rebuilding the water system and making sure that our municipal electrical supply is 100% carbon neutral. i want to recognize the former puc commissioner, dick skar, it is because of his leadership that we have such a dedicated staff and commission. i want to recognize the california independent systems operator. we work closely with them in what we do in making sure we have a strong partnership to reduce our carbon emissions. we're not just going to be an island in san francisco. we have to share what we do across the state. we need their support and vision about the state. i want to thank all of the partners in the community. our communities are often the

ones we do not recognize as much as we should. we are the ones who suffer if we do not get carbon emissions reduced. people come to san francisco and california because our air is cleaner, particularly northern california. i would like to say i take some credit by my own driving and my staffs' driving a chevy volt. but they will remind me that cars and trucks of increase. they have not done their share in reducing carbon emissions. i commend today to the staff that i will be working with joanna being the lead. if you cannot get people out of cars, you can change the cars. i want to make sure that san francisco, oakland, san jose,

and the other counties lead the rest of the world. we have car share, zipcar, and other wonderful alternatives to owning a car or a second car. if you are going to own a car, let's make the car been neutral. we're going to do that anymore dedicated way. -- if you are going to own a car, let's make a carbon neutral car. we will tell president obama he can come in here and get rid of the suv's if he would like. [laughter] these are very important goals our city has created. we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions. we're committed to the 100% recycling goal of our city. thank you very much. [applause]

>> we would not have been able to meet this goal without the strong support and constant urging at the top of the city. thank you for your support and pushing us all the time to meet this goal. the department that has really led the effort to push the city to meet these goals and work with partners to reach the goal of 12% below the 1990 levels is the department of the environment. to talk a little bit about the details of how we have met the goal and what we need to do to continue striving to meet our longer-term goals is the director, melanie nutter. >> thank you for all the great work you have done in the mayor's office to enable the

city success on addressing climate change. i am thrilled to be here today as a representative of the department of the environment to announce the progress we have made. we have made progress on greenhouse gas reductions and our waste reduction efforts in san francisco. i do want to thiank mayor lee for his incredible leadership and support on stability. sustainability issues. i am sure all of you know the climate change threats we're facing in san francisco being a city surrounded by water on three sides. under a do nothing scenario, sea level rise could lead up to 90 miles of major bay area roadways as well as our airport as well as many businesses in the area. the impact would not only be environmental, but economic and social as well. cities could face up to $48

billion of infrastructure damage and significant public health impact could occur in san francisco. i do not need to tell all of you that we need to continue to act swiftly and take bold action to address climate change locally. i am so happy to be joining the mayor to a firm -- a firm that san francisco is taking decisive action. we have made great strides by achieving a reduction of 12% below 1990 levels just in 2010. the department of the environment city-wide assessment shows these reductions are the equivalent of taking 128,000 cars off of the road every year. it is a significant impact. the city has closed polluting power plants.

pacific gas and electric is delivering cleaner electricity to san francisco. both of these have played a significant role in the progress that we have made. san francisco has also been on the forefront of adopting and implementing innovative policy programs making an impact. i wanted to spend a few minutes talking about those policies and programs as well as actions that can be taken by residents, businesses, and the city to continue the task. buildings are cleaner and more efficient. local investments are contributing to the progress in reducing emissions. the energy-watched program -- the energy watch program provides incentives to businesses and multi-family buildings to make upgrades. today we have helped to upgrade almost 4000 properties locally to help them reduce their energy

usage and save money on their energy bills. san francisco's go solar program is a rebate program that has been very helpful in treating solar installations to about 2500 systems on homes and businesses locally. this chart shows why it is critical that we continue to address carbon emissions from the building sector. we're implementing a new ordinance that is a mandate for large commercial buildings to track and report energy use and receive regular energy audits. this is with the goal of inspiring the energy efficiency retrofits of our commercial building sector.

i am also excited to announce that we just launched the green finance sf program that will help building owners' access funding for energy efficiency of graves -- upgrads that can be paid back over the life of the building. we're sending west waste to the landfill. we have a great announcement that we've gone from 77% to 78% diversion from the landfill. progress is helping san francisco to reduce our carbon footprint. the waste sent to landfills produces methane. it is 22% more potent than carbon dioxide the mandatory composting and recycling law diverted tons of waste starting in 2009 that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. currently, san francisco is still sending 444,000 tons of

waste to the land fill. that is the equivalent of killing this building 32 times over with trash -- filling this building 32 times over with trash. we're still spending too much to the landfills. 2/3 of what is spent could be recycled or composted. if everyone in san francisco were diligent about composting and recycling, we could reach 90% day version today. regarding transportation, trucks produce 39% of the emissions. emissions from transportation is growing and not shrinking. my department is working actively to get people out of cars and electrified the vehicles on the roads. we are working to make san francisco the electric vehicle

