Dear honorable Mayor and City Council Members -
I’m writing to share my endless appreciation and applause for your continued environmental leadership of our great city - and a
new cornerstone of this work in adopting a Resolution on Climate and Sustainability this past Earth Day -
https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/21256/G3-20190409-Climate-and-sus-reso-CC
[https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/21256/G3-20190409-Climate-and-sus-reso-CC]
The resolution was a bold and critical first step In aligning our city’s climate work directly with what is needed to abate,
mitigate and reverse our global emissions trend within the 12 year deadline set in the most recent IPCC National Climate
Assessment. Our Resolution, of which every resident in our city must claim ownership, outlines a stepwise approach to key enabling
work we must activate at a city level now and in the short term. I am eager to track our city’s progress and engage where able
towards settingNew Climate Goals that maximize GHG reductions by 2030, Prioritizing Equity, enabling Smart City Planning,
conducting Public Outreach, Benchmarking Progress, Improving Mobility, activating Zero Carbon Buildings, safeguarding Healthy
Neighborhoods, and Preserving the our disappearing Landscape.
Our first and immediate opportunity to meet the goals of the resolution will be to advance building “reach codes” that will help
all new homes and buildings avoid fossil fuel use. As a homeowner that has converted to electric space conditioning, hot water
heating and cooking - I see the benefits and am here to help champion this work as a crucial climate and global health need. These
clean new standards are already supported by our energy experts at Peninsula Clean Energy and San Mateo County for all peninsula
cities to adopt. The Reach Codes will help make our buildings safer, healthier, and more affordable, while reducing a substantial
amount of carbon emissions. As our Planning Dpt. continues to review new projects and Public Works delivers new municipal assets -
all with life cycles of over 40-60years - this must be adopted as a priority climate action or our time for real leadership will
have passed.
I am encouraged by your adoption of this bedrock policy and look to you to step further and be bold in
collectively ensuring Menlo has a mission that matters - to safeguard our community and climate now and into our future.
Thanks now and for your next step - Erin Cooke, Cambridge Ave-vocate and mama (and Superfan of Menlo Spark!)
Sent from my iPhone
