heavy-Lift Marine Terminal might be missing its original mission of building and servicing wind turbines. Planning for such a major project can’t easily flow with the whims of the Trump administration, but what purpose would the Terminal serve in the absence of wind energy?
In the August 22 Eco-News Report, Tom Wheeler and Matt Simmons of EPIC, joined by Jen Kalt of Humboldt Waterkeeper, also discuss the uncertain future of the wind industry and the terminal now that RWE has reneged. Is this a pause that can be used constructively?
On August 29, California announced its suitagainst the US Department of the Interior for its “unconstitutional and unlawful” deal with Golden State Wind to drop its lease agreement to build an offshore wind farm off of Morro Bay. This deal exactly mirrors the one with RWE and developers with leases in the Atlantic offshore wind areas. Golden State Wind’s $120 million investment must be re-routed to oil and gas assets such as liquefied natural gas projects on the Gulf Coast.
EPIC’s Matt Simmons has pulled five pages of quotes to summarize the 55 page legal complaint from the Attorney General, click here.
Doing without the projected 25 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind would deal a blow to California’s climate target of carbon neutrality in 2045.
Senator Padilla has also pledged a fight on the federal level to defend California’s offshore wind plans. He and Senator Angus King of Maine have introduced a bill stipulating that surrendered OSW leases be offered to other leaseholders at the original auction price. As further incentive, these new leases would not require approval from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, thus eliminating major paperwork and delay.
If you hanker to hear three California regulatory heavyweights—from the Air Resources Board, Public Utilities Commission, and Energy Commission—all in one room, discuss the big energy picture, you can’t do better than to tune into this Politico discussion. Prodded by Debra Kahn, they talk about the RWE buyout among other big topics.
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