Sustainability Committee Meeting Tonight

by The Editors on January 26, 2009

The Imagine Carlsbad Sustainability Committee will meet at 5:30 Monday, January 26, 2009 at the Harding Center (3096 Harding Street). We’re guessing the public is invited. The focus of the meeing is: “What would you like the general plan or community vision for Carlsbad to address?”

Anyone interested in Carlsbad’s future and the future of the Carlsbad General Plan should attend. For all the details please follow the jump.The Imagine Carlsbad Sustainability Committee will meet at 5:30 Monday, January 26 at the HARDING CENTER (3096 Harding Street).

The City of Carlsbad is in the beginning stages of revising the “General Plan”, which as the name implies is a “blue print” for change. The seven major elements (required by California State law) are: Land use, Housing, Open Space, Conservation, Circulation, Public Safety, and Noise. Carlsbad also includes two optional elements: Parks and Recreation, and Arts. I think it is important to remember that “Under all is the land”. The link to Carlsbad’s General Plan is: www.carlsbadca.gov/planning/plan8.html

The Economic, Social, and Environmental components of Sustainability ALL depend upon the land which the community lives, and the land use decisions that are made by the inhabitants of that land. The primary topic of dialogue (AKA open-minded courteous conversation) at the Sustainability Committee meeting will focus on land use ideas/suggestions for updating Carlsbad’s General Plan.

The 6:30 General Meeting will focus on “What would you like the general plan or community vision for Carlsbad to address?”

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved the “Southern Route” of the “SUNRISE Power Link” by a 4 to 1 vote with no requirement that the projected $1.9 billion transmission line actually transmit “SUN” energy. The dissenting vote thought that the SUNRISE Power Link should actually be required to carry renewable energy. Imagine that!

Question? Why does Germany (which receives 50% of the sunshine that Southern California does) lead the world in solar electric installation? Answer: “Feed-in-Tariffs”, which require that their electric utilities BUY surplus renewable energy generated by homeowners and businesses. In California any surplus generated is a gift to the local electric utility monopoly. Imagine that! Stay tuned for California Senate Bill 1714, which is feed-in tariff legislation.

Please let me know one week in advance of our scheduled meetings (fourth Monday of each month) is you would like to submit a topic for discussion.

Also, let me know if you do not want to receive this meeting notification in the future.

Renewable Energy IS Homeland Security. Distributed Generation IS More Secure. A feed-in tariff will expedite distributed renewable energy.

Don
760-802-0552

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Bob January 26, 2009 at 1:43 pm

Hi Don,
Particularily interested in your Feed-in-Tariffs comments. I agree and have been amazed this hasn’t been a huge issue with the public.

I was under the impression that the Bill was AB1920 but maybe I was mistaken.

Bob B.
Leucadia

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