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2008 Clean Air Champions
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 Gary Federico/Federico Beauty Institute
Nominated by Michelle Seeberger
The beauty of improving air quality is that every person and every business can make an effective difference. Gary Federico understands that and has done his part to improve air quality by maximizing energy efficiency at the Federico Beauty Institute. Gary partnered with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District to install a photovoltaic carport system and implemented a full recycle program for paper and plastics. Lighting has been changed to energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) and occupancy sensors have been installed to eliminate energy waste. The heating and air conditioning system is also managed by a control system to ensure optimum efficiency. Federico Beauty Institute’s use of solar power will reduce CO2 emissions by 165,643 pounds, or remove the equivalent of about 14 passenger cars from the roadways every year. Gary proves that the size of a business has nothing to do with its ability to take effective action toward cleaning our air.
Click here to read the entire press release.... |
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 Natomas Unified School District
Nominated by Councilman Ray Tretheway
As the world learns more about preserving the environment, one Sacramento school district is recognized as a leader in teaching by example. To date, the K-12 district has pursued and implemented multiple green strategies including conversion of school buses to biodiesel (B20) fuel to make their exhaust less harmful, synthetic turf on playing fields that eliminates the need for air-polluting lawn mowers, and promotion of walking and bicycling through a Safe Routes to School program, just to name a few. The H. Allen Hight Learning Center is seeking recognition through the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) as a high performance, green school. Other high performance features include a “green roof,” using recycled building materials, low-emission paints and adhesives to improve indoor air quality and solar lighting to cut energy usage. This fall, organizers of a nationwide conference on “Green Tools for Healthy Schools”, sponsored by the CHPS, has requested that H. Allen Hight Learning Center be used as a conference demonstration site for up to 400 participants who are eager to see green technology in use.
Click here to read the entire press release....
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 Tony Powers
Nominated by Walt Seifert
During the past decade, Tony Powers has worked tirelessly to make bicycling easier and safer across bridges, at intersections and along waterways. That in turn has inspired people to swap the car for a bike, over time sparing all of us from the health effects of untold tons of vehicle emissions. Tony’s legacy of commitment to bicycling started more than 10 years ago when he worked with the City of Folsom on building a bicyclist-friendly Lake Natoma Crossing. A professional engineer, he also enhanced the clean air impact of bicycle riding by making bicycle access to regional transit stations more convenient. He also pedals what he preaches as a dedicated bicycle commuter for 16 years, successfully making a bicycle his primary mode of transportation. Riding a bike instead of driving a car is an easy, fun and effective way to make a positive difference and its growth into a regional trend owes much to people such as Tony.
Click here to read the entire press release.... |
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 Million Mile May Program
Nominated by Sue Teranishi
The Million Mile May Program is a challenge to Sacramento Region residents to collectively pedal their way into the seven digits. Through the collaborative efforts of SACOG and its Outreach Partners, last year the program registered more than 4,700 cyclists from throughout the region who pedaled a combined 926,683 miles, close to making that million mile goal. It also spared the atmosphere from tons of greenhouse gas emissions, while saving nearly 19,000 gallons of gasoline worth more than $65,000 dollars. Commute, recreation and errand miles all counted towards the total number of miles and could be easily tracked on the Web site, which acts as an information center. Individuals could register online, as well as access helpful information and view the daily progress for the region toward the million-mile goal. By using Internet technology SACOG and its Outreach Partners were able to deliver their message, encourage participation to a large audience and reduce their carbon footprint by using online technology to supplement traditional outreach efforts. To register and start logging your bike miles, visit www.mayisbikemonth.com.
Click here to read the entire press release....
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 9onF
Nominated by Peter Christensen
Sacramento’s newest infill housing project, 9onF, proves that accommodating growth and helping improve air quality can be mutual standards, rather than polar opposites. The project improves air quality in two ways. Building design and construction materials reduce energy demand, which means less natural gas use in the homes and fewer power plant emissions. But the biggest air quality potential comes from giving residents an easy opportunity to walk, ride a bike, or take transit instead of driving. This quality is enhanced with 9onF built within walking distance of a huge employment base - the state government - and hundreds of other destinations including restaurants, stores and entertainment venues. The homes themselves outperform by up to 54 percent requirements set by state energy codes with design features such as solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, tankless water heaters and EnergyStar appliances. It is the first Central City project certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System, a program created by the U.S. Green Building Council that’s used as a national benchmark for environmentally sustainable buildings.
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Keelan Shaw-Connelly
Nominated by Jananne Sharpless
Keelan Shaw-Connelly, a high school student, does more than just plant trees. She grows hope that the quest for cleaner air already enjoys strong roots among our future leaders. She got involved in air quality issues as a freshman by joining Breathe California’s Youth Advisory Board and participating in the High School Air Quality Assessment Project, in which she partnered with UC Davis Professor Tom Cahill on a study that compared ultra-fine particulate matter from two points: the downtown neighborhood and the Howe and Watt suburban neighborhood. They are still completing final calculations, but believe the study’s results will have a national impact because it measured equal amounts of particulate matter from vehicle emission in a heavily trafficked downtown area, and in a quiet, tree-lined suburban neighborhood. She also took on a project and estimated how her school could reduce its carbon footprint by using alternative transportation. Keelan proves that people of any age can make a powerful difference in promoting better air quality today while encouraging peers to become tomorrow’s clean air leaders.
Click here to read the entire press release....
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