Global warming. Regional response. Individual action.
It would be fair to ask, “Will anything short of an international initiative curb climate change? The answer – no, and yes.
No, to achieve the radical results needed to significantly reduce greenhouse gases, we truly need national and international action.
Yes, but proactive changes in people’s behavior rarely occur globally or simultaneously. Rather, real change is measured in meaningful efforts by concerned communities and individual initiative.
That is why, after 18 months of effort, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group has stepped forward with a comprehensive, 12-point “Clean and Green” Alternative Energy Action Plan – a regional response to a global problem.
For companies, communities and individuals, “Clean and Green” offers practical and positive opportunities for engagement. While all 12 initiatives are being enacted, each of us can easily and immediately implement several:
n “Cool Commutes” – In car-crazy California, our automobiles account for 40 percent of greenhouse gases. Finding a different way to work – even one day each week – makes a mark. Rather than a fossil fuel burning single-occupant automobile, consider a carpool, vanpool, bus, light rail, CalTrain or BART train, or perhaps walking, biking or telecommuting. There are alternatives that fit every lifestyle. The “Cool Commutes” challenge, under the leadership of Lockheed Martin executive Len Kwiatkowski, encourages all employers – large or small, public or private – to engage employees in low-or no-cost commute options. Lockheed, for instance, provides a fleet of 75 yellow bikes for its workers to use on campus.
n “Unplug” – We can save money while saving energy, at work and at home. Take note of every gadget and appliance with a light, glowing whether in use or not. These “vampire suckers” add as much as 20 percent to each month’s electric bill. Your television isn’t in use – unplug it. Microwave – unplug it. Coffee pot – unplug it. Electric toothbrush already charged – unplug it.
n “CEO/Celebrity Cycle-to-work-Challenge” – Mark your calendar for May 17. On national “Bike-to-Work-Day,” Silicon Valley leaders are trading in four wheels for two wheels. In the Bay Area, four of every 10 workers have commutes of five miles or fewer. Studies show that three in 10 workers who bike to work even once continue to ride to work at least once a week. Instead of burning both cash and gas, burn a few calories instead. At Specialized Bikes in Morgan Hill, employees are encouraged and even paid $2 each day they cycle to work.
n “Energy Watch Partnership” – PG&E CEO Tom King is on the cutting edge. Putting his wallet where his words are, PG&E’s commitment to curb greenhouse gases runs deep. For Silicon Valley employers, there are $6.4 million reasons to take PG&E’s commitment seriously. The Energy Watch Partnership offers that sum to employers as rebates for projects reducing energy use. In addition to the Leadership Group’s 210 members, the program is also open to any employer – private, public or non-profit – who joins Sustainable Silicon Valley, at no charge.
n “Un-Pollute your Commute” – For some, an alternative commute may not be feasible, but an alternative vehicle might be. Buying a hybrid, electric or flex-fuel vehicle can significantly reduce your emissions. Hyperion CEO Godfrey Sullivan of Saratoga leads by example. His “Drive the Change” campaign allows any Hyperion employee, worldwide, to receive $5,000 for purchasing an alternative fuel vehicle earning at least 45 mpg. Proving this isn’t an incentive solely for larger employers to offer, Menlo Park resident and ETM CEO Tom Hayse has offered a similar incentive to his 100 Fremont employees. Several have stepped forward. Tom also offers employees up to ten energy-saving incandescent light bulbs for their homes, to save energy and instill a sense of personal responsibility. He calls it his “Thousand bulbs of Light” campaign.
Stanislau Lec once stated, “No snowflake in a avalanche ever feels responsible.” It is all too easy – and incorrect – to assume individual action is inadequate or unnecessary.
Rather, we side with archeologist Margaret Mead, who remarked “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Yes, many are frustrated by a lack of international and national action. We have a choice – get engaged or get enraged. Find out about “Clean & Green” at svlg.net. Global warming requires a regional response and individual action.
Carl Guardino is CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Reach him at
cg*******@sv**.net
. For more information on the “Clean and Green” Action Plan, visit www.svlg.net or call
(408) 501-7864.
