We are excited to be looking for TWO highly motivated, passionate, and detail-oriented analysts to fill full-time positions.

You will join a fast-paced, dynamic team environment, providing services within the Sustainability Division of the City Manager’s Office. One position focuses on COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, and the second position focuses on PROGRAM AND POLICY TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.

A detailed job description can be found here.

Don’t delay! Priority application deadline: Sunday, November 8, 2020, at 11.59 p.m.

 

 

We welcome your help getting the word out through your networks and are excited about the opportunity to strengthen Mountain View’s (small but mighty!) sustainability team.

Have you signed up for our Sustainability Volunteer Group yet? If not, you can do so here. We are hosting a kickoff meeting for new volunteers to learn more about the group, get to know one another, and hear about what the Sustainability Division is working on! Meeting details will be sent out to everyone who fills out the sign-up form.

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!

In January, the Sustainability Division launched Cool Block, a program designed to empower neighbors over five months to get to know each other, become more disaster-prepared, and live more sustainably. After staff trained 18 “Block Leaders,” the City unfortunately had to put Cool Block largely on hold in March due to COVID-19 safety concerns. But, one team persevered! 

They were able to transition their meetings online, overcoming various challenges, and became the first official Cool Block team in Mountain View to complete the program on September 30. The end result: they took a total of 159 actions that reduced their carbon emissions by 44,148 pounds, or an average of 18.3% per household. To acknowledge their achievement, the City presented all team members with certificates signed by the Mayor. And, a second team is on track to complete the program by November 17.

The leader of the first Cool Block team recently wrote an uplifting blog post reflecting on his team’s experience. It demonstrates the power of one person, and small groups, to make a significant difference. Read his blog post here. Congratulations to Neal and his team!

The General Election is 5 days away! Have you voted yet? On the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website, you can check your registration, locate a vote center, find a ballot drop-off location near you, and more.

If you voted by mail, you can track your ballot here. If you are voting by mail but haven’t sent in your ballot yet, consider dropping it off at a local ballot box rather than the Post Office to ensure that it is counted on time.

It’s almost Halloween! Here are a few tips for celebrating sustainably:

Are you thinking about going solar at home or installing battery storage, but don’t know where to start? Bay Area residents have access to a limited-time offer from SunShares to get help!

To make it easier and more affordable for Bay Area residents to build sustainable and resilient communities, SunShares offers discounts on solar systems and battery storage, plus free educational workshops. You can sign up for more information on SunShares here.

Register by November 30 to receive a FREE, no-obligation solar proposal outlining what solar and/or storage, as well as financing options, might look like for you.

Important! We are approaching the final year to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit for solar before it expires at the end of 2021 -- don't miss this opportunity!

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.

Eight winners will be selected from each competition! They will receive hundreds of dollars in prizes, as well as recognition from the CEO of Silicon Valley Clean Energy. For more information, visit the challenge website here. The deadline to apply is Sunday, November 15, at 11:59pm.

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.

Acterra, in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, is bringing together a diverse set of six Bay Area chefs to demonstrate how to prepare their favorite plant-based holiday dishes. A moderator will interact with each chef and ask questions from the audience during the live demonstrations. Learn tips for reducing waste and the benefits of induction cooking, too! Register here.

Not sure what to do with all of your food scraps? Want to boost your home gardening? UCCE is hosting FREE virtual community composting workshops. Register here.

This training will describe HPWHs, when they are allowed under the 2019 Code, code requirements for installation, and how to complete compliance forms. Register here.

Margaret Capetz, a senior at Los Altos High School and a member of the school's Green Team, recently published a plant-based cookbook. You can flip through it (digitally) here.

Through the Climate Corps program, Acterra is looking to hire a full-time Beneficial Electrification Program Associate Fellow and a full-time You(th) Be the Change Program Associate Fellow. More details can be found here.

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