Oakland

OAKLAND

On the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, Oakland has a population of around 433,000 people and a land area of around 56 square miles. This makes Oakland approximately ten times the size of San Francisco with half the population

Climate change has caused Oakland’s sea level to rise eight inches over the past 100 years, which has caused significant damage to local ecosystems. The 2015-2016 El Niño storms chipped away at it’s coasts, making the sea level rise even more costly to both people and wildlife. Oakland also suffered from the area’s 2015-2016 drought, another result of climate change. As the Earth continues to warm, Oakland can expect more periods of drought and powerful storms. Nearby wildfires, also a result of climate change, makes breathing a problem for residents year-round. As climate change drags on, East Oakland flats will become even hotter because of the asphalt and gray industrial concrete that absorbs the sun’s heat. Since recreation centers and schools do not have air conditioning as a result of historical injustice, East Oakland’s residents have less access to local cooling centers. The area’s lack of trees also adds to the impact of even walking in the community on a hot day. 

Oakland developed a new Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) which passed the Oakland City Council unanimously in July 2020. The ECAP is the City’s 10-year plan for mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis in ways that improve racial equity across Oakland. The ECAP includes 40 Actions across 7 sectors. More than 2,000 Oaklanders provided insights that were incorporated into the Plan over a two-year development period.

The ECAP was developed pursuant to City Council’s adopted 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 56% relative to 2005 levels, as well as Oaklands 2018 Climate Emergency and Just Transition Resolution. Oakland’s City Council also adopted a 2045 Carbon Neutrality Goal, calling for a dramatic reduction in Oakland’s greenhouse gas emissions and “deep decarbonization” of the building and transportation sectors by 2045. This follows the previous reduction target of 36 percent by 2020.

March for Climate Change, Oakland, CA

CURRENT NEWS

First atmospheric river storm of the season heading into Northern California, bringing rain

By Paul Rogers 09/24/23
The first atmospheric river storm of the season is forecast to hit Northern California on Sunday and Monday, bringing much needed help fighting fires in remote, rugged areas near the Oregon border that have sent…
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Oakland Airport expansion is a threat to climate change goals, environmental coalition warns

By Will Mccarthy 08/15/23
After an onslaught of wildfires, dangerous heat and flooding over the past few years, a recent survey shows that a third of Bay Area residents view climate change as one of the most pressing challenges…
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How Greening California Schoolyards Protects Kids and the Climate

By Laura Klivans 06/29/23
Mayra Gudiño walked across the central schoolyard at Bridges Academy at Melrose, a public elementary school in East Oakland last fall. It’s a familiar place, where Gudiño has sent all three of her children for…
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Port of Oakland, California signs 12-year contract for Geysers geothermal power supply

By Carlo Cariaga 06/28/23
The Board of Port Commissioners of the Port of Oakland in California has agreed to purchase geothermal power from the Geysers Power Company. The contract will run for 12 years from January 1, 2025 to…
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Oakland water district’s time capsule could end up buried beneath the sea

By Will McCarthy 05/22/23
A time capsule buried near the base of the Bay Bridge on Monday to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the East Bay Municipal Utility District could be underwater at its own centennial, swamped by the…
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Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief Supporting Oakland and San Francisco’s Efforts to Hold Big Oil Accountable for Misleading the Public, Worsening the Climate Crisis

05/12/23
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a coalition of 16 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting the City of Oakland and the City and County of San…
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Oakland Releases Environmental Justice & Safety Elements + Environmental Impact Report Drafts for Public Review

05/10/23
The City of Oakland is extremely pleased to announce the release of the Draft Environmental Justice (EJ) Element and Draft Safety Element for public review and feedback! This is the first time the City has…
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City planners targeted a Black community for heavy pollution. Can the damage be undone?

