California: Guv Lauds Safeway for Green Leadership

OKIsItJustMe

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Thu Nov-22-07 11:31 AM
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California: Guv Lauds Safeway for Green Leadership

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=11666

California: Guv Lauds Safeway for Green Leadership

Calif. -- Safeway Inc. yesterday won the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for promoting green business practices and implementing significant environmental initiatives throughout its operations.

The award, bestowed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, honors Safeway for its Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Sustainability Initiative, a program focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of solar power, wind power, alternative fuels, green construction strategies, employee education, and consumer outreach.

"This award recognizes all the efforts made throughout Safeway to reduce our carbon footprint," said Joe Pettus s.v.p. of fuel and energy for the chain. "We are utilizing innovative and creative means -- from wind and solar power to energy efficient equipment and consumer education -- to make meaningful changes that are helping the environment. This award acknowledges a tremendous team effort."

California's highest and most prestigious environmental honor, The Governor's Award recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving the state's resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships. Awards are given in eight categories. Safeway won for the Climate Change category.

Safeway launched the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Sustainability Initiative in 2006 to reduce its carbon footprint and improve air quality. Safeway's energy and fuel team calculated the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted annually by operating facilities and the transportation fleet, and implemented cost-effective measures to cut emissions.

For example, the company purchased 87,000 megawatts of renewable wind energy to power its 295 U.S. fuel stations, its corporate campuses in Pleasanton and Walnut Creek, Calif. and all of its San Francisco and Boulder, Colo. stores. The retailer is the largest retail purchaser of green wind energy in California and one of the top 25 Fortune 500 companies purchasing green energy nationwide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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NNadir

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Thu Nov-22-07 10:08 PM
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1. Governor Hydrogen Hummer applauds Safeway?

Let me get this straight...

A car culture Repuke - the one who thinks that one brazillion hydrogen stations are the answer to global climate change - sets off like Amory Lovins, to award prizes to the car culture for being "green" and you are applauding it?

Why am not surprised?

Amory's little "Walmart is green because of their huge diesel trucks are green" business is now going national.

The fucking little car culture apologists are going to get exactly what they deserve: Hell.

The problem is that they're dragging innoncent people with them with their stupid little shell games.

California is doing zero to fight climate change, unless you count the zero emissions car bill, that will assure that 10% of the cars sold in California in 2001 are "zero emission vehicles."

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LeftyMom

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Thu Nov-22-07 11:39 PM
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2. Would that be the California with some of the lowest per-capita energy use in the country,

in spite of most populated areas of the state having absolutely oppressive heat for half the year? California where 4 CFLs cost $2 because the utility picks up part of the tab, on the theory that it's cheaper to not need a new power plant than to build one? (at least here in SMUD territory.) California where high-efficiency hybrids get to use the carpool lane at any time (which is a huge incentive to buy one in congested urban areas, enough that a lot of people get them for that reason alone.) California that's had better fuel efficiency standards than the feds for years even though the Bushes took us to court over it? California where there's actually affordable and usable passenger rail, and high speed rail under development? California where the first widescale deployment of hybrid city buses is, where the transit systems all went natural gas (except in San Francisco, where they're mostly electric) back when I was a kid? Where whole subdivisions with solar roofs are going up all over the darn place?

That California?

Oh yeah, we don't have a nuke plant on every corner, so we don't do anything about global warming. I forgot who I was reading. :eyes:

That said, Safeway doesn't deserve any accolades. They're the worst chain around here for having any local produce, and their organic selection is scant and priced sky-high. The real impact at Safeway isn't the trucks, it's the merchandise, and theirs is hardly green. Hell, a lot of it is hardly food.

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bananas

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Fri Nov-23-07 07:19 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Also, Californians drive fewer miles and have lower utility bills

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x122543

California's Lesson for A Low-Carbon Future
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007595.html

Residents of California, land of freeways and belching tailpipes, drive fewer miles per capita than the rest of the country. How's that for turning a stereotype on its head?

It's true - and underscores a poignant lesson as the world drags its feet in addressing man-made global warming: While tackling climate change is good for the environment, it may be even better for the economy.

The statistic is one of dozens of jaw-dropping nuggets in the inaugural "California Green Innovation Index," an initiative by the non-profit, non-partisan Next 10 group that is designed to track key indicators as California moves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels.

Consider this: Despite the state's reputation for high electricity costs, Californians, per capita, pay lower utility bills - less than half of residents in Texas, for example. Tougher building and appliance standards saved the state $56 billion by 2003 and are expected to save another $23 billion in the next five years. Energy efficiency allowed the state to avoid building 24 power plants in the last 30 years.

<more>

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LeftyMom

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Fri Nov-23-07 12:09 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Ours are quite low here

But we have SMUD, it's higher in areas served by for-profit utilities like pg&e.

We also get a lot of incentives for things like more efficient appliances, adding solar, etc.

Though to be fair part of the reason for our low per capita energy use is fairly new housing stock. Really old, drafty houses are few and far between. And most of them are owned by people who can afford to upgrade them with new windows, better insulation, etc. But efficiency is part of the culture here. My Dad, for example, is a crazy right winger with a libertarian bent, and used to be a logger. Hardly a model conservationist, but every light in his house that will take one has a CFL, he recently added another layer of insulation to the foot of blow-in in the attic, and he's looked at efficiency while replacing household stuff like tvs and appliances. Right now he's trying to figure out how much a tankless water heater will cut his power use.

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