We know that Earth Day is looking a little different this year, so it’s going virtual here in Mountain View! We’re holding two contests where you can show off your sustainability expertise, and the winners will receive a cash prize that supports local businesses.

One contest is a video competition, where entrants make a 90 second or less video telling or demonstrating how they are making Mountain View more sustainable.

The second contest is a student poster competition. We will be judging submissions in five age brackets: grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. All student entrants must do is create a poster around one of the following themes: environmental health, clean water, clean air, clean land, food and the environment, plastic pollution, sea level rise, or sustainability and resiliency.

The first-place winner for each contest will be given a $100 gift card to a local Mountain View business, and the second-place winner will receive a $50 gift card.

For both contests, the deadline for entries is Monday, April 19, 2021 no later than 5pm. Submissions can be made by visiting this link.

Please join us on Earth Day, Thursday April 22, from 6-8:30 pm as we host a Virtual Earth Day event with something for everyone! There will be speakers from Planet Bee Foundation, Acterra, Recology, and Cool Block. Community members will also be giving 5-minute ‘micro talks’ about how they’re “Restoring the Earth.” We’ll be announcing the winners of the video and poster contests live during the event. For more details, visit the Eventbrite page here.

In June 2021, most residential PG&E and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) customers in Santa Clara County will be automatically transitioned to a new Time-of-Use electricity rate. This transition is a part of a statewide effort to help improve how electricity is used on the grid, and support California’s shift toward clean energy.

The Time-of-Use rate price varies based on when you use electricity. Energy will be cheapest before 4pm and after 9pm (“Off-Peak” times). Shifting high energy use to these off-peak times will save you money with the cheaper rate.

If this seems confusing and you want to learn more about the statewide Time-of-Use electric rate transition, you’re not alone! PG&E and Silicon Valley Independent Living Center will be holding a free workshop on March 23 at 4pm to help you understand exactly what’s happening. Register for this workshop here.

For more information on the Time-of-Use rate transition visit this link.

Have you done something creative with sustainability that you would like to share? Have you started a garden or found new ways to reuse old objects? Have you tried a new plant-based recipe or started biking instead of driving? Share these stories with us to be featured as a Sustainability Champion! Email sustainability@mountainview.gov with a picture of yourself and your story. We look forward to hearing from you!

Are you ready to electrify your home? SVCE is offering up to $2,000 in rebates to customers who replace their gas or electric resistance water heater with an efficient, electric heat pump version, decreasing harmful emissions in your home and community! View SVCE’s Heat Pump Water Heater Buyers Guide here.

An additional $3,000 in rebates is available for qualifying electric panel upgrades and income-qualified customers. Visit SVCE's website here to reserve your rebate.

The eHub features information on how change starts with clean electricity, how driving electric is the biggest single action you can take to stop pollution while saving money, and how you can improve your indoor air quality at home with efficient, electric appliances. Visit the new eHub here.

Were you impacted by a Public Safety Power Shutoff this year? SVCE has launched a new program with Sunrun to help customers install solar and battery storage systems to prepare for future power outages. If you choose to enroll in Lights On Silicon Valley, you can get an up-front rebate of $1,250 by agreeing to share some battery energy with the electricity grid during peak times, and only when there isn’t an outage. This rebate is available on top of other rebates and tax credits!

With this program, you get access to backup power, reduce your energy costs, and help our community develop a clean-energy power grid. Win-win-win! Interested participants can sign up for more information here.

Did you know that food is one of the largest contributors to the average Bay Area resident’s carbon footprint? Acterra, a local environmental non-profit, has launched its Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet program to help people reduce food waste and eat more plant-based meals. Learn about their online community, plant-forward challenge, upcoming events, and more here.

Attention Bay Area residents! The Air District’s Clean Cars for All Program has expanded to all Bay Area zip codes.

Income qualified residents who own a model year 2004 or older vehicle can receive up to $9,500 to retire their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new or used electric vehicle. Funding is available for electric vehicle charging equipment as well. You can also get a pre-loaded Clipper card (up to $7,500) for turning in your old vehicle. Incentive options vary depending on income and zip code.

Check if you are eligible for the Clean Cars for All program and apply here.

For additional information about this program, please contact (855) 256-3656 or cleancars@gridalternatives.org.

For more information, click here.

Join Acterra for a virtual community building event and benefit to spotlight local action in combating our climate crisis. Thought leaders Bill McKibben (350.org founder), Wade Crowfoot (CA Secretary for Natural Resources), and Bryant Terry (award-winning chef and author), plus expert-led breakout sessions will bring focus to ongoing efforts in electrification, sustainable food, engaging youth, and workplace greening. Includes award presentations for the Bay Area’s environmental businesses, organizations, and individuals. The main event, from 6-8pm is free to attend. For more details, visit this link.

Acterra is hosting a talk by Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali. A renowned thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, and facilitator, Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate & Community Revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Founder & CEO of Revitalization Strategies. Before joining the NWF, Mustafa was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a non-partisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. As HHC Senior Vice President, he led the strategic expansion of the HHC’s portfolio on Climate, Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization.

Prior to joining the Hip Hop Caucus, Mustafa worked 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He began working on Social Justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, eventually becoming a founding member of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and working to elevate environmental justice issues and strengthening environmental justice policies and initiatives.

Throughout his career, Mustafa has worked with more than 500 domestic and international communities to secure environmental, health and economic justice. Mustafa uses a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities, helping them to move from Surviving to Thriving. For more information, please click here.

Join Acterra for the free third workshop in their Green@Home series. Acterra welcomes guest speaker Mike Balma from Sunwork to speak about solar panel installations on a home roof. This solar rooftop workshop will cover the benefits of residential solar panels, contractors, rebates, and the procedure to optimize solar panel installations. A PG&E representative will briefly discuss PG&E’s new Time-of-Use plans. For more information click here.

Julia Zeitlin is a 14year old climate activist, organizer, and leader in the Bay Area. She founded and led the Sunrise Palo Alto Hub in August 2019 and later co-founded and expanded the Silicon Valley Sunrise Hub. A member of the Palo Alto Youth Council, Julia is currently working on a Task Force with the Sustainability Office of Palo Alto on their new Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. Julia is deeply committed to pursuing climate justice and believes in the importance and the opportunity of youth engagement in this movement. The Sunrise Movement has garnered international attention for its extensive mobilization of youth and many campaign successes, including influencing elected officials, regular stories, op-eds, and interviews in the national media, and making the Green New Deal a familiar household term. For more information click here.

Think you can’t afford an electric vehicle (EV)? Think again! Learn about the many financial assistance programs that can make vehicle ownership a reality for you and your family. And not just any vehicle – a non-polluting, low-maintenance, fast, quiet, fun electric vehicle. We’ll help you discover the specific rebates and grants that fit your tastes, income, and needs...because EVs are for everyone, including you. For more information click here.

¿Cree que no se alcanza para comprar un vehículo eléctrico? ¡Piensa otra vez! Las nuevas Clínicas de incentivos financieros para EVs profundizan en los muchos programas de asistencia financiera disponibles para los consumidores que califiquen por sus ingresos. Nota: para que los ingresos califiquen, un consumidor no debe ganar más del 400% del nivel federal de pobreza. Por ejemplo, una sola persona debe ganar menos de $51,000 y una familia de cuatro debe ganar menos de $105,000. Este taller se llevará a cabo en inglés con traducción al español. Si necesita mas información, por favor vayan esto.

Want to stay updated on more Sustainability news and local events? Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!