Comments from the Chair

City of San Antonio Budget

The 2020 Proposed Budget will be presented to City Council on Thursday, August 8th. Passage of the budget is planned for September. The Resident Survey Report shows the budget priorities of our citizens.

Our city budget will reflect city priorities. This is an important opportunity to influence our future. Alamo Sierra Club will continue to prioritize the following:

Maintaining the Equity Lens in budgeting and other City operations

This is hugely important.

Passing a strong Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP)

A vote is now scheduled for October 24th. Business interests that made their choice to sit out negotiations should not be allowed to hijack the process as has happened too often in past city planning efforts. A strong CAAP must have a time table of early actions, as climate science demands.

We can delay no longer. This means insisting that CPS develop plans to shut down Spruce coal plants and remaining natural gas plants by 2030. As I write, the second draft CAAP remains hidden.

Combating air pollution

Our air is unhealthy, due especially to our coal plants and vehicles. We are in non-attainment of ozone standards, and another hot summer is upon us.
We have little more than a year to achieve enough progress to avoid going from marginal non-attainment to moderate, which carries much more draconian consequences. Key to making significant progress will be what we can achieve with CPS and with ConnectSA.

We need to shut down our coal plants and promote electric vehicle use and expand charging infrastructure. We need to get EV (and solar) ready codes included in new construction. We need to get robust transit approved despite opposition from auto dealers, fossil fuel interests and the political far right . We cannot bulldoze more freeway construction through neighborhoods.

I was pleased to read that former Councilman Saldana has taken over at the VIA Board of Trustees. He understands these issues and is a transit advocate. The latest SA2020 Report shows continued deterioration in our mobility.

Increasing transparency and accountability from our public utilities

CPS Energy Board is finally allowing citizens to be heard and is live-streaming Board meetings; things we have pushed for years. We urge much more.

Major policy decisions by our utilities--like energy generation sources such as Spruce and water supplies like Vista Ridge--these billion dollar decisions should not be made without community and city council hearings, discussions and votes. Spruce and Vista Ridge both represent billions of dollars spent in our name, from our pockets, without our input.

Even though Vista Ridge is (almost) a done deal, we the public deserve a public accounting; an independent report of the Vista Ridge project explaining where our money has gone. We urge Council to implement this review now and take a much more active role in oversight of our utilities.

SAWS Board Chairman Berto Guerra is termed out. In fact, his final term expired over a year ago, as did that of his protégé Pat Merritt. What are term limits for?? We call on the Mayor to replace Mr. Guerra with Amy Hardberger as Chair, and Council to demand the replacement process for both Mr. Guerra and Ms. Merritt begin immediately. We likewise urge that process be different, open and transparent for dialogue with and questions from the public to Board candidates.

It would be good to have some people on our boards who can advocate for our environment and our socially disadvantaged groups, and not just for big business. Meanwhile, both utilities, with full support from our Mayor, have given huge bonuses to CPS and SAWS CEOs. They already make twice what the competition in the public sector is paid, and the criteria for bonuses are hidden from public view. Council needs to demand accountability.

The Heat is On! Understanding San Antonio's Urban Heat Island Effect and What We Can Do About It

We've all experienced the summer heat in San Antonio and its associated Heat Advisories, Ozone Action Days, and Energy Rush Hours.  It's a fact that San Antonio is hot and getting hotter!  What causes these conditions?  One major factor is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, the "heat bubble" that engulfs our city due to urbanization and human activity.

We believe that the UHI effect is at the core of environmental and health issues plaguing our city, as detailed in the San Antonio Climate Ready Plan, from heat-related illnesses and infectious (vector-borne) diseases to air quality to water management to oppressive heat. 

At our August meeting, two expert speakers, Daniel Boice, PhD and Michelle Garza, BS, will present their original research on San Antonio's UHI effect, and suggest mitigation plans to sustain a healthier urban environment for our future.

