Survey responses on the subject of Natural Resources Conservation and Restoration Water, open space and agricultural land conservation, habitat protection and restoration, energy efficiency and renewable energy use (solar, wind, hydrogen, hydro), local energy initiatives, recycling. Charles McGlashan As an environmentalist, business consultant, Economic Commissioner, and Boardmember of MMWD, I've been a leader in ensuring the protection of habitat, promoting energy and water conservation, and in reducing impacts in business operations. Actions & Accomplishments Served as the leader in advocacy and teaching implementation techniques for MMWD's new environmental management system that will reduce energy, water, paper, and material use in our operations. Led MMWD in analysis of renewable energy sources and strategies. Worked on detailed investigations of a JPA for energy efficiency and energy information programs for the County. This program is moving forward in the Street Light JPA now. Working on behalf of MMWD in its joint study of renewable-power-purchasing for increased renewable energy sources and lower rates. Advocated for new rates for summer water conservation Working with major environmental groups and landscape service firms in partnership with MMWD to increase native and water wise landscape education. For Sustainable Mill Valley, served as an advocate for the Cities for Climate Protection program. At MCL and the Sierra Club, have worked on saving St. Vincent's, Bahia Marsh, and to create the Baylands Protection Corridor. Served as Sierra Club's representative for three years in Community Marin to develop and publish environmental principles for the General Plan. Advocated for Marin organic farming strategies to reserve agricultural lands and practices in the County. Plans Will create partnership between the County and MMWD in creating programs and consumer awareness for water conservation, in landscape education, water wise plant use, and many other "watergy" efficiency areas. Will work against projects that damage habitat or open space Will protect habitat and natural resources throughout the County. Will support teamwork for energy efficiency and investments in renewable power sources, such as tidal power and distributed PV. Will support more mundane (but critical) efforts to improve efficiency (lighting retrofits, EMSs, and procedure development, etc.). I bring corporate energy investment and management experience to this work. Will focus on restoration of biodiversity in occupied and wild areas of the County. In built areas, native plants not only save water, but they also create habitat for butterflies, birds, and other species. Restoration of natural systems is critical everywhere possible. Will marshal County resource to provide consumer education on reducing over-development, over-consumption, and over-dependence on fossil fuels, and increasing radical resource efficiency and the use of low impact products, organics, and clean cleaning materials. Andrew Thompson I've probably preserved more open space than any other candidate, and, I suspect, more than all of them combined. This includes not only hundreds of acres of outright open space purchases in Tiburon, but also significant acreage that we required be dedicated to open space in development applications that came before the Town Council. As mentioned above, I've promoted building department policies that encourage installing energy saving systems like solar in residential buildings. As a member of the Richardson Bay Regional Agency (and Baykeepers), I've been an aggressive advocate of cleaning up the Bay. This has resulted in a steady water quality improvement over the last ten years in Richardson Bay. The downwind shores of Belvedere and Tiburon have gone from needing three major coastal cleanups a year to barely needing one. As for recycling, my family helped start Tiburon's first recycling program in the early 1960s, and I continue to carry this legacy forward. I chaired the first Belvedere-Tiburon recycling committee, which resulted in the largest per capita diversion of waste from landfills of any city in Marin. I've also been a long-term member and supporter of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). I recognize open space and habitat preservation is one of the top priorities for Marin citizens, and, as evidenced above, it's one of mine, as well. I will expand the success I've had in this arena in Tiburon and Richardson Bay to the county level. I believe in moving us toward a sustainable, ecologically balanced Marin County. We need to protect our agricultural land in West Marin, i.e. MALT. With regard to energy, I believe we can be a model for the rest of the nation. To do this, we need to take serious steps that make a real difference. I have already proposed the idea that Marin investigate forming its own energy utility or consider measures like community choice aggregation to take greater ownership over our energy choices in the future. Only then will we truly have the local control to implement sustainable energy alternatives like solar, wind, and tidal that I believe Marin's citizens want.
	All text and images on this site © 2002-2004 Sustainable Mill Valley Last updated: 04/12/04