Clem Brown, Environmental Sustainability/Special Project Manager for Del Mar
Clem Brown Environmental Sustainability/Special Project Manager for Del Mar was the speaker at our November 8, 2018 meeting. In his talk he told us about his role in developing strategies to ensure that Del Mar achieves the goals set forth in its Climate Action Plan (CAP) that was approved by the City Council in June 2016.
The plan involves first assessing how current lifestyles, including transportation, energy use, and waste affect the environment. Building on that information, Clem and his team are generating a road map to help the city reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50%, use 100% renewable power for city facilities, and generate zero waste by 2035.
In 2012, the GHG Emission inventory indicated that the bulk of GHG in Del Mar could be attributed to residential energy use (21%) and transportation (57%). To reduce GHG from energy production, the city is pursuing the concept of Community Choice Energy (CCE) in which North Coast cities of Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside band together to purchase power directly from suppliers that will give the city more choices, particularly the choice of renewable power. One other step to addressing GHG related to energy production is already in place at the new Civic Center in Del Mar. Housed in the basement is a new photovoltaic and energy storage system that provides up to 90% of the power needs of the facility, even those at night when the sun isn’t shining. The Civic Center also has charging stations for electric vehicles, and the city is streamlining the permitting process for Del Mar residents to install charging facilities in their homes. These actions likely will help increase the city’s already high rate of electric vehicle ownership.
To reduce the car trips, Del Mar is exploring “Micro Mobility” solutions by allowing neighborhood electric vehicles, and facilitating adoption of bike and scooter sharing in the city, which would be coupled with increasing the safety of bike lanes and making the city more walkable through the new Streetscape project that will involve the area between 9th and 15th Street.
Clem pointed out that Del Mar has a number of ways to meets its Zero Waste goal. In addition to banning single use Styrofoam food containers and plastic straws, Del Mar will focus reducing the amount of organic waste (currently 34% of all waste generated in the village) by examining solutions that involve composting or other types of recycling.
Under Clem’s leadership, Del Mar is already well on its way to achieving these important goals that will mitigate our impacts on the environment.