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By Sharan Street
Published Jan 30, 2023

We can all make an impact in reducing our species’ carbon footprint. We can all make an impact in reducing our species’ carbon footprint. Image credit: Leka Sergeeva   Shutterstock

01-30-23: Greener Together

Though January is almost in the rear view window, it’s still close enough to the beginning of the year to think about breaking old habits and picking up new ones. That desire to make positive changes got us to thinking about the city of Santa Cruz’s new Climate Action Plan 2030, adopted by the Santa Cruz City Council back in September, which aims to get the city operating as a carbon-neutral entity by 2035. These plans are being prepared around the state, spurred by a state-government-level mandate.

When the plan came out, local news website SantaCruzLocal.org offered a detailed report and also made the city’s 147-page plan available online.

As a starting point, it outlines the many goals that city officials must pursue—promoting efficient energy use, protecting natural resources, eliminating food waste, and building “people-centric transportation infrastructure”—while also ensuring “equity in all policies.”

Much of the plan focuses on those goals for local government entities. But the last section, titled “Call to Action,” outlines how all of us—individual renters, homeowners and property owners, business owners and employers, and commercial and residential developers—can do our part.


Sins of Emission

The climate crisis may seem like an unstoppable juggernaut. But every day we are faced with decisions in our own lives that offer a chance to tread more lightly on the earth. California Local writer Ray Delgado offers up a short list of simple—though not necessarily easy—steps we can take.


Small Steps in the Right Direction

Ever little bit helps in the fight against climate change.
Don’t just be a spectator in the fight against climate change. Here are some small steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.

Thoughts for Food

On the topic of sustainability, myriad issues relating to food make a big impact on the environment. This is no small issue in California—the top agricultural producer in the United States. But the state is also a leader in sustainable agriculture and food production practices. Here are a few innovations, including alternatives to meat and milk.


Sustainable Sustenance

Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
California is a leading producer of agricultural crops. So it’s not surprising to find cutting-edge ideas taking root here.


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Santa Cruz Baroque Festival logo Santa Cruz Baroque Festival

The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival has been active since 1974, presenting early music as it sounded in its own era. Members strive for artistic excellence while transmitting the joy of Baroque music to future generations.

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From Our Media Allies

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San Lorenzo Valley Post logo The Heart of the Valley

The Highlands Park Senior Center has served as a hub for San Lorenzo Valley residents for more than 40 years.

Santa Cruz Local logo West Cliff Drive Traffic Meeting on Tap

City leaders plan to describe the short- and long-term plans for West Cliff during an online meeting on Feb. 13.

Santa Cruz Local logo How to apply for disaster aid in Santa Cruz County

Grants, loans available from federal and local sources.

Press Banner logo Hwy 9 Closure Squeezes Businesses to the Brink

The fallen branches have been neatly arranged along a rock border near La Placa Family Bakery, but here in Ben Lomond, the storms are anything but a forgotten memory.

Press Banner logo San Lorenzo Valley Residents Express Concerns Over Storm Recovery

On Jan. 19, the meeting room at Zayante Fire Department was packed to the rafters with local residents pleading for more information on storm recovery and disaster relief.

Press Banner logo New Scotts Valley Council Hands Out Committee Appointments

Mayor Jack Dilles prepared the list, which was included as part of the consent calendar, and it was approved unanimously.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo Regional Water Resource Management: The Big Picture

The San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz all share the same watershed, and there are four key areas in which we potentially need to jointly adapt to change.

The Pajaronian logo PVUSD Board Will Appoint Trustee to Fill Area 6 Seat

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees could have filled Maria Orozco’s vacated seat in a special election, but rejected that option.

Los Gatan logo Los Gatos’ Assembly Rep Introduces First-Ever Bill

For her first legislative move since being elected to the California Assembly, Gail Pellerin chose to advance the interests of people who'd rather not declare themselves as part of our two-party system.

Good Times logo The Science Behind Santa Cruz County Trails

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship and volunteers discuss what it takes to build and maintain local trails in the face of fires and floods.

Good Times logo Businesses and Residents Hope for Post-Storm Relief

Costs continue to add up even with assistance from FEMA and flood insurance.

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Recent Local News

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• ‘Bay of Life’ Enlarges the Vision of What We All Call ‘Home’

“Bay of Life,” a project from Bonny Doon photographer Frans Lanting and writer Chris Eckstrom, is on display at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History,

(01/28/2023) → Read the full Lookout Local report

• Family, Friends Remember Marilyn Liddicoat

Marilyn Liddicoat, former Santa Cruz County supervisor and staunch conservative who was among the first women lawyers in county history, died at her home in Corralitos late last month.

(01/27/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel

• We Have Seen Failures at Seacliff Before

Sentinel columnist Gary Griggs writes that four forces combined this January to recreate the conditions of the destructive winter of 1983, now 40 years later.

(01/27/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel

• UC Scrambling to Afford Big Wage Gains for Academic Workers

Just weeks after historic wage gains in new labor contracts, the question of how to pay for them is roiling UC campuses as they consider cutbacks in grad student admissions.

(01/26/2023) → Santa Cruz Sentinel

• Local Chefs Cooking Up Fundraiser for Capitola Workers

With more than 100 employees unable to return to work due to prolonged restaurant closures, chefs from Reef Dog Deli, Trestles, Home and Shadowbrook are teaming up for a Feb. 6 gala.

(01/23/2023) → Lookout Santa Cruz

• Humanistic Approach Is Core to This Homelessness Group’s Work

Evan Morrison’s Santa Cruz Free Guide, which has been running the Safe RV Parking program at the Armory, has caught the attention of others who keep a close eye on homelessness response efforts.

(01/23/2023) → Read the full Lookout Local report
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Government Announcements

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Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/28/2023)

1/28/2023 - Bear Creek Road Opens to One-lane Traffic

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/26/2023)

1/26/2023 - Community Recovery Meetings Scheduled

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/25/2023)

1/25/2023 - Disaster Recovery Center to Open in San Lorenzo Valley

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/23/2023)

1/23/2023 - Park Activity Guide Available/ Guía de Actividades de los Parques Disponable

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/20/2023)

1/20/2023 - Disaster Recovery Centers to Open

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/20/2023)

1/20/2023 -SBA to Open Business Recovery Center in Capitola to Help Businesses Impacted by Statewide Winter Storms

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/20/2023)

1/20/2023 - OptumServe Testing Sites Closing in Santa Cruz County

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/17/2023)

1/17/2023, 1:00pm - Evacuation Orders & Warnings Lifted

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/17/2023)

1/17/2023 - County Arts Commission Names Stephen Kessler Artist of the Year

Image of County of Santa Cruz seal. County of Santa Cruz   (01/16/2023)

1/16/2023, 12:00pm - Evacuation Order Information