The 2% Solution Videocast

Our Frienemy, Technology (The Robots Can’t Save Us)

Yesterday, I waxed eloquent about the amazing possibilities of utilizing emerging technologies to fuel the sustainability zeitgeist.

This evening, at the kickoff event for Focus the Nation, I was reminded that technology is not our savior, just another imperfect tool.

The Veteran’s Memorial Theatre was crowded with over 100 people at 4:45pm to view The 2% Solution.  I was impressed by the mix of ages in the crowd.  After a few opening comments by the dignitaries, a short film highlighting the importance of bike-friendly communities was viewed.  Usually, those films bore me to tears, but this one featured good editing, European towns that you could swear were Davis, and the kind of lively French pop-music that makes the most serious Anglophiles reach for the Champagne and Brie.  Then, technology struck a low blow.

As Mitch Sears, City of Davis Sustainability Program Coordinator, gamely filled time by answering questions from the audience, we watched on the big screen as a tech person attempted over and over to load the live webcast.  Eventually, they gave up.  By 5:30 half of the crowd had left.  At 6:00pm, while Sid England of UC Davis & Mitch Sears spoke of their respective sustainability programs, the crowd had dwindled to 20 people.

Here is a quick rundown of comments by the presenters interspersed with a few comments:

“How do we get people out of their cars?” – Mitch Sears

How, indeed.  It’s nothing less than a major cultural change that we are seeking to rethink our daily transportation choices.  Some of the ideas bandied about were: beefing up Unitrans service while the students are gone, extending Unitrans service to more areas outside of the core, and encouraging Car Share programs.  I would also like to add the idea of work shuttles from Woodland, West Sacramento & Sacramento.  Instead of building massive new parking structures, follow the lead of Google and provide luxury bus service for faculty and staff.

“We must re-energize innovation in this community, but how do we go about paying for these actions?” – Mitch Sears.

We often talk about luring high-tech companies to town, but how about encouraging cottage industries that focus on green solutions?  The city could provide ready access to a living laboratory of 60,000 people by enacting priority purchasing programs for local, small, green entrepreneurs.

“The University of CA has committed to using 10 megawatts of local, renewable energy by 2014… reducing carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020… and by the year 2020, no operations waste to the landfill.” – Sid England, UC Davis.

Can’t wait to hear more… We must address the problem of landfill waste sooner rather than later.  The business sector, especially downtown restaurants have a long way to go on this one.

Other than the frustration of technical difficulties, I’d say that the gathering was a success by the numbers of participants during working hours on the first sunny day in a week.  Let’s hope that at future civic engagement events, the humans can outsmart the computers.

Stay tuned for more from the City of Davis CAT (Climate Action Team) and SAT (Science Advisory Team) in the coming months.  Hope to see you on campus tomorrow…

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Oh, I almost forgot, the fun stuff: DALEBRITY SIGHTINGS!!

Mayor Sue Greenwald, in her signature big hat and bundled up in a blanket.
Mayor Pro Tem Ruth Asmundson, driving her GEM after the event.

Councilperson Stephen Souza

Councilperson Don Saylor

Sydney Vergis, Tree Commissioner, recently elected Chair of the Yolo County Young Democrats, and City Council candidate

Send your Dalebrity Sightings (political or otherwise) to: tips@davisvoice.com