capital of the u.s. by installing public charging stations and having a program to implement stations in businesses and will-family homes. as you have heard the mayor say, there are a number of common- sense actions we can all take now to make a profound difference in reaching the goal. we want to be 20% below 1990 levels by next year. residents can adjust thermostats just two degrees. that will make a significant impact on energy use and carbon emissions. another suggestion is to leave your car at home for one trip a week. take a bus, bicycle, what, take the train. finally, composting. we want more residents and businesses to be composting food scraps in san francisco. there are many people and organizations to credit for helping make these reductions a

reality. mayor lee mentioned many of the city agencies represented today who have been critical in helping to reduce carbon emissions on the municipal side, sfta, the puc, pg and e. i also wanted to recognize the commissioner from the environment commission. the commission has been a great leader for the department in providing advice on an ongoing basis. i also wanted to thank the community climate advisory action panel that the department assembled to put together some action plans for the future. there represented today by christina page from yahoo. the business council on climate change have done a fantastic job working with us on reducing carbon emissions in the business sector. i wanted to give a huge thanks

to the staff. the climate team is represented here. they have done a fantastic job putting together the assessments so that we could make this announcement today. they've been critical to the implementation and making this happen. robert caylee at the department of the environment, thank you for all of your excellent work in helping us to achieve 78%. i am proud to lead a fantastic department of individuals who have been instrumental to the progress we've made. we cannot rest on our past successes. we have to continue to push the envelope. our policies and programs have put this on the right path. we need every person to take personal responsibility in reducing our carbon footprint. collective action can create a powerful impact.

thank you all for being here today. i appreciate your time. [applause] >> thank you. i am convinced the job description of everyone at the department of the environment says "good at doing stuff that everyone says cannot be done." thank you for your leadership in making this happen for the entire city. the city is not alone with our agencies in our efforts to try to reduce carbon emissions and foster the grain economy. a number of leading environmental organizations have been leading the drive to push for the reduction of emissions increased susceptibility. one of those is the natural resources defense council. to talk about the bigger picture and context in which our goals

fit into the bigger picture is the director -- deputy director. >> i am the deputy director for sustainable communities with the national resources defense council. it is one of the nation's largest environmental organizations. two of our highest priorities are curbing global warming and creating sustainable communities. we're honored to be here to recognize a leader in both areas. i want to commend the city for your remarkable efforts to fight climate change. when the california voters overwhelmingly rejected proposition 23 last year, a measure that would have delayed implementation of the global solutions at, we sent a strong message to sacramento and the rest of the world that the citizens of california believe we can have environmental solutions and a strong economy. san francisco's early success is powerful evidence that the

voters got it right. the goals are ambitious. but as san francisco's golden demonstrating, we can identify the policies to help us achieve our goals while also improving public health and improving the quality of life. san francisco is setting the bar high for other cities. has anyone noticed the exclusion of people riding bicycles around san francisco? -- has anyone noticed the explosion of people riding bicycles around san francisco? in the last four years, bicycling has increased almost 60% in san francisco. sf parks helps to reduce circling traffic, clean the air, and reducing frustration. investing in muni, is making it more competitive. we recognize locating housing

near jobs is one of the best ways to reduce global warming. the successes in firing change all over california. san diego is about to pass legislation will cause a three and a% increase in bicycling -- 300% increase in bicycling and pedestrian traffic. rather than waiting 30 years, the mayor has been working closely with the you see colleagues to get 30 years of funding in just 10 years. this will bring 12 new subways, create 166,000 jobs, and save $4 billion in interest costs by sending the money sooner. it is these kinds of win-win solutions that are the reason i am optimistic we can tackle the climate change challenge. the fact that san francisco has reached the astonishing level of 12% below 2009 levels, beating the state goals by nine years,

since a hopeful sit-in -- signal to others that it is possible to reduce global emissions and maintain an environment that is attractive to business. we're looking for reauthorization of the federal transit bill to help make changes to stay on the leading edge of climate change policy. [applause] >> one of the key contributors to the city being able to reach this major milestone was the closure of the bayview and other power plants. the person at the center of that fight is our next speaker. she is also described as a key ambassador for solar and clean energy in the city. espanola jackson. [applause] >> thank you very much. i would like to give thanks to

josh. he could not be here. he just had a little boy, 8 pounds two oz. i also want to thank the puc past commissioners that were very helpful. it took us seven years to get those two plants closed. i want to give thanks to the people who live in public housing in the south the sector. -- in the southeast sector. in the southeast sector, most of the area is land filled. we're going to have to be careful and not with seven years to have something done to make sure the people are safe, especially with all of the buildings going up in our area. a lot of people are not aware of global change. it is happening. it is here. i was the first with puc to

receive solar. i made sure my friends and neighbors received anit. all the city departments should have solar. my light bill is $4 a month. this would make sure that those of you who do not have solar will not be paying $400 a month. you may be paying $30 a month for electricity. thank you for inviting me to come. i am still going to be there. i want to be part of the committees set up talking about solar and the rising of the see coming into my area. that area is landfills. people do not want to realize that it looks good, but it is not good. thank you very much. [applause]

