Sustainable San Mateo County: 2006 Indicator's Report
On Saturday, April 8, Sustainable San Mateo County released the 2006 edition of "Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County: A Yearly Report Card" at the Progress Seminar, a countywide leadership conference. The report, which evaluates 31 indicators of the sustainability of our communities' health, strives to educate our citizens and leaders about sustainable thinking so that someday we will meet our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Highlighted this year are progress reports from 19 local cities and the County. The 2006 Report also includes a 10-year trend analysis of fundamental indicators. The report and executive summary are available online at www.sustainablesanmateo.org/index.cfm or can be ordered in hard copy by contacting 650-638-2323 or advocate@sustainablesanmateo.org. Presentations of the reports findings are available.
Key challenges and accomplishments from the 2006 report include:- Unaffordable housing: The lack of affordable housing remains one of the county's most challenging issues.
- Rise in crime: After earlier progress, the major crime rate is increasing; it is up 13% in the past five years.
- Global warming: Carbon emissions in the county have increased 8 percent in the last 10 years, but to reverse the effects of climate change we will need at least a 60 percent reduction by 2050.
- Concentrated poverty: More than one-third of county residents earn less than the 'self-sufficiency' level.
- Obesity on the rise: 25% of public school students in grades five, seven, and nine in San Mateo County were overweight or obese in 2004, up 5% from just three years ago, and double the rate from 1980.
- Improved community health: The premature death rate has dropped 35 percent over the past 10 years.
- Lower unemployment: The economy has recovered over the past 2 years, as unemployment has dropped from 5.1% in 2003 to 4.3% in 2005.
- Enhanced water quality: Drinking water quality has improved markedly with the switch to the disinfectant, chloramine, with the levels of TTHMs, a potential carcinogen, down 25%.
- Fewer contaminated properties: The number of leaking underground storage tanks has declined by more than half in 10 years.
This year's report, the Tenth Anniversary Edition, contains expanded features. Principal among these are one-page reports from each of the cities and the County detailing their sustainability efforts.
Highlights include:
- Green Building standards are achieving wide acceptance, helping to conserve natural resources.
- Transit-oriented development is central to most cities' planning efforts.
- An affordable housing element is now a part of most cities' housing requirements for multi-unit developments.
- Recycled water for landscaping is gaining acceptance in many parts of the county.
The report also includes an executive summary, and 10-year trends where available.
Some of these include:
- Per pupil spending in our schools is up 29%.
- While population increased 7%, water use is up by 18%.
- The family income needed to afford a median-priced home is up 137%.
About SSMC
Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) is dedicated to the long-term health of our county's economy, social equity and the environment by educating about sustainability. Every year SSMC publishes an indicators report aimed at raising awareness of sustainability issues in our county and improving our ability to make sound decisions for the benefit of future generations. It is the only countywide report that tracks major economic, social, and environmental issues in one document.
In addition to publishing the indicators report, SSMC hosts an annual Sustainability Awards program to recognize San Mateo County businesses, community groups, and individuals that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to bringing sustainable practices to their work.
To learn more about what you can do to improve San Mateo County's sustainability, visit SSMC's website www.sustainablesanmateo.org.