Tuesday, August 20^th
6:00 p.m. (program starts 6:30)
William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, 1802 North Main Avenue
Map

Dr. Daniel Boice is the founder and principal astronomer at Scientific Studies & Consulting in San Antonio, TX.  He received his Ph.D. in astronomy from New Mexico State University in 1985, and spent 26 years in the Space Science & Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute, where he specialized in cometary research (sponsors: NASA and National Science Foundation).  He held a joint appointment in the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses for 20 years.  He has also given numerous public lectures to audiences of all ages.  During his career, Dr. Boice developed computer models to interpret spacecraft data and ground-based observations of many comets.  This led to his interest and expertise in the urban climate, and especially in the Urban Heat Island effect.

Dr. Boice has an extensive research record that includes over 75 peer-reviewed research papers, several hundred conference reports, and his first book, Comets in the 21st Century:  A Personal Guide to Experiencing the Next Great Comet!, published by Morgan & Claypool in 2019.  He has served in leadership positions in several professional societies and spent a number of years abroad teaching and working with colleagues in Germany, Japan, France, Thailand, and Brazil. 

When not engaged in professional activities, he loves collecting books and rock’n’roll music, board gaming, and rice farming with his family in northern Thailand.

Michelle Garza has 7 years of experience in the environmental science and sustainable energy field, and 13 years in business management.  She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio (focus: geology). She previously worked for the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute, and in regulatory compliance and remediation with DAI Environmental. 

Ms. Garza is part of the Stormwater Unit in the Environmental Science department at the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), where she works to educate the community on sustainable stormwater solutions to improve water quality in our creeks and river.  Ms. Garza is currently SARA’s project manager working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on the Upper San Antonio River Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) Green Stormwater Infrastructure Master Plan, a 319 Grant, and before that on WPP Implementation - Stormwater Retrofit Best Management Practices grant. 

She is actively involved in the Community as a Watershed Wise Warrior, Texas Master Naturalist, and Texas Waters Specialist. Ms. Garza also works with the SA 2020, SA Tomorrow’s Regional Center, and Community Plans, as well as the SA Climate Ready Plan, to create a more sustainable San Antonio that protects our rivers and ecosystems and enhances our way of life.

The Wonderland Revisited

I hiked the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier a second time in September, 2017. Usually taking 10 to 12 days, it could be the most spectacular backpacking loop in the lower 48 states. It is a strenuous 93-mile route with  lots of elevation gain and loss totalling 22,000'.

Approaching Panhandle Gap, which is the highest elevation on the Wonderland Trail, with my trip partner. I later realized this precise spot was likely the very highest, 6800', as the trail detoured a bit above the gap at least this year. The Frying Pan and Emmons glaciers are visible upper right. Day 10, September 14, 2017 11:30 am.

Rainier is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the US and is the most glaciated in the lower 48. For those still interested, I included some pictures from the prior trip, along with excessive detail about visiting, in the June, 2017 newsletter.

Looking northwest from the Cowlitz Divide around the southeast corner of the Wonderland. The Rainier summit is to the left behind the high ridge, on which bits of several named glaciers are visible. The trail is visible lower left. 3:30 pm on the same day as the above picture.

Crossing Spray Park at the northwest corner of the Wonderland, day 5. The trail is visible at the right side of the snow field.

Foot of the Carbon Glacier on the north side of Rainier from the trail; black due to passing through a coal seam. This is the source of the Carbon River which runs northwest and joins the Puyallup River which comes from the glaciers on the west side of Rainier, and then runs to Puget Sound. Day 6.

The Emmons Glacier on the northeast side of Rainier from the trail. Day 9.

Outings: The Call of the Wild

Visit the Alamo Sierra Club Outings page on Meetup for detailed information about all of our upcoming Sierra Club Outings.

The Alamo Sierran Newsletter

Richard Alles, Editor
Published by The Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 6443, San Antonio, TX 78209, AlamoSierraClub.org.
The Alamo Group is one of 13 regional groups within the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

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