2003
SILICON VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL INDEX SHOWS MIXED PROGRESS
Fossil
Fuel Use, Population Growth, and Species Protection Remain Key Challenges
The
Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership (SVEP) has released the 2003 Silicon Valley Environmental Index, a report highlighting
environmental trends in Silicon Valley. The report depicts mixed progress:
slightly more than half of the 19 indicators used to measure key environmental
factors show a positive or stabilized trend, while the others show the
reversal of a positive trend or a negative one.
Although
the findings show a slight overall improvement since the report was
first published in 1999, persistent challenges remain including the
need to reduce use of fossil fuels, stabilize population growth, and
protect vulnerable plant and animal species and their habitats.
"These
indicators can be a tool for better understanding the quality of our
environment and tracking changes over time," said Blanca Alvarado, Chair
of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. "In this way, we can
identify and prioritize the actions we can each take-as citizens, public
agencies, and corporate organizations-to reverse environmental decline
and ultimately bring about environmental restoration."
"We
have found the SVEP report to be useful in gauging how well our environmental
programs fit into the overall environmental profile of the region,"
said Ken Sutherland, EHS Audit Manager for Hewlett-Packard Company.
Key
challenges which have tended to worsen include energy use (electricity,
natural gas, and gasoline) increasing 28 percent from 1986 to 2000,
and carbon emissions-a significant greenhouse gas contributor-climbing
41 percent during the same period. Population in Silicon Valley grew
by nearly one-third over the past two decades to over 2.3 million, with
89 percent of the increase attributed to a dramatic rise in births as
opposed to migration. The Valley continued to lose land to development,
and that, along with additional projects proposed or underway, placed
increasing pressure on the 158 endangered, threatened, and other rare
species in Santa Clara County. Use of the most toxic pesticides (excluding
residential use) also increased after falling for several years.
However,
the report also indicates a positive trend for many indicators. Because
of a recent land deal between Cargill Salt and the State of California,
there is hope of restoring many of the Valley's diminished tidal marshes
and wetlands areas. Less hazardous waste is being generated and toxic
releases from manufacturers have stabilized. The number of vehicle
miles traveled in Silicon Valley decreased slightly after a three-year
climb. Water use, garbage disposal, and the percentage of solo drivers
have also stabilized.
"While
we are pleased to see a number of indicators shift in a more positive
direction, we need to carefully monitor these trends to make sure the
environmental improvements are firmly on track and not just a short-term
anomaly," said SVEP Board member, Deborah Clark. "We also need much
greater consensus and focus within the community to reverse the negative
trends."
SVEP
Board Chair, Peter Melhus stated, "The purpose of the Environmental
Index report is to increase understanding of critical environmental
factors among community and business leaders, as well as residents,
workers, and others in Silicon Valley. The indicators are an important
tool to foster more informed decision-making affecting the health and
long-term sustainability of this region."
The
2003 Index is the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort involving
representatives from the environmental community, business, government,
and academia who comprise SVEP's board and advisory board, as well as
numerous other individuals and organizations who have provided expertise.
As
communities grow more sophisticated in addressing regional issues, collaboratively-generated
indicators have become an increasingly common tool to measure environmental,
economic, and social health. Two other indicators reports include Joint
Venture's 2003 Index of Silicon Valley and Bay Area Indicators: Measuring Progress Towards Sustainability by the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities. These reports
look more broadly at civic, social, economic, environmental and other
issues to help to understand the state of our local and regional health.
The
Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
promoting environmentally-sound business and community practices through
collaboration and education. The 2003 Index is available online at www.svep.org, including instructions on how to
adapt the indicators for other regions and suggested actions individuals
and organizations can take to improve performance on each environmental
indicator. (The media can access the report and accompanying documents
before the February 3 release date at http://www.svep.org/secure/, user name svep, password indicator.)
To obtain a hard copy of the report, email Emily Hust at eethust816@yahoo.com. SVEP will present highlights at various venues, including to the Silicon Valley business and governmental communities at the Annual Silicon Valley Environmental, Health and Safety Conference on February 27 in Foster City. Information about the February 27 conference is available at www.piba.org under the link "events".
