State of the City + Fremont named 'greenest' cities

Chamber hosts State of the City 2008 on Monday, March 31

The Fremont Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present the State of the City 2008 on Monday, March 31 10 from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Fremont Marriott Hotel. Mayor Bob Wasserman will discuss our City’s economic development and large scale projects, recap the budget and fiscal state of the city, report progress on the General Plan, and address other important issues facing our city.

The State of the City event will also serve as the Chamber’s annual meeting where we will install our officers and directors as well as offer a salute to Chamber volunteers for their work and dedication.

Registration for the event begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch is included. Tickets are $40 for Chamber members and $60 for non-members. Tickets are expected to sell quickly, so purchase them in advance by calling the Chamber office at (510) 795-2244 or visiting www.fremontbusiness.com.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at $700 for table sponsorship and $1,200 for event sponsorships. Sponsorship packages include various forms of recognition at the event and in advertising for the event.

For more details, contact Nina Moore at (510) 795-2244 x107 or nmoore@fremontbusiness.com.

Visit the Chamber's calendar page to get weather info, print driving directions and register online.

For more information:
Visit Fremont Chamber
Email: nmoore@fremontbusiness.com

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Who's the greenest of them all? If a new national survey is any indication, it's the Bay Area.

San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley made the top 10 of a national survey by Popular Science magazine rating the country's 50 most environmentally friendly cities. Concord and Fremont made the top 50 (numbers 43 and 44, respectively), as did 13 California cities — enough to turn other states green with envy.

The survey combined data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society's Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics for American cities with more than 100,000 people in categories including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits.

Portland, Ore., grabbed the top spot, while San Francisco ranked

No. 2.

California dominated the survey, with 13 cities on the list. New York came in second, with four cities on the list.

"I'm not surprised," said Sean Randolph, chief executive of the San Francisco-based Bay Area Council Economic Institute. "California has always been more environmentally attuned than other states, and the Bay Area has always been the most environmentally attuned region in the state.

"It's brought a lot of money into the Bay Area," Randolph said. "The Bay Area attracted about a billion dollars last year for research in alternative energy technology."

As examples, Randolph pointed to a $500 million grant from BP Oil for developing biofuels given to University of California, $125 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to UC Berkeley and other entities. Venture capital money invested in "green" technology is another example, he said. Berkeley, as well as a

"The Bay Area's cities scored high largely because our investments in public transit enable more of us to get around without driving, creating far less unhealthy pollution," said Emily Rusch, an advocate with California Public Interest Research Group.

On a 1-to-10 scale, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley each scored 8 or more for widespread public transportation and air quality. AC Transit's fleet of three hydrogen buses took the spotlight in an accompanying case study of how green cities got that way.

"This designation reflects Oakland's commitment to be a sustainable model city," Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said. "Through the tremendous dedication and efforts of community partners and city government working together, we are advancing efforts to curb global climate change and oil dependence, reach our zero-waste goal, and become a leader in 'green' jobs creation."

The survey gave points to cities for the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as their recycling programs. Cities also scored points for getting their electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power, as well as for offering incentives for residents to invest in their own power sources, such as solar roofs.

California has a head start in this area, having passed legislation in 2004 and 2006 aimed at creating one million solar roofs in the state by 2018. Also, utilities such as PG&E are under a mandate to get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2010. And Assembly Bill 32, passed in 2006, aims to slash state greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

Like Randolph, Adam Gottlieb of the California Energy Commission wasn't surprised by the news.

"Popular Science has acknowledged what we've known all along," Gottlieb said. "We're (California) bold, we're daring, we're innovative. Let's tell Portland to watch its back, because we're gaining on it."