By Darryl Fears and John Muyskens 05/07/23
Proud but beleaguered, West Oakland is easy to spot on a map. This Black enclave — not far from the stately Bay Bridge and just downslope from the mansions of the East Bay hills —…
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The Bay Area is going electric for furnaces and water heaters

By Maxine Joselow and Vanessa Montalbano 03/16/23
Bay Area officials voted to adopt landmark rules phasing out gas appliances. Yesterday, officials in the San Francisco Bay Area approved the nation’s first rules phasing out new natural-gas-powered water heaters and furnaces.
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Emerson Electric : The New Wave of Renewable Fuels for a Low-Carbon Economy

03/15/23
There is no going back: All companies are now under pressure to shrink their carbon footprints. Many companies are publicly setting goals in a signal to customers-and investors-that they are not only aware of the…
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Rare snowstorm in the Bay Area demonstrates the effects of climate change

By Samantha Crowther 03/06/23
The recent Bay Area snowstorm highlighted the worsening local effects of climate change.
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A $200 million bike bridge tantalized this Bay Area city. It may never get built

By Rachel Swan 03/04/23
Marc Hedlund followed his Google Maps directions point by point, pedaling his canary-yellow electric bike from downtown Oakland toward Alameda, until he reached the gaping jaws of the Webster Tube.
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PLANS TO ACCELERATE RENEWABLES

Oakland’s 2020 Energy and Climate Action Plan

08/14/20
Oakland's 2020 Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) was adopted by the City Council on December 4th, 2012. The purpose of the City's first ECAP is to identify and prioritize actions the City can take…

KEY RESOURCES

Earth House Center — Oakland, California

04/03/20
The mission of Earth House Center, in Oakland, California, is to build healthy, just, and sustainable communities through education, training and multimedia communication tools.

Green leaders of oakland

04/03/20
Daniel Hamilton has been passionately cleaning and greening local governments since 1997.

Best sustainable organic restaurants in Oakland, CA

04/03/20
List of organic restaurants in Oakland.

BOMA Oakland/East Bay Sustainability

04/03/20
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use.

Alameda County Sustainability

04/03/20
Press Releases.

California Sustainability Alliance

04/03/20
Oakland is the third largest city in the San Francisco Bay area, with a population of 400,000. It has undertaken numerous sustainable development initiatives. In 1998, the City of Oakland adopted a Sustainable Community Development…

Best solar companies in Oakland, CA for 2020

04/03/20
EnergySage helps you go solar

Energy Programs for Residents

04/03/20
Support is available to help Oakland home owners and tenants improve the energy efficiency of their properties, conserve energy and reduce their energy bills.

Welcome to the Local Clean Energy Alliance

04/03/20
We are the Bay Area’s foremost membership organization working at the local, state, and national level to promote a clean energy future through the development and democratization of local renewable energy resources.

Energy Programs Serving Oakland

04/02/20
Support is available to help Oakland home owners and tenants improve the energy efficiency of their properties, conserve energy and reduce their energy bills. Follow the links below for more information on these exciting programs.

CLEANER ELECTRICITY. LOWER RATES. COMMUNITY BENEFITS

04/02/20
East Bay Community Energy, also known as EBCE, is the local electricity supplier in Alameda County. EBCE provides cleaner, greener energy at competitive rates to our customers. EBCE reinvests earnings back into the community to…

CHPS Program Updates

04/02/20
Two of our newest projects meeting Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Criteria are the Child Development Centers at Stonehurst and Arroyo Viejo. The La Escuelita Educational Complex, Phase 1, our first zero net energy…

Oakland | Sustainability

04/02/20
The City of Oakland is committed to leading Oakland's progress in becoming a more sustainable city – a community in which all people have the opportunity to pursue safe, happy, healthy and fulfilling lives, now…

The Energy Group

04/02/20
The Energy Group advocates for and supports planning and implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for Oakland residents and businesses. In addition to supporting energy efficiency throughout Oakland, the City is leading by…

The Energy Group

04/02/20
The City's Energy Group reduces electricity and natural gas use and greenhouse gas emissions from City facilities through advancing energy conservation, efficiency and solar power generation. It also advocates for and supports planning and implementation…

Oakland Clean Energy Initiative

04/02/20
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is making moves to provide more local clean energy in Alameda County through its solicitation as part of the Oakland Clean Energy Initiative. This initiative, a partnership with PG&E, will…

Go Green

04/02/20
We’re proud to say that we have been consistently named one of the greenest colleges in the nation by the Princeton Review since the ranking began in 2009. It’s part of our commitment to sustainability…

MORE NEWS

How the Unassuming Heat Pump Can Stave Off Warming

By Laura Klivans   02/08/23  
California’s latest climate plan includes a goal to deploy 6 million heat pumps by the end of the decade — and with good reason. These unassuming boxes are at least twice as efficient as gas…
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Port of Oakland’s solar energy use grows

