We Fight Climate Change

The League works at the national, state and local level to combat climate change. For 2021, the League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara Climate Change / Natural Resources Committee has identified the following areas of focus:

We will educate ourselves about the current status of San Jose’s Climate Action Plan, which is called Climate Smart San Jose, and understand how much progress has been made on the plan’s goals – and see what remains to be done. LWV SJ/SC has previously advocated for components of the plan including the founding of San Jose Clean Energy, the implementation of reach codes for buildings, and planning for green stormwater infrastructure.
San Jose is focused on reducing carbon emissions, which is an important step in battling climate change, but we also want to look at another tool: carbon sequestration. San Jose implemented the Cool Cities program years ago, which added trees in public spaces and updated building codes to include trees. We will review the existing policies to learn the status of these important programs. We also want to look at regenerative soil techniques that can help absorb carbon, and which can be used in parks and other non-agricultural areas.
We will examine local park budgets to understand if there’s an equitable distribution of resources across parks and across districts.
We will continue to advocate for the preservation of Coyote Valley, an open space buffer between San Jose and Morgan Hill. Coyote Valley provides vital wildlife corridors between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range, improved water quality through the restoration of a natural floodplain, carbon sequestration, and a home to several endangered species. It also offers many recreational opportunities. Read an excellent description of the importance of preserving this Valley written by UC Davis Emerita Professor Louise Jackson.

For more information or to join this committee, please contact Judy Chamberlin.