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Did you know that April is National Fair Housing Month and that May is Affordable Housing Month, created by several Bay Area organizations? Although it's only January, we're preparing! Acterra spends all year supporting home energy equity through our Green@Home and Advocacy programs. We hope you'll join us for Earth Month events celebrating and honoring the importance of electrifying our neighborhoods, equitably!

In addition, staff have been reading this NRDC issue brief that discuses environmental and health impacts of housing disparities, energy inequities, and how we can achieve equitable building decarbonation. Learn along with us about the historic opportunity to transform the built housing environment by addressing climate change and health disparities and understanding the impact of racist policies and prioritizing leadership from impacted communities for equitable solutions.

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Support climate action in the Bay Area. Click the "donate" button above.

Register for Promise to Our Planet!

Acterra's signature community-building event, Promise to Our Planet, is making a comeback on March 21, 2024 with the exciting new theme "The Tipping Point”. It's our largest gathering of the year, and guess what? This year, it's happening IN-PERSON at the Cooley Landing Education Center.

Join us for a networking session and top-level speakers, including our Keynote Speaker: Davina Hurt, board member for the Bay Area Air Quality Management Director and California Air Resources Board.

Register now and don't forget to nominate your Champions of Promise! (See below)

We can't wait to see you all there!

Nominate your Champions of Promise!

Calling Bay Area sustainability leaders and climate action changemakers! Apply or nominate an individual or a group for our fourth annual Champions of Promise Awards.

Awards will be presented this March during Acterra’s biggest event of the year, where we will gather in-person to review the wins of the past year and look forward to the challenging work still to come. 

Apply here by February 9.

Take Action in San Jose: Support EV Charging Equity!

A proposed new EV charging reach code will be voted on by San José City Council at their January 30 meeting. The proposed code is strong in some ways because it requires there to be (1) an EV Ready receptacle for each new apartment or condo unit with parking, and (2) EV receptacles in assigned parking spaces must be directly wired to the corresponding residential unit's electricity panel or meter. Direct wiring matters because it allows multifamily housing (MFH) residents to access the same electricity rates enjoyed by single-family residents; otherwise, electricity for MFH residents’ charging could be priced much higher, which is inequitable.

However, the proposed code falls short in two ways. It exempts “unbundled” parking (i.e., parking that is paid for separately from rent) from the state-mandated direct-wiring requirement, even when those spaces are assigned. And it neglects to require that parking be assigned so that residents can get direct wiring. 

Now is the time to urge the San José City Council to make the two above changes to the proposed code, to close the loophole and help residents avoid expensive third-party markups.

 Here’s how you can help:

1. Sign this petition. 
2. Give a comment at the January 30 San José City Council meeting (either in person or by zoom). Sign up here and we can send you talking points and notify you when it’s time to speak up. Thank you for standing up for equity.

Endorsed Events

Taking Action Against Climate Change - Join Citizens' Climate Lobby for a presentation about action to reduce carbon pollution and lessen extreme weather. During this presentation, we will compare climate improvement solutions using En-ROADS. We will also discuss why solutions are more or less effective and share easy actions that all of us can do to help. The presenter is Elaine Salinger, the Co-Leader of the San Mateo County Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby who has received several awards for her climate activism and presentations. 

Jan 31 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm at 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. Link.

Climate Solutions CA-16 Candidate Panels - Residents in California’s 16th Congressional District (including the cities of Pacifica, Menlo Park, Half Moon Bay, San Jose, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Campbell, Los Gatos, Los Altos, and Saratoga): Hear what the ten candidates for Rep. Anna Eshoo’s seat in Congress want to do about climate solutions and environmental protection. Join Acterra (event cosponsor) and please attend both nights of this two-part event as five candidates will appear during each evening.

Feb 1 from 7 – 8:30 pm. Link. 

Feb 5 from 7 – 8:30 pm. Link. 

Microplastics? Macro Problem - Dr. Imari Walker-Franklin, Research Scientist with Research Triangle International, will teach you how plastic impacts our health and the environment. Explore how plastic waste contributes to our changing climate. Learn solutions to our growing microplastics pollution. This event is part of the 2023-24 Sustainability Speaker Series, presented by the City of Sunnyvale and the Sunnyvale Sustainability Commission.

Feb 7 from 6 – 7:30 pm. Link.

Acterra has newsletters for everyone. Our offerings include sustainable food, electric vehicles, EV charging equity, young professionals, and more. Click the "Subscribe to our Newsletters" link below and make sure to select each one you want to receive, even if you are already subscribed!

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