Note: Election was Nov. 6, 2007. Nope, I didn't even come close to winning. Thanks to the 2,107 voters who supported me. Next election is 16 months away - start looking for a pro-environmental alternative! Why am I running for city council? Because our city council too often overlooks environmental protection. Clean air, clean water and sustainable energy use should be central to the city. Please vote for a green Santa Barbara on November 6! Areas where we need to improve: Air pollution: Our city is dirty! Our air is below state standards. Why does it matter? Because air pollution leads to asthma, heart attacks and death. One easy and effective step to improve air quality: ENFORCE the ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers. These have been banned since a city ballot initiative in 1997 - but a ban doesn't mean much without enforcement! Gas-powered leaf blowers are terrible sources of air pollution. By themselves, they account for up to 5% of statewide particulate air pollution. They are big sources of noise pollution, too. Write to your city council - ask them to clean our air and spare our ears, by enforcing the ban on gasoline leaf blowers. If you see a user, tell them these are ILLEGAL - for good reason. Beyond gas blowers, the city should get rid of all gasoline-powered small-motor lawn tools. Taken together, they produce 10-20% of air pollution, and could be replaced with manual or electric tools. In the medium term, transportation needs to shift away from single-occupant automobiles. Gasoline prices need to fully reflect the costs of using gasoline. Construction equipment, and cargo ships in the channel, need to improve their diesel motors. Many steps are not within the city's jurisdiction. We cannot fix everything at the city level but have a duty to take action where possible. Pesticides: Why does our city still use toxic pesticides? These cause neurologic disease and cancers. We need to STOP (not reduce) our city's use of toxic herbicides and insecticides. Private properties need clear markings of pesticide-laden areas. Global warming: Can the city by itself make a significant dent in worldwide carbon dioxide output? No. But Santa Barbara can be an innovator in showing the U.S. how to improve. How? Simple and painless steps to take immediately: -Get rid of air conditioning in city buildings and public housing. (This isn't Houston - we're only talking about Santa Barbara here). -Get city workers (e.g., parking enforcement and, when feasible, police) out of their scooters and cars and onto bicycles. -Minimize out-of-town government travel (use the telephone instead). -Require efficient building. Don't use aesthetic criticisms to limit solar energy.
Who is Dan Litten? I am an internal medicine doctor. I have worked in Santa Barbara for 5 years at Cottage Hospital and Goleta Valley Hospital. I am disappointed in our city's neglect of environmental concerns and therefore am running for city council. |