Environmental Issues Summary by candidate Jeff Sceranka:
What is the Green Valley Initiative and why is my company a part of it.
Mission Statement:
Transform Riverside and San Bernardino counties into a region that integrates people and businesses with natural resources to create new jobs, greater opportunities and higher quality of life.
Environmental Issues in the Inland Empire:
1. Imbalance of people and jobs. We need more jobs.
2. We need a balance between population growth, jobs, and the environment
3. Pollution from coastal region comes here. We need to work regionally.
4. Increase the number of green technology and environmental science jobs.
5. We need sustainable sources…solar and wind
6. We need enlightened public policy…walking the talk.
7. Our vision of sustainability needs to be from more than consultants…must have community buy-in.
8. We need clear and identifiable ways to track progress
9. We need collaborative approaches between government and the community. This requires political leadership.
10. We need incentives for companies to adopt environmentally friendly technology.
11. Government needs to invest in environmentally friendly technologies like solar and alternative energy.
12. We need to conserve water.
13. We need to attain an 80% recycling rate for cans, newspapers, and glass.
14. We need to conserve electricity.
15. Create sustainable development practices and lifestyle choices.
16. Develop programs for LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
17. Encourage home/office work space environments.
18. Develop programs to help employees to live close to work.
19. Encourage gray water systems for landscape irrigation.
20. We need to look at transit capacity freeway alternatives to reduce commute times.
21. Improve insulation for energy conservation, efficient lighting systems, solar water heating.
22. Reduce heat gain and carbon footprint by appropriate landscaping programs for parkways, parks, trail systems, parking lots, and residential developments.
23. Convert government and public transportation vehicles to alternative energy sources other than gasoline.