Opinion: Sustainable Lake Tahoe becoming reality
By Joanne Marchetta
We were invited to give the opening presentation at a national conference of weather journalists this month on the South Shore called Operation Sierra Storm. The main theme was Tahoe as a world leader in environmental sustainability and as we move into this new era of climate change, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has a lot to share with the world about what is happening here to adapt to the threats that come with it.
In the face of climate change, we all can contribute and make a difference. Sustainability for Lake Tahoe communities includes bringing mobility options, natural resource protection, health and social well-being, and a healthy economy together in ways that increase the long-term resilience of the natural and built environments. A number of sustainability actions are taking place at all levels around Lake Tahoe – from local green building codes to major transportation improvements – and 2014 is shaping up to be a critical year to press forward on climate change priorities and continue the positive progress happening in our communities.
Joanne Marchetta
First, the TRPA has partnered with other agencies and organizations to form the Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program to bring a cohesive approach to everyone’s efforts. The program is implementing greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies across the basin and will establish sustainability indicators as part of Lake Tahoe’s climate action plan. The collaborative group is expected to release the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Action Plan in February with the Tahoe basin’s first complete greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
It’s also important to know that while this new partnership is taking shape in the basin, Lake Tahoe’s sturdy regional framework has already put many sustainability measures in place. TRPA years ago established an urban boundary to stop sprawl, capped the roadway capacity of the Basin to reduce reliance on the private automobile, integrated land use and transportation plans, and set environmental standards on new development to stop additional impacts.
TRPA adopted the new Lake Tahoe Regional Plan in 2012 moving the basin into the 21st century with incentives for property owners to upgrade buildings with modern environmental design and to redesign town centers more around walking and biking. When we look at what has been done here to reduce our footprint on Lake Tahoe, there is a lot that is exportable to other communities and it is no wonder that conferences like Operation Sierra Storm are drawing people to come learn from us.
While implementation of the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan is projected to reduce per capita emissions in the region by 7 percent by 2035, those reductions account for only mobile sources of greenhouse gases like cars and light trucks. The emissions inventory is showing that stationary sources like homes and buildings are an area where big improvements could also be realized. The Sustainable Communities Program is working to establish minimum energy efficiency standards for new buildings in the Lake Tahoe Basin through local Area Plans and building codes. The partnership is bringing together existing actions with new and innovative ideas.
Along with the Sustainable Communities Program, TRPA in its role as the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization is making it possible to implement mobility options in our transportation plans. We are opening a grant program this month to bring forward community-based ideas for mobility and streetscape improvement projects. Called the On Our Way Community Grant Program, we are looking for community-based organizations to identify local improvements that will enhance streets and neighborhoods. The first grant application round will run from Jan. 15 to March 14. The program aims to help meet regional goals of encouraging biking, walking and transit use and supporting economic vitality by studying neighborhood-level improvements such as safe routes to schools and downtown street-design projects.
And last, there are more people all around us who are changing their daily habits to make a healthier Lake Tahoe and more sustainable planet. Whether you are shopping locally, insulating your home, or leaving your car at home one day a week, you are part of what will make Tahoe a better place to live. If you are one of the many who are stepping up with new ideas or are prepared to lead your community forward, I encourage you to find out more about the sustainability efforts taking shape in the Region and get involved. Lake Tahoe is on a world stage and we have an opportunity not only to adapt our communities to climate change, but to set an example for communities around the nation and the globe.
Joanne Marchetta is executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
So, as long as the Federal government is giving you Grant Money, Tahoe is ‘sustainable’?
Guess I have a different definition of the word.
The idea that you are sustaining anything is preposterous. Intellectual drivel.
Cj, I have to admit that YOU would never be accused of “intellectual” drivel.
Biggerpicture, do you have anything to say on the issue?
Yup, the same noise from the tea bagger crowd. Some things never change. Your rock is calling…
Well, here we go, the fake science crowd has their hackles up and all are supposed to bow down… . . All hail Algore, the anointed hukster of all time. Shilling for the geo-political control freak gangs. Owwww . . . there he is, jetting off to another conference of Climate Guru’s and entourage, all being picked up in their private limos, staying at 5-star resorts or their private palaces, paid for by carbon credit cards, what a NOBLE bunch. Yes, lets have more of that and keep those FEDERAL GRANTS COMING!
Anyone hearing from the Antarctic SCIENTISTS LATELY, or are they still thawing from their global warming adventure?
Anyone paying attention to the natural rythems of the earth? Anyone paying attention to the volcano activity and their byproducts??
Anyone have any idea whom pays for all of this??? Fake scientist talk, is not cheap!! Amazing how expensive their road show is! Just some thoughts.
Saying it does not make it so, TRPA. And TRPA’s actions are anything but sustainable. New resorts on unbuilt land (as Taylor so perfectly said it, a gift for Vail and Edgewood). A new Regional Plan that concludes increasing Greenhouse Gas Emissions is unavoidable. Multiple project approvals concluding GHG increases are unavoidable. Proposing a ferry across Lake Tahoe that uses 2,000 gallons of gas per day. It seems the more the science says “don’t do it,” the more TRPA does it, then tries to distract us all with positive media. TRPA has been tooting its own horn just a bit too much lately, I’d say.
Marlene,
Have you spent time in the cesspool with the planners, attorneys, engineers, consultants and government inspectors or are you just observant?
The big ecoe industries needs to clean up their act before they lose all credibility.
Don’t feed the green pig!
So much of the miss information, outright deceit and much of the hate we endure today comes from embedded progressive socialists in our government and their cronies in big corporations and mainstream media.
