Environment

Diverted: Alameda schools meeting green challenge

Michele Ellson
Wednesday, May 1, 2013 - 12:03am

Alameda's public school students are forsaking the gray bin, putting paper and food scraps in their place. We've got a nifty infographic detailing the schools' progress over the past five years and the equivalent environmental impact, at the jump. Read more >> about Diverted: Alameda schools meeting green challenge

Alameda goes green: A timeline

Michele Ellson
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - 12:05am

Five years ago, city leaders adopted a plan aimed at reducing Alameda’s carbon footprint. And community members formed a group, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda, to help promote the plan’s emission reduction goals and gain the public’s help in reaching them. This Wednesday, April 24, the city and CASA are teaming up once more to celebrate their achievements at a Climate Protection Forum, where they will highlight the results of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions report, and spotlight local climate heroes. Read more >> about Alameda goes green: A timeline

Cultivating the commons: The Bay-Eagle Community Garden

Kristen Hanlon
Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 12:05am

The Bay-Eagle Garden offers bursts of green. Photo by Kristen Hanlon.

On a quiet stretch of Eagle Avenue between Bay and St. Charles streets is an oasis of green known as the Bay-Eagle Community Garden. It takes up about two-thirds of a city block and is bordered by a small playground and homes managed by the Alameda Housing Authority. On a drizzly, overcast morning in late March, a few dedicated gardeners were at work weeding, preparing their plots for spring planting, and harvesting vegetables for the Alameda Food Bank. I spoke with Jane Jackson, who has seen the transformation of “a heap of broken glass and garbage” to the productive garden it is today. Read more >> about Cultivating the commons: The Bay-Eagle Community Garden

Council shows support for Alameda Point wildlife conservation

Michele Ellson
Thursday, March 21, 2013 - 12:05am

Contributed graphic.

Alameda’s city leaders offered a unanimous show of support for a future nature reserve at Alameda Point on Tuesday, approving a resolution that affirms the city’s commitment to a wildlife conservation area at the former Navy base and offers support for formally designating more than 500 acres as a conservation area. Read more >> about Council shows support for Alameda Point wildlife conservation

Hearings on impact of proposed veterans' facilities start today

Michele Ellson
Thursday, March 14, 2013 - 12:01am

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Navy will be taking comments on a draft environmental assessment of plans to build a clinic and columbarium at Alameda Point at a pair of hearings on the USS Hornet today.

In addition to the Hornet hearings, which are being held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, an additional hearing has been scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 10 at the Albert H. DeWitt Officers Club and the comment period has been extended to April 19. Read more >> about Hearings on impact of proposed veterans' facilities start today

Pollution drops in Alameda

Michele Ellson
Monday, March 11, 2013 - 12:05am

Alamedans polluted less in 2010 than they did five years earlier, the results of a new study show.

Emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants dropped 8 percent over that time, the 2010 Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory estimates, putting Alameda on track to meet the city’s reduction target of 25 percent by 2020. But some are questioning whether the numbers will hold as the nation emerges from a recession that likely reduced the car trips that are responsible for much of the pollution, and they say that much more needs to be done. Read more >> about Pollution drops in Alameda

Skeleton of Clement Street buildings will see new life

Michele Ellson
Thursday, December 20, 2012 - 12:05am
Stacks of 12x12 "bullseye cut" old growth Douglas fir, 20' to 30' long.

Photos by Mike Rosati. Click photo for slideshow.

“If asked to describe myself, I’d tell you I’m an artist. I don’t know how I got into this industry,” Reusable Lumber Company’s Jim Steinmetz said. Read more >> about Skeleton of Clement Street buildings will see new life

City offers shoppers a gift in advance of plastic bag ban

Michele Ellson
Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - 12:05am

Plastic bags catch the wind at the Altamont Landfill. Photo by Rebecca Jewell.

City workers are offering Alameda’s environmentally conscious shoppers a gift at this year’s annual Hometown Holiday Celebration: A free, reusable shopping bag, in exchange for single-use plastic bags collected from the grocery and other stores. Read more >> about City offers shoppers a gift in advance of plastic bag ban

UPDATED From parking to park: An urban oasis appears in Alameda

Michele Ellson
Friday, September 21, 2012 - 12:05am
Setting up: sandbags on bottom of planter containers so they don't tip into street.

Updated on at 10:45 a.m. Friday, September 21; click the picture to launch slideshow.

In her travels through San Francisco and Oakland, Donna Eyestone has seen how gray expanses of curbside parking can be transformed by a single spot’s worth of green space. So she wanted to create a similar urban oasis – known as a parklet – in the heart of Alameda. Read more >> about UPDATED From parking to park: An urban oasis appears in Alameda

Power managers seek new rates, meters for electric cars

Michele Ellson
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - 12:05am
Electric vehicle map

Alameda Municipal Power’s managers want to set new rates for charging electric cars as the vehicles’ availability and popularity grows. They want to have a new rate structure to Alameda’s Public Utilities Board for a decision in November that will help the utility make more money while producing savings for customers. Read more >> about Power managers seek new rates, meters for electric cars

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