Dear Mayor Combs, Vice Mayor Nash, and Menlo Park City Council Members,
I am writing today on behalf of Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet, a
nonprofit that has promoted local sustainability, healthy communities, and
environmental action for 55 years. I would like to reiterate my strong
support for Menlo Parks leadership on electrification-friendly policies,
which are more important than ever amidst the backdrop of misinformed
federal decision-making that seeks to stymie any actions that might help
alleviate the urgent and existential threats caused by climate change.
For much of the past decade, Acterra has been in the trenches with fellow
community-minded organizations such as Menlo Spark and other allies,
supporting common-sense reach codes and spreading awareness of the benefits
of building electrification. We cannot wait: The time to act on existing
buildings is now.
As someone who currently rents in a single family home setting, I believe
that strong codes are some of the best pathways to address greenhouse gas
mitigation with consideration for equity. We tenants do not have access to
the same levers to pull when we want to voluntarily electrify major
appliances in our homes, so establishing rules and codes helps our cause
tremendously.
I respectfully ask that you support Option 3, which is a combined option
that creates increased pre-wiring requirements for future electrification,
Air-Conditioning-to-Heat-Pump requirements when air conditioning is
proposed (two function in one convenient package!), and increased energy
efficiency requirements when major renovations are proposed. I appreciate
the comprehensive, practical, and resourceful nature of Option 3 which
takes advantage of several low-cost pathways to support clean energy
infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Please seize this
opportunity today because our climate cant wait.
Thank you again for your service to Menlo Park and your continued concern
for the welfare and health of the citys residents, including its future
generations.
Sincerely,
Wendy Chou
*Wendy Chou (she/her)*
Coalition and Project Senior Manager
Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet
408-459-9073
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2facterra.org&c=E,1,bu5cHA1wm-NC-rhAVGTTKVZ3-mFKKYPFtRCm7SwHTBe8oc9Uzf79btmJcK_Tyz8Z-30q8ubm3OZ2-MVORrSZhfw1dCakVQp9JvfmP2mE4QH-bpcgVKL6dA,,&typo=1 | Subscribe
Acterra staff use self-identified pronouns to
support workplace inclusion for everyone.
I respectfully acknowledge that my work takes place on the ancestral and
unceded land of the of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Whose land are you on?
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