For the first time in modern history America is not ranked in the top ten most economically free countries. Want to guess why?
The Socialists are winning, unless you stand up and fight them your children’s and grand children’s futures are dim.
Yup, the same drivel from the same noise makers. They sound jealouse of the scientists and political folk that get to attend the events to share the findings of the scientific community. I guess since the info. Isnt on fox noise its seen as misinformation. You tea baggers can all get together and pat each other on the back for prepetuating your flat earth society knowledge, and then head home to your rocks…
The Big Green Scam-
I bet Marlene drives her car everywhere she goes within the basin, and I bet she flies the airlines on a regular basis.
Typical green hypocrite.
For the first time in modern history America is not ranked in the top ten most economically free countries.
Want to guess why?
CJ Mccoy — Does the info below look like Socialism? Looks more like Capitalism to me.
Dow gains 26.5% in 2013, the S&P 500 32.4% and the Nasdaq 38%
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/for-stocks-an-amazingly-good-year/?_r=1
We are ranked 12th out of about 200 countries. That puts us in the top 6-7%
Old Joanne is just pushing her agenda!
the RPU should be called the Marvelous Makeover
since it started in 1989 being called Redevelopment
lots of grants and programs to funnel the Money to achieve the Marvelous Makeover
South Shore lost the World Class status when old Hal and the Team sold us out to Corporate America
“Anyone hearing from the Antarctic SCIENTISTS LATELY, or are they still thawing from their global warming adventure?”
*facepalm*
So dumb…. sooooooo dumb.
“America is not ranked in the top ten most economically free countries”. Want to guess why?”. I would say it is because the Bush administration coming into office had a budget surplus and quickly turned it into the largest deficit in history!! Two wars based on lies, de-regulation of wall street allowing large corporations to gleefully run off with trillions of taxpayer dollars and not a one of them goes to jail!!!!???? And not paying a penny in income taxes??? I would also cite a Tea party/republican party that is obstructionist in blocking anything the current president tries to get accomplished even if it hurts the economy and the 99% of the nation which will affect the WHOLE world!! Theres lots more , but I think you get the general idea. Thanks, OLS
OLS, Get over it! Bush has been out of office for several years. Quit saying “It’s Bush’s fault!” Move on.
Inflammatory topic for sure. Does anyone else wish that perhaps TRPA would stick to keeping the lake water clear? Can someone explain how the CO2 content in our little basin affects anything? Whether it’s excessive? How it gets excessive? How piling on more restrictions, traffic retardation, and expense won’t be negated each day as the breeze moves our little patch of air someplace else?
Mama Bear, I wrote you a long response but when I asked my girlfreind to proof read, she deleted it. I’ll try again later. Thanks for your input, OLS
I googled “how does air pollution affect water?” and got
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/airdeposition_index.cfm
and that was just the beginning of sites that popped up.
Hey MARLENE. Do you even know what Carbon Dioxide is? A Periodic Table? Didn’t think so, yet you mock actual Scientists that are curing Cancer, looking deep into the Universe, solve crime and say millions of tons of CO2 in our Atmosphere is a big problem. Your counter argument of just shooting the messenger is a classic ploy used by the Tobacco Industries of the 1950’s & 60’s that told everyone that cigarettes were “good” for people. If you want to go back to the 18th Century, please do it alone.
John S.
Looks like the largest corporate welfare in human history to me. Fraudulent is the term I think suits it best.
What’s it look like to you? Only an imbecile would consider the lies of the fed as being good.
In fact I predict the divide between rich and poor has become the largest in American history under Obama and his Progressive friends in the big banks.
Get a clue John S.
You are aware the Federal Reserve is making money out of thin air.
Currently to the tune of $75 Billion dollars a month however for the past year it has been $85 billion a month. and it is making big corporations and bankers super wealthy.
Obama the great divider.
CJ — That corporate welfare also feeds the serfs 401k’s, It also feeds consumer confidence.. consumption creates demand for good and services and taxes.
The divide started long ago in the 70’s. We didn’t get here over the last 4-6 years. We got here over the 35-40. Yes wealth inequality is a very bad thing.
The Federal Reserve has always made $ out of thin air. The “Federal Reserve” has about as much to to with Fed’s as Fed Ex.
John S
You don’t know what you are talking about!
“Feeds the serfs…”, WOW do you really think the economy works that way? I think that is idiotic.
What the Fed is doing is obfuscating the causes of our decline and disproportionately distributes wealth to the banking and mega corporate class.
The depth of the ramifications are yet to be known but the expectation of negative ramifications is universal.
CJ McPubworks,
Why should anyone listen to your crapola? You’ve never been correct about anything involving politics or finance. That’s why you were run out of town in disgrace and failure. Capiche?
Anyone that thinks that 30+ years of reaganomics is some sort of socialism is a delusional lunatic fringe bloviator. What else would you call it?
The TRPA has signed off on the Douglas Co. money people building their mega-resort and now it’s just sell, sell, sell it as an environmental breakthrough in technology that negates any opposition from the “treehuggers”. If they can also spend gazillions of taxpayer $$$ to re-route the traffic patterns to deliver every car to their Edgewood front door via a new “loop road” project that would make them very happy.
CJ says it all “The depth of the ramifications are yet to be known..” Simply, he doesn’t know: why unemployment has come down since the Stimulus of 2009, or why the Stock Market is at a record high, or why the housing market has bounced back, or why 401k’s have increased, or anything that resembles Science. In other words CJ hasn’t got a clue… as usual.
How sustainable is it to ruin a thriving state park by extending a private golf course into it to make a quick buck?