EL CERRITO -- The city has drafted a plan to make itself more
energy efficient and contribute to the reduction in greenhouse
gases released into the environment. The document, nearly seven
years in the making and released Tuesday, aims to meet a City
Council mandate to reduce greenhouse emissions from city and
private sources from 2005 levels by 15 percent in 2020 and 30
percent by 2035. City government has the regulatory power to
control its own emissions. However, reducing emissions from
residents will come through education about actions some are
already taking, such as insulating attics, purchasing low-
consumption Energy Star appliances, reducing the number of miles
driven per day and taking part in the city's recycling and
composting programs, said Maria Sanders, an environmental
analyst with the city. "Most of the strategies are what people
are doing for other reasons, such as taking public
transportation to work," Sanders said. "People will be replacing
old furnaces that are at the end of their useful