01/27/23  
January 27, 2023: The Port of Oakland’s stake in a newly expanded solar array at Antelope Valley Solar Ranch has just come online. This solar project is now delivering renewable energy to the Port of…
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City of Oakland Releases Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan

01/18/23  
The City of Oakland announced today the release of its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan. The Plan, approved unanimously by the City Council in October 2022, provides a roadmap for transitioning to a zero…
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Port of Oakland welcomes solutions to sea level rise

11/15/22  
 Port officials from around the country and overseas, gathered virtually this month to discuss the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, search for mitigations, and share best practices. “The Port of Oakland as well…
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Oakland Environmental Group Sues City Over Rubber-Stamp Approvals of Indoor Pot Farms

By Dan Brekke   11/02/22  
An Oakland environmental justice group has filed suit against the city for allegedly issuing rubber-stamp approvals for indoor cannabis growing operations without conducting state-mandated reviews of their potential for polluting air and water and harming…
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S.F., Oakland can sue oil companies over climate change in state court, federal judge rules

By Bob Egelko   10/24/22  
San Francisco and Oakland can sue major oil companies in a California state court for selling fossil fuel products and allegedly deceiving customers about their impact on climate change, a federal judge ruled Monday, rejecting…
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$2 million renewable energy infrastructure design approved for Oakland Seaport

By Port Technology Team   08/22/22  
The project includes electrical infrastructure including solar generation, battery storage systems, a fuel cell, and the replacement of a substation and connecting circuitry. “This is a major step toward our goal to make the Oakland…
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Asthma affects thousands of Oakland kids. These residents are working to prevent it

By Sonya Lustig   01/10/22  
For the most part, Zaniah Whitfield’s mornings are nothing out of the ordinary. The four-year-old brushes her teeth, changes into school clothes, and eats breakfast with her mother, Claunisha Frazier, in their East Oakland home.…
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The interview: Oakland’s sustainability officer

12/23/21  
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter in September 2021 took the forward step of appointing a new environmental sustainability officer who is responsible for integrating social, financial, and environmental sustainability perspectives and best practices into everyday…
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Feinstein Announces Grants for Long Beach, Oakland Ports

12/22/21  
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement announcing more than $57 million in grants for ports in Long Beach and Oakland: “This much-needed funding will help improve port infrastructure in both Long Beach…
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California Cities Lead Nation in Clean Energy, New Report Finds

By Madeline Fitzgerald   12/16/21  
San Francisco leads the nation in clean energy and other environmental initiatives, according to a report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The ACEEE, a nonprofit research organization, released a report this…
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Piedmont awarded for efforts to reduce climate change

By Linda Davis   10/19/21  
Residents are trying out carbon-neutral induction cooktops, and the City Council is working toward installing electric vehicle charging stations on Magnolia Avenue through East Bay Community Energy. For a small city, Piedmont has made great…
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Oakland Nature Preserve to host Youth Climate Project

By Annabelle Sikes   09/21/21  
The Youth Climate Project, in partnership with the Amon Family Foundation, "challenges high school juniors and seniors to get involved and learn about the role climate change is projected to play in Florida’s future and consider…
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Oakland Roots to Become Climate Positive by 2022 in Partnership with EBCE

09/09/21  
Oakland Roots SC today announced their commitment to be among the first professional soccer teams in the world to become climate positive. This means that Oakland Roots will go beyond achieving net-zero carbon emissions by…
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Pressed by drought and climate change, a California city turns to desalination

By Nick Cahill   09/01/21  
Founded on a lush plain of the largest estuary on the West Coast of North America shortly after gold was discovered, Antioch’s fortunes have always risen and fallen with the delta tides.
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In Berkeley Visit, U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm Says U.S. Must ‘Act With Urgency’ to Reduce Planet-Warming Emissions

By Kevin Stark   08/24/21  
In her first official visit as the nation’s top energy official, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm returned to Berkeley last week to promote the Biden administration’s clean energy agenda.
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As wildfire risks grow, so does push for California housing reform

By Louis Hansen   06/10/21  
As California’s wildfire season grows longer and more devastating blazes sweep through communities, researchers say the state must overhaul its development policies and community rebuilding efforts or risk greater tragedy and loss of lives.
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Net-Zero complex becomes the first of its kind in Oakland

