PIEDMONT — Piedmont residents are encouraged to get on board with the Climate Challenge carbon reduction plan, and Jeff Dorman of the city’s recreation commission and Piedmont Connect told the city’s Park Commission at their recent meeting that it’s fairly easy to sign up.
“The goal is to reduce our carbon footprint by 40% of the 2005 levels by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
“Go online. Sign up to be a part of it. Form a team of 10 members who check in with each other once a month,” Dorman said.
The Climate Challenge has households analyzing their carbon imprints, such as their heating and air, the cars they drive and the airplane flights they take. Those interested can sign up for the Climate Challenge at piedmontclimatechallenge.org.
“There’s a lot to learn. We did it as a family. You can even buy carbon offsets for airline flight miles. It’s all a great thing,” Dorman said.
Park commissioners said they were interested in the program. On Nov. 7 a city workshop for residents was held with a robust turnout to promote the Climate Challenge.
Next at the commission meeting, Parks and Project Manager Nancy Kent updated the panel on new receptacles at Hampton Park designated for trash, green waste and recyclables — an ecofriendly program in town that’s being phased in. Other locations for the new receptacles will be at the Linda Beach tot lot, Piedmont Park and other locations to be determined.
She informed the panel that 18 new trees have been planted along Magnolia Avenue, where many had been removed due to a paving project. Residents are provided with “gator bags” that supply water to the new trees as the trees are establishing themselves and taking root.
“I saw the Chinese pistache. They are really brilliant when they bloom,” chair Betsy Goodman said.
Public Works Director Chester Nakahara then updated the panel on the storm sewer mapping project, which involves workers peering down manholes with cameras to check pipes.
“There’s a lot of abnormalities down there,” Nakahara said.
The aging system has pipes of clay, concrete, plastic and metal. There are 15 trash-capture devices in various locations that prevent debris other than storm drain water from filtering into Lake Merritt, the final destination for Piedmont’s storm drain runoff.
“We’ve been doing field work for four months so far,” Nakahara said. “It gives us a good perspective, (helps us) get a bigger picture.”
Cities must comply with regional water board mandates starting in November 2020. Piedmont also is investigating green infrastructure practices in which storm sewer runoff percolates back into the landscape to reduce runoff.
