As Menlo Park startups try to break to the forefront of alternative energy technology, the Green Ribbon Citizens Committee, a task force of residents focused on addressing global warming at the local level, is tying to get everyone else to catch green fever.
The volunteer committee, about 50 members strong, has already convinced the City Council to endorse a handful of projects to make the city greener, including planting more trees, improving city landscaping to conserve water, and making it easier for residents to bike around town.
Now, the group is set to take on more controversial topics, such as whether the city should support high-density housing, the Dumbarton Rail passenger train, or high-speed rail — projects that could curb greenhouse gas emissions, but could also have major impacts on residents’ everyday lives.
“We’re asking the City Council to put front and center some very large goals for reducing this city’s carbon footprint,” said Mitch Slomiak, a member of the committee and the chief financial officer for Kepler’s. “We need to think big. If we only focus on the short-term goals, we’re going to miss the big picture.”
Before making any specific recommendations to the council — such as whether the city should build more high-density housing — the committee plans to present concepts to the public in town hall meetings this fall.
“The idea is, [the committee] tackles an issue, and then we present it to the public,” said Chris Bui, who is on the task force. “If the committee is behind it, and the community is behind it, it’ll be that much easier to sell to the council.”
INFORMATION
• The Green Ribbon Citizens Committee meetings are open to the public, and the group is actively seeking more people to get involved in local efforts to curb global warming. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the council chambers at the Civic Center, between Laurel and Alma streets. At the meeting, Steve Schneider, a Stanford professor and a lead author of the report issued by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will give a presentation and answer questions.
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