By KC Morgan   05/31/21  
Atomic City is Oakland, California’s first net-zero condominium complex, and it’s going to shape the future of building in the Bay Area. The complex’s design allows a tight-knit community of people to take care of each…
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Oakland bans some types of lawn and garden equipment

By Peter Snarr   03/03/21  
 Oakland has banned the use of leaf blowers, trimmers and other lawn equipment that rely on combustion engines, citing health and climate change concerns.
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Richmond: Cleanup at Chevron refinery oil spill site, city beaches continues after leak

By George Kelly and Rick Hurd   02/11/21  
Efforts continued Wednesday to clean up an oil spill at the Chevron refinery here that sent at least 100 gallons of petroleum product into San Francisco Bay waters on Tuesday evening.
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How is Climate Change Already Impacting the Bay Area?

By Raj Mathai   02/01/21  
Our earth is changing: summers are growing hotter and winters are more unpredictable. There’s simply not enough rain, and there are too many fires.
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Scientists tie climate change to increasing storm severity in Northern California

By Lana Cohen   01/29/21  
San Luis Obispo County received over 15 inches of rain in some areas, Mammoth Valley was hit with almost 110 inches of snow, mudslides decimated parts of Salinas, and destroyed Highway 1 in Big Sur.…
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California commission grants $1.5M to Salient Energy to develop zinc-ion residential battery system

By Chris Crowell   01/26/21  
Salient Energy is developing novel zinc-ion batteries as an alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, and the California Energy Commission (CEC) is into it, awarding a grant worth over $1.5 million to support the design and assembly…
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Pleasanton joins most of Alameda County in using renewable energy

By Angela Ruggiero   01/22/21  
Pleasanton residents will have an alternative energy option this April, more than a year after the city agreed to join a community choice nonprofit committed to providing clean energy.
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East Bay Community Energy aims for 100% clean energy by 2030

By Julia Baum   01/06/21  
East Bay Community Energy recently committed to providing nearly 1.7 million local customers with 100% renewable energy in the next decade, 15 years ahead of the state's target date, when the Board of Directors adopted…
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The Dirtiest And Cleanest Cities In America (The Worst Will Surprise You)

Laura Begley Bloom   12/31/20  
As 2020 comes to an end and people are beginning to consider traveling again, health, safety and cleanliness have become top priorities. In order to shed light on the places in America with the best—and…
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San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland Bring Electrification This Holiday Season

By Matt Gough   12/08/20  
Before 2019, not a single city in the United States had laws prohibiting the use of fossil gas in new buildings. Now, at the end of 2020, 40 cities have passed electrification ordinances across California, with many…
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Glass Fire destroys structures in California’s North Bay

By Bill Gabbert   09/28/20  
On Monday the Glass Fire at Santa Rosa, California grew in all directions, even as the strong winds that initially spread the fire slowed. But the high temperature and the low relative humidity combined with…
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California’s most destructive wildfires could hit this fall. Here is why

By John Lindsey   09/22/20  
This condition can produce north to northeasterly katabatic, or, downslope winds. These gales can bring dry and heated air that blows across bone-dry vegetation and trees that have not seen rainfall in months, a typical…
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Oakland Hills residents hire company to cut down over 200 trees ahead of peak fire season

By Luz Pena   09/20/20  
"We had several dead trees in this area and they were leading up the hill," described Evans. His team cleared brush for three to four acres and removed over 200 trees. Their plan is to…
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Low-Cost, One-Way Electric Moped Share Comes To Berkeley

08/26/20  
These electric mopeds, run by Revel, allow licensed drivers, age 21 and over to take low-cost, short trips as simple as a ride to work, the grocery store, or to an outdoor gathering with members…
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Why California wildfires are so extreme right now

By Andrew Freedman and Jason Samenow   08/19/20  
A rare mix of ingredients came together in central and northern California this week to produce fast-moving, explosively growing wildfires that are so powerful they create their own weather.
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There’s No Time to Waste in Bringing the Carbon Barons to Justice

By Jason Mark   07/29/20  
he Carbon Barons are in trouble. Landmark lawsuits against ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel giants charging that they have caused—and lied about—the climate crisis are making real headway. Unfortunately, they’re doing so just as Big…
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Researchers work to develop low-methane beef

By Elizabeth Schroeder   07/28/20  
In recent times, beef farmers around the world have increasingly come under fire from environmental organisations claiming that methane emissions from cattle pose serious consequences for the environment.
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Success! Oakland’s 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan Passes Unanimously!

