Global warming is a top environmental concern for which San Francisco has already demonstrated leadership. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has passed legislation that aggressively implements procedures to reduce CO2 emissions by 2.4 million tons by 2012.

Given these standards, it is imperative that San Franciscans ratify a ballot measure this November, the Clean Energy Act.  This charter amendment mandates that the city begin to acquire its energy from renewable sources, converting entirely to renewable energy sources by 2040.

Under the Clean Energy Act, the city may manage its own power company. More than 1,000 other cities have converted to municipal power agencies and have seen dramatic decreases in costs to consumers as a result – by as much as 20 percent.  The act also calls for the city to invest in green-collar jobs, to create and support the specialized workforce that will be needed for this new industry.

We cannot afford to wait any longer to implement this type of change in our energy use and distribution, especially when the benefits are so clear: Converting to renewable energy will reduce our carbon emissions, which means reducing the pollution that contributes to global warming. A city-owned power company also will bring in significant revenues that can be used to fund other programs and will create new jobs, as has succeeded in over 900 cities throughout the world.

Rooftop Gardens

Adding greenery to the roof of buildings offers many environmental benefits, and therefore San Franciscans should be encouraged to green their rooftops. Greenery absorbs carbon dioxide, thus improving air quality. Gardens also divert storm water runoff, attract birds, can be used to grow food, and add a bit of beauty to the urban skyline. A fully covered roof acts as insulation on a building, which reduces the energy needed to heat and cool the building. The newly renovated Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park sports a rooftop garden, and the city should encourage residents and businesses to follow suit.

Creating Open Space

In District 9, there is a lack of open space.  The problem is particularly acute in parts of the Portola, where the Palega Recreation Center is one of the only open spaces in the neighborhood.

The closest large open space, McLaren Park, is in disarray.  Systematic budget cuts to the Department of Recreation and Parks have led to a lack of gardeners and resources to maintain the park.

We need to view open space as a necessity, not a luxury.  This starts by acknowledging that open space are as integral to urban areas as large development for office buildings and big-box retail chains. People need places to meet and congregate in the outdoors, especially when they have no backyard of their own. Thus, the more dense the population of a neighborhood is, the higher the need for public open space.

To counter the setbacks we have been dealt, we need to prioritize parks and open spaces as follows:

1. Increase the canopy of urban trees in District 9
   
   
2. Encourage mixed-use community spaces to include parks and open space as has been successfully done along Octavia Boulevard
   
   
3. Invest resources McLaren Park to restore them to its former splendor
   
   
4. Prioritize open space as a requirement whenever developers seek to build within District 9

By focusing on these tasks, we will make marked improvements based on long-term investments in our environment.