Earth Day comes once a year and as with a lot of fun fare on this day - everyone becomes Green, what ever that means and then as the next day comes along, and the other days on the year - it is mostly business as usual.

We are some what fortunate to have some sensible environmental advocates here in San Francisco.

This year there will be a drought. The snow pack is weak and we will be forced to ration water. Some 2.4 million customers that get their water from Hetch Hetchy in the Bayarea - we will have to conserve. But, it is a good idea to conserve every single day and get used to this habit.

About twenty percent of the water is used personally - meaning in homes. But the rest is used by industries, large facilities, the government is included. SF City Hall wastes a lot of water - go to the rest room and see the water fall for yourself.

Now, here is San Francisco we have over 1900 miles of clean water pipes. Most of the pipes are over 75 years old and leaking. Now, think about it - millions of gallons are leaching into the watershed. The same holds true of the waste water pipes some 900 miles and over 75 years old and leaking.

Consider what the dumb Susan Leal and the San Francisco Public Utilities is doing about this issue?

With Global Warming we will have a weaker snow pack every single year. Do you think as part of the Hetch Hetchy project - it would be better to create a larger capacity to hold the pure Hetch Hetchy water right where the water is contained?

Earth day means many things to many people.

Suddenly for a day - everyone become green and joins in the fad of the day or the week. This may help introduce some youth and children to better ways. But what do you make of the adults?

Just in case some of you have not noticed - the many frogs that we once had in San Francisco are gone. I love the Chorus Frogs. Once we had millions - now some hundreds and diminishing.

Thousands of other species have vanished.

For sure the Ohlone knew them by name and respected these species. Not, so the strangers that practice some fake reverence for the Earth on one day and then resort to pollution and other strange ways of hurting the Earth - the rest of the year.

Our Lakes, rivers, streams, the Bay was clean - lots of Abalone, shrimps, herrings, salmon, and so on. Now, they are all gone.

The bees are dwindling and some say it is because of the cell phones.

It could be from radiation and the source could come from anywhere. Daily we all are victims of radiation. The few brainy scientists will figure the mystery soon.

Bees help produce fruit by spreading the pollen and are a key part of the food chain - from wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, you name it. Consider if we have no bees - how will a task so important to nature - be carried out.

The fruit , produce, agriculture business - a trillion dollar business will suffer and may be our senses will response for the better.

Climate Change is affecting produce all over the world. If agriculture suffers - millions will die. Add to that the lack of clean drinking water and you can imagine the suffering.

Here is San Francisco we have the best water and we continue to waste it.

Imagine using Hetch Hetchy water to flush our toilet? This is a crying shame.

It is simply wrong to waste so much pure water the best in the world without any accountability.
Not so much the customer but SF Public Utilities Commission and its foolish leaders - leading the pack Susan Leal who makes $300,000 a year, is surrounded by some Berber Women and gives a hoot to the public at large.

Solar, is cool and clean energy and bio-fuels are all fine. As much as we may tout wind, wave, and solar - they will make up a smaller percentage of energy then what we can get from nuclear or fossil fuel.

Climate change will affect produce and that includes corn and other grasses that can be genetically changes to produce an energy end product. But, first be must have some control of Climate Change and that is NOT happening.

I am not for fossil fuel but there is no way we can create the huge percentage of the energy we use in a couple of years from corn and other such sources.

As the years go by - we will need more energy - but we must have control of the transmission lines.

In San Francisco Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) has control of the transmission lines.

Our Board of Supervisors (BOS) and Tom Ammiano has control of his mouth - but out it spews diatribe far most dangerous then the worst particulates emitting from the worst fossil fuel - power plant.

Tom Ammiano has NO clue about Energy issues. Prodded by some vested interests like Paul Finn - Tom continues to speak from both sides of his mouth.

San Francisco must demand better newer transmission lines with San Francisco - to complement the Jefferson- Martin Transmission Line and the one from Potrero to Hunters Point to Larkin an underground brand new transmission line.

We should back the transmission line - under the Bay from the East Bay to Potrero that will be our only transmission line in case there is a Big One - that adversely impacts all our transmission line now coming from the South.

The proposed 3 Combustion Turbines proposed to be placed near Pier 80 is a bad idea. If this City is Green - we should NOT use fossil fuel Combustion Turbines that produce PM 2.5 - very dangerous to the health of human beings and others.

Also, the second effluents used to cool this 3 small power plants produce dangerous pathogens. This Earth Day let us make a commitment to fight Susan Leal and her EVIL ways. Fight Mayor Gavin Newsom who understands less about the Environment and is involved in Extra Curricula Activities - dubious in nature.

These 3 Combustion Turbines are old and have been stored since 2000 in a ware house in Texas at a cost of $250,000 per year. So much for accountability. Dump these fossil fuel Combustion Turbines - now.

Aaron Peskin, Sophie Maxwell, Susan Leal and Dennis Herrera favor these toxic spewing dangerous small power plants that well emit very dangerous PM-2.5 and kill innocent people.

Anyone working near Pier 80 and all those traveling on 3rd Street near the small power plants will be adversely affected. The original site was Dog Patch - but the White Folks chose to move the dangerous 3 power plants closer to Pier 80 and Bayview Hunters Point.

Earth Day is every day.

Remember, some fools destroyed what once was pristine. The First People genuinely respect Mother Earth. They also respected the Buffalo and all of God's creatures.

They were NOT materialistic and that is what we should learn.

We must leave this Earth a better place for others. We are the care takers and it is wrong for us to waste and pollute. While most citizens of San Francisco pollute less - our City and County of San Francisco is a big culprit - pollutes and wastes.

Foremost SF Public Utilities Commission polluting our water shed. The Bay with will half-treated sewage. Emitting flares containing dangerous particulates and other toxins right in the middle of a residential area - in the Bayview.

Where have all the bees gone in Earth Day?

Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy