Sustainability
by John M. Zukoski on January 31, 2012 | 
1 Comment | Topics: Sustainability
Residents in and around Dublin, CA may have to pay just a little more at their neighborhood grocery stores soon. Encompassing cities such as Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) recently adopted two ordinances that will help the county achieve its long-term waste reduction goals. The first ordinance prohibits free distribution of single-use bags at check out in stores that sell packaged food. This law will help reduce the number of bags going to landfill and decrease the problems caused by plastic bags at recycling processing centers and landfills. Recycled content paper or reusable bags may still be provided but only if the retailer charges a minimum price of $0.10 per bag. The other ordinance requires recycling of high market-value materials from larger businesses and multi-family properties.
Setting restrictions on single-use bag distribution will help local jurisdictions meet their storm water permit and litter control requirements at lower costs and reduce environmentally harmful trash in storm drains and creeks. Despite voluntary efforts to promote reusable bags countywide for several years, plastic bags remain 9.6 percent of litter collected during coastal cleanup days (based on 2008 data) in Alameda County.
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by John M. Zukoski on January 28, 2012 | 1 Comment | Topics: Sustainability · Things To Do
An upcoming workshop held by the experts from GreenPoint Rated will educate Dublin residents and their neighbors in the Greater Bay Area about how to green their homes through easy, do-it-yourself techniques. Open to the general public, this workshop will be held on February 2nd at 5:30PM at Truitt & White in Berkeley, CA.
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by Around Dublin Team on January 7, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Sustainability
For many homeowners in and around Dublin, CA, staying warm during the cold winter months can mean facing uncomfortably high utility bills. An upcoming workshop held by the experts from Energy Upgrade California aims to change that. This workshop will be held on January 19th, 2012 at the Amador Recreation Center in Pleasanton from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. The workshop is open to all residents throughout the Tri-Valley.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 10, 2011 | 1 Comment | Topics: Announcements · Sustainability
Army Parks Reserve Forces Training Area of Dublin, CA is getting a solar facelift thanks to the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD recently announced its intention to invest in Cogenra Solar hybrid solar arrays as part of the DoD Installation Energy Test Bed initiative for FY2012. This investment is part of an overall strategy to enhance energy security at military bases.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 20, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Announcements · Sustainability
Homeowners in and around Dublin, CA can now qualify for additional rebates of up to $2,000 through February 2012 for energy-saving home improvements. Offered exclusively to homeowners in the Bay Area for a limited time, these rebates are on top of the $4,000 rebates currently available through the Energy Upgrade California program. In addition to the money available for home upgrades, $300 rebates are being offered to help pay for a home energy assessment.
Since the program’s launch in March, Alameda County has completed nearly a third of the total number of energy upgrades in the Bay Area, more than any other county in the region. “We’re excited to see the growing interest in home energy upgrades,” said Wendy Sommer, Principal Program Manager at StopWaste.Org, the local government agency that is leading Energy Upgrade California in Alameda County. “Participating contractors are reporting an uptick in business, which is exactly what we’d hoped would happen. Our goal has always been a win-win-win that saves homeowners money, creates local jobs and protects our environment.”
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by John M. Zukoski on November 10, 2011 | 4 Comments | Topics: City Hall · Local Issues · Sustainability
If Alameda County’s StopWaste.org has its way, businesses and multi-family dwellings in Dublin, CA will be prohibited from dropping recyclable materials in their garbage bins. Once approved, the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance will require nearly all businesses and multi-family properties in Alameda County to segregate their recyclable and organic materials within the next few years. Dublin City Hall is generally supportive of this proposed ordinance, because it could help increase the state-mandated diversion of recyclable materials.
Still, the City has acknowledged that this County ordinance could have many negative impacts on local businesses and residents. Rate increases of up to 50%, for example, may hit all local businesses, unless all residential customers can help absorb some of the additional cost. Currently, recycling and organics collection costs are heavily subsidized by garbage collection rates.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 23, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Local Issues · Sustainability
People who work in Alameda County will have the chance to prove their recycling prowess by participating in StopWaste.Org’s “Stop Waste at Work Contest.” Recently announced, the contest gives employees of commercial businesses as well as civic organizations and nonprofits the chance to be rewarded for properly sorting their office waste. From October through November, individuals who work in Alameda County can participate and become eligible to win prizes by pledging to sort their office waste properly and encouraging co-workers to do the same.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 23, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · City Hall · Sustainability
Homeowners in Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore, CA can now take advantage of additional incentives for energy-saving home improvements through the recently launched Tri-Valley Energy Challenge. As part of their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the three cities are working together to ensure Tri-Valley homeowners can make the most of the available rebates from Energy Upgrade California, a statewide program that offers rebates and incentives for homeowners to make energy-efficient home improvements. Additional rebates may be available through local cities. The rebate can now be up to $6,000.
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by John M. Zukoski on August 28, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · City Hall · Sustainability · Things To Do
As part of Coastal Clean-up Day, the City of Dublin, CA will be sponsoring a Creek Clean-up day on Saturday, September 17, 2011. Creek Cleanup Day registration will begin at 9 am at Alamo Creek Park, located at 7601 Shady Creek Road. The All-America City will provide a small coffee, orange juice and muffin breakfast. As soon as everyone is checked in and ready to go, volunteer groups will head out to clean the creeks until about noon with a small pizza lunch to follow at Alamo Creek Park.
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