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One important aspect of environmentalism is knowing when to take a break. News feeds are dire right now, and without diminishing the gravity of contemporary events, we need a win. So, I am taking this opportunity to highlight some good environmental news. The world, the United States and the residents of San Jose—and our elected...
Zimmerman: San Jose needs your help tackling climate change
San Jose recently announced that it is aiming for carbon neutrality in 2030, instead of a goal for 2050 as other cities are setting. This gives the city eight short years to change habits and policies that people have developed over many decades. Unsurprisingly, when asked if I thought this goal was achievable, I answered “no.”...
Zimmerman: San Jose’s solar threatened by new utility rules
On Jan. 27, California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will vote on a revised set of rules applying to Net Energy Metering (NEM 3.0). If you care about climate change, are considering investing in solar or are one of the approximately 28,500 Net Energy Metering customers in San Jose, NEM 3.0 will impact you. Under current...
Zimmerman: San Jose’s trees improve human health and save money
Anyone who has ever read “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein knows humans take for granted the benefits and gifts of the trees around us. We underestimate how they impact our lives and the weight of our responsibility to protect them. It seems like, finally, we are learning how important trees are, not only to...
Zimmerman: Taking action after a useless U.N. climate conference
It is a surprise to no one—or no one familiar with climate diplomacy—that the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) has failed to produce a significant agreement on addressing the climate crisis. As it stands, mankind will not limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In the unlikely event that countries stick to all the agreements...
Zimmerman: Car crashes and climate change
Years ago, I was in a car accident. I remember looking over and seeing the other car right before it hit me. I knew the crash was going to happen, I knew that things were going to be bad, I just didn’t know how bad. Time slowed down and I recall a moment of utter...
Zimmerman: What the findings of the U.N. climate report mean for San Jose
The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released last month. Since its release, the report has been lauded and derided, but its significance cannot be dismissed. The intergovernmental panel is not a political body and the report is not a political document. Rather, it is an amalgamation of the...
Zimmerman: Our underappreciated open spaces
“Disruption of nature and natural systems by humans is a major part of the climate crisis. But nature is part of the solution.” This is what Andrea Mackenzie, the general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, told me in an interview earlier this year. The authority has four public open spaces offering...
Zimmerman: From profit to purpose—solving two crises with the American Jobs Plan
There is a false belief that effectively fighting climate change means we, as a society, have to suffer. People think of deprivation, restriction and sacrifice when solutions to the climate crisis are discussed. This is the wrong way to look at it. “What if we could create stable, middle-class jobs (that cannot be outsourced or...
Zimmerman: Environmental racism is the norm
The modern environmental movement now recognizes the inextricable link between environment and race. We cannot solve the climate crisis without addressing systematic racism. Environmental racism is the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards placed on people of color. In the United States, the biggest predictor of if you live near a hazardous waste site is the...