MISSION

To make Pacific Grove a model of transition to sustainability through innovative, active, local solutions that enhance community.

VISION FOR PACIFIC GROVE

So let's imagine Pacific Grove as having transitioned to a sustainable community, a place where residents eat locally grown food and shop locally for their daily needs. Parks are surrounded with edible landscapes. An open-air market bustling with people buying fruits, veggies and local crafts offers a place to find fresh items grown close to home.
         See the complete vision.

For 2009, SPG offers these small measures for each of us to keep in mind:

Growing gardens, keeping chickens, composting, putting up clothes-lines.     Installing cisterns and tanks for rainwater.     Going to farmers' market, walking or using a bike to get around town.                   Reduce, re-use, re-cycle.                   Engage with your neighbors and your government (City Council,commissions, town meetings).                   Form habits of practical sustainability and resilience.                   Share what you discover. Continue exploring.

TRANSITION to SUSTAINABILITY

Transition Towns is a worldwide movement, started in England. The goal of the movement is to help towns become sustainable in all the ways that it is possible. A criteria pattern has been setup thru which a municipally can become a "Transition Town". ( PG already meets many of the criteria. We will be working to help the city meet the rest.)

NEW: There is now a draft Transition Plan for Monterey County. It is intended as a basis for discussion with sustainability groups within Monterey County.  It is hoped that, through community discussion, we can come to agreement about our goals and how to achieve them during the upcoming transition time.

SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT
in
PACIFIC GROVE

The SPG Position Paper on water conservation and development in and for PG.
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A Proposal for Rediscovering Our Local Watershed

SPG has proposed that the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History have a display about how the PG watershed can supply more water than is now available, develop a model rain catchment system to demostrate what can be easily done, plus more.
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Stormwater Study for PG

With a grant from the Packard Foundation the City of PG funded an engineering study of how to recover and store stormwater that falls on the city for use watering some city parks and lands.

Here are extracts from the report, online, as well as the complete report inPDF

Ad Hoc Alternative Water Source Committee Report

In December of 2009 the Ad Hoc Alternative Water Source Committee submitted a report to the Pacific Grove City Council. That report discusses many of the alternate sources of water that Pacific Grove has and makes suggestions of how these sources might be utilized.

Here is the Report.

FOOD

Here is a list of near by farms doing Community Supported Argiculture. Get your really fresh food this way.
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In Sierra Magazine (May/June, 2009, p31) are two lists of foods taken from the Shoppers Guide to Pesticides. One list tells which foods are most likely to be pesticide free and the other the least likely to have pesticide residue.
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Here is a list of plants that have been grown in the PG climate.
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SPG supports the PG Farmers market. It happens every Monday on Lighthouse Avenue in downtown Pacific Grove, 4 to 7 PM.

A link to a list of Monterey County farmers markets.                            - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Take a look at this old victory garden book from the war years ( World War I that is, published 1918)!
War Vegetable Gardening and the Home Storage of Vegetables
Most all the info is still right on for us today. ( courtesy of Sharon Lloyd )                            - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WASTE

Take a look at the 20 minute video of " The Story of Stuff", showing where THINGS in our life come from and where they end up.
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In Utne Reader ( Mar-Apr, 09, p 73) there is a story listing listing easy to grow plants to clean the indoor air. The story came from Radish Magazine. Take a look.
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SPG and Surfriders fostered the passage of the ordinance to ban styrofoam that was passed by the PG City Council.
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When medicines of any type go into the sewage system the downstream processing does not remove them from the water. For the safe way .

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Stop the delivery of unwanted phone books.

Stop the delivery of unwanted phone books. Opt Out at Yellow Pages Goes Green org. 

LOCAL BUYING

NEW:
To see certified green businesses in Pacific Grove, or even in Monterey County, start at the SPG page on Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program.

When you buy local, you spend less on transport and you help our community grow and be even more vibrant, learn more.

SMART BUYING

NEW:
Good Guide . provides the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products ( over 70,000) in your home.

NEW:
Sierra Club Green Home is dedicated to helping you create a more sustainable home environment.

For merchants in PG who carry the green/sustainable brands .

ENERGY

( If this is your passion, help SPG develop a plan. )

This book ( Sustainable Energy - without the hot air an excerpt ) could give you some ideas about what needs to be done, and what not to do. It is available online or in paper form.

Resolving to save money? And the planet? Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs promise a win-win. This website tells which bulbs last longer, are more efficient, and are lower in mercury and so safer, plus other information.

TRANSPORT

( If this is your passion, help SPG develop a plan. )

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Transportation in PG

A paper the outlines some of the issues for Pacific Grove as we consider changes in our transportation options in PG.

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Transportation in SF Bay Area

A description of what the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is working toward in the SF Bay area as transportation options for the SF Bay Area.
Why not stimulate a similiar program in the Monterey Bay Area?

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Auto Energy Efficiency

In Feb, 09, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a list of the 10 best and worst cars from their energy efficient point of view. See the ACEEE press release and the lists of " greenest" and " meanest" cars of the year on the ACEEE's greenercars.org Web site.

RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRONIC WASTE
January 31, 2010

     from Paul Hawken

We not not alone in working for the Transition. See this 6 minute video by Paul. There are many many more people working for the change that is needed.

Here is one of the clearest and strongest statements of what is happening to our earth right now, in less than 3 pages.

     A New Source of Product Info

Source of information on over 70000 products, looking at the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.

WE ARE

Sustainable Pacific Grove (SPG) is a grass-roots, volunteer group undertaking projects to help Pacific Grove become more self-reliant and sustainable. In response to concerns about the end of cheap oil, climate change, economic uncertainty, and resource limitations, Pacific Grove residents have come together to prepare locally.

Implementation of the Urban Environmental Accords and the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Sustainable Pacific Grove is pleased that the City Council of Pacific Grove unanimously adopted these important first steps, and will work with the City in their implementation.

See the "The United Nations Urban Environmental Accords".

See the "The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement".

Site map.