07/28/20  
The Oakland City Council unanimously approved the 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP). The approved resolution included the Racial Equity Indicators Assessment (REIA) as a way to ensure that implementation of the ECAP’s programs and…
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Toxic Relationship

By Jean Tepperman   07/22/20  
California should begin gradually reducing output from its oil refineries in order to avoid climate catastrophe and to make the transition to clean energy as equitable as possible. That's the conclusion of a major new…
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Big Oil Asks Ninth Circuit to Rethink California Climate Case

By Ellen M. Gilmer   07/09/20  
Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., and other oil giants are calling on federal judges to rethink their recent revival of efforts to make the industry pay for the impacts of climate change.
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The ‘Unprecedented Natural Experiment:’ Stay-At-Home Order Reduces Air Pollution, Offers Clues in Climate Change Fight

By Ezra David Romero   04/14/20  
California is in the middle of an unexpected experiment. The stay-at-home order means millions are working from home, and air quality districts report 30% fewer cars on roads in the Los Angeles area and 65%…
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Powertrain Choices for Future Work Trucks

By Allen Schaeffer   03/04/20  
Approximately six million diesel-powered work trucks today are on the job working for small businesses and governments alike. These trucks that deliver the everyday services Americans demand, are doing so with fewer emissions and a…
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Dry California winter prompts wildfire and drought concerns

By Diana Leonard   03/02/20  
There wasn’t a drop of rain in downtown San Francisco during the month of February, something that hasn’t happened since 1864. Across Northern California, many sites also recorded zero precipitation for the first time on…
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Chevron and BP battle Oakland, San Francisco and other cities in California court

By Mark Olalde   02/05/20  
Local governments are alleging that oil companies knew about the consequences of climate change decades ago, that they lied to the public, and that they should pay for mitigation efforts like seawalls as a result.…
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The founders of Oakland’s new zero-waste grocery store want locals to transition from single-use to bring-your-own

By Cirrus Wood   01/21/20  
Oaklanders Sara Heady and Vanessa Pope wanted to do something for the environment but at a larger scale than just sorting their own recycling and carrying a canvas shopping tote.
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How Oakland’s environmental justice movement transformed California’s regulatory culture of climate change

By Michael Méndez   01/11/20  
Motivated by their success in creating a more equitable Oakland climate action plan, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network together sought new strategies to further their local work.…
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As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast

By Rick Maese   10/16/19  
The infield is made of asphalt right now. So are the dugouts, the outfield and the stands. Someday this might be home to a baseball stadium, but today Howard Terminal is little more than a…
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California and the Bay Area Have More Environmental Work to Do

By Nancy Skinner   08/08/19  
Here in the Bay Area, we pride ourselves on being environmental trailblazers. Our achievements include pioneering curbside recycling, prohibiting the use of ozone-depleting Styrofoam, and leading the effort to ban plastic bags, straws, and utensils.
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Sunrun Has Found a Way to Crack Energy Storage Markets

By Travis Hoium   07/22/19  
Energy storage has always been a natural complement to solar energy systems, but the two never seem to find a successful way to work together in practice. Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) Powerwall was supposed to be a…
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This “virtual power plant” made of solar and batteries means Oakland can stop burning jet fuel

By Adele Peters   07/20/19  
When the demand for electricity surges in Oakland, California, a power plant burning jet fuel switches on, pumping pollution into the western part of the city. But the plant will soon close—and will be replaced…
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On Sustainable Development, California–and the Entire Country–Has a Long Way to Go

By Melanie Curry   07/11/19  
As rankings go, this sounds good. The Bay Area cities of San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward scored the highest in the U.S. on achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals [PDF]. These are goals that the 193 member…
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Oakland to Swap Jet-Fuel-Burning Peaker Plant for Urban Battery

By Julian Spector   06/26/19  
ack London Square reminds a visitor of Oakland's nautical roots. Seagulls squawk, ships bob in the harbor, commuters rush out of cars or wheel their bikes to the ferry terminal to embark across the San…
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