>> thank you for your dedicated energy to help us achieve this goal through the closure of those power plants. to wrap things up, we have those who have made this building what it is. the manager of sustainability programs for the academy of sciences. we want to congratulate them for recently achieving double leed platinum status, the largest such building in the world. [applause] >> thank you for joining us this morning on our living rooms. it is a bit of an exaggeration to say i am responsible for this building and all of these excesses of the academy. i can only take a small bit of credit for what we do. we are honored the mayor chose this setting for his announcement today. i would like to take a few moments to talk about milestones the academy has achieved.

the new building was opened three years ago. it provided a stage for us to accomplish our mission of exploring, explaining, and protecting the natural world. the offer exhibits and programs to the world about that. we're excited about the opportunity. the academy received a platinum award for new building construction under the leed program. three weeks ago, we were happy to receive a second award for operations and maintenance. that has to do with the way we manage our staff and resources. you are now standing on top of the world's largest double platinum facility and museum. the award was a result of a lot of hard work by our staff. we had to fine-tune a lot of operating practices and work on our culture. here are some examples. 70% of the staff commit

sustainably. they either car pool, ride bicycles, walk, or take public transportation to work. we're dealing with an international crowd of 1.5 million visitors from all over. they each have their own unique perspective on what waste handling means. i am proud to announce this last month, hour diversion rate was up 75%. that is our goal for the upcoming year. we hope to continue and increase that. 100% of the academy energy comes from renewable resources like solar panels or from the hydroelectric project. these successes were a result of the decision we made to inject sustainability into everything we do. it is the right thing to do in a science museum located in the greenest city in america.

on behalf of the academy, thank you for coming. i am going to turn things back over to johanna. >> thank you for coming. we look forward to working with you in achieving our carbon reduction goals. now, the real fun begins. thank you. ♪ >> san francisco government television. ♪

>> i'm your host of "culturewire," and today, here at electric works in san

francisco. nice to see you today. thanks for inviting us in and showing us your amazing facility today. >> my pleasure. >> how long has electric works been around? >> electric works has been in san francisco since the beginning of 2007. we moved here from brisbane from our old innovation. we do printmaking, gallery shows, and we have a fabulous retail store where there are lots of fun things to find. >> we will look at all of that as we walk around. it is incredible to me how many different things you do. how is it you identify that san francisco was in need of all these different services? >> it came from stepping out of graduate school in 1972. i wrote a little thing about how this is an idea, how our world should work. it should have printmaking, archiving, a gallery. it should have a retail store.

in 1972, i wanted to have art sales, point-of-sale at the grocery store. >> so you go through the manifesto. with the bay area should have. you are making art incredibly accessible in so many different ways, so that is a good segue. let's take a walk around the facilities. here we are in your gallery space. can you tell me about the current show? >> the current show is jeff chadsey. he is working on mylar velum, a smooth, beautiful drawing surface. i do not know anyone that draws as well as he does. it is perfect, following the contours and making the shape of the body. >> your gallery represents artists from all over, not just the bay area, an artist that work in a lot of different media.

how to use some of what you look for in artists you represent? >> it is dependent on people are confident with their materials. that is a really important thing. there is enough stuff in the world already. >> you also have in his current show an artist who makes sculpture out of some really interesting types of materials. let's go over and take a look at that. here we are in a smaller space. project gallery. >> artists used the parameters of this space to find relationships between the work that is not out in the big gallery. >> i noticed a lot of artists doing really site-specific work. >> this is a pile of balloons, something that is so familiar, like a child's balloon. in this proportion, suddenly, it becomes something out of a dream. >> or a nightmare. >> may be a nightmare.

>> this one over here is even harder to figure out what the initial material is. >> this is made out of puffy paint. often, kids use it to decorate their clothes. she has made all these lines of paint. >> for the pieces we are looking at, is there a core of foam or something in the middle of these pieces that she built on top of? >> i'm not telling. >> ah, a secret. >> this silver is aluminum foil, crumbled of aluminum foil. her aesthetic is very much that quiet, japanese spatial thing that i really admire. their attention to the materiality of the things of the world. >> this is a nice juxtaposition you have going on right now. you have a more established artists alongside and emerging artists. is that something important to

you as well? >> very important in this space, to have artists who really have not shown much. now let's look at other aspects of electric works operation. let's go to the bookstore. >> ok. >> in all seriousness, here we are in your store. this is the first space you encounter when you come in off the street. it has evolved since you open here into the most amazingly curious selection of things. >> this was the project for the berkeley art museum. it was -- this is from william wiley's retrospective, when he got up onstage to sing a song, 270 people put on the cat. >> it is not just a bookstore. it is a store. can you talk us through some of your favorites? >> these are made in china, but they are made out