Everyday, San Franciscans are improving the environment by composting our kitchen scraps, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, taking MUNI to work, and supporting businesses that implement green initiatives. Yet, there is more to be done.

We can achieve the most significant impact when we work together. Carrotmob puts the concept of working together into action. Last October, we organized a Carrotmob at Bernie’s – a green-friendly café on 24th Street in Noe Valley. When we approached Bernie, she committed to reinvesting 40% of her profits from that Sunday event to make the shop greener and more energy-efficient. Our job was to supply the “mob” of people. We invited neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues to stop by for their coffee, tea, and treats on a chilly Sunday afternoon. In just three hours, Bernie’s sales increased seven-fold and profits more than quadrupled! Not only did we entice people to shop, eat, and buy local, but the proceeds from that event will directly impact our environment. The event also helped spread awareness about what we can do together to support small business and save the planet – one Carrotmob at a time. (Learn more about the Carrotmob event at Bernie’s.)

Here are some other innovative ways to address environmental issues:

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

We can make great strides with respect to San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels by reducing the amount of electricity that we actually consume. Residential retrofits, smart appliances, and smart grid technology not only reduce our reliance on conventional power generation, but create jobs for San Francisco residents and help support a middle-class centered around the green economy. I am committed to accelerating San Francisco’s efforts to utilize federal energy-efficiency dollars as well as to cultivate local green businesses that are just now being stimulated through programs such as GreenFinanceSF. I am committed to putting ideas into action, which is why our campaign has used Carrotmob as a way to increase energy efficiency and support local small businesses.

NO NEW FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION IN SAN FRANCISCO

With the leadership of neighborhood and environmental organizations, San Francisco is on the verge of closing the last of its fossil fuel burning power plants. The City should ensure that no new fossil fuel power plants are opened in San Francisco by adopting a city-wide ban on fossil fuel power plants. All new energy generation should come from renewable sources of energy within San Francisco and the surrounding region. Further, we must take a leadership role in ensuring that the power we import into San Francisco is clean and renewable and not created by dirty power plants in other vulnerable communities.

EXPAND THE GOSOLARSF PROGRAM

Two years ago, San Francisco created the GoSolarSF program to provide incentives to San Francisco residents to install solar energy systems on their homes and businesses. This program is a national model and has tripled the number of rooftop solar energy systems in the city while creating a wave of green collar jobs and new business development. The program was such a success that the funds have quickly depleted. As a result, the program is now available only to our low-income residents. The GoSolarSF program budget should be doubled (from $5M to $10M per year) and reopened to all residents to ensure that San Francisco continues to invest in the future and becomes a destination city for the solar and clean technology industries that will create the jobs of tomorrow.

PROMOTE URBAN AGRICULTURE

From Dearborn Garden to Glen Park to James Lick Middle School to the Civic Center, urban gardens are popping up everywhere. With the appropriate use of these spaces, San Francisco could be a model for the slow food movement. My office will work with neighbors, gardeners, and city officials to foster, create, and maintain these spaces and allow residents an important stake in the community.

WATER CONSERVATION

San Francisco must do more to conserve water. Too many buildings in San Francisco have outdated wasteful water fixtures – shower heads, faucets and toilets – that waste water and cost San Franciscans money. The City should be much more ambitious about helping SF residents save water and money by increasing the incentive budget for residential and commercial water consumption. Saving water also saves energy because all of the water consumed in San Francisco has to be pumped from reservoirs outside of the city.

WASTE REDUCTION

I think it is important to bring attention to the great achievements that San Francisco has made in the area of environmental responsibility, namely resolving to have 75% of all waste that would otherwise be headed to a landfill diverted by the end of 2010. We’re now at over 70%! That shows we are well on our way to reaching the goal of zero waste by 2020. But more can be done, and we need to work tirelessly to get all SF residents on board to achieve that goal.

LOOKING AHEAD

I know that a large number of District 8 residents care deeply about protecting the environment. I believe our District could lead the way as our City progresses toward zero waste in 2020 – providing a model for other Districts to follow. Being forward-thinking now, and creating a strong benchmark example of zero waste in District 8, could help the City to reach its goal even before our 2020 deadline.