Pushing the Limits: EcoBlock Senior Advisor Weighs in on Historic California Heatwave

SF Chronicle: California is no stranger to warm weather—but with record-breaking heat waves plaguing the Golden State, the risk of rolling blackouts is at an all-time high. Dr. Alexandra “Sascha” von Meier, who serves as senior advisor to the EcoBlock Energy team, shares her expertise with the SF Chronicle regarding this state of emergency.

Regarding California’s voluntary power cuts, Sascha says: “It’s very much a choice between: Do we want to do this gracefully with everybody chipping in and being responsible, or does it have to come to the rolling blackouts, which is really an inelegant way to forcibly reduce our demand? It’s really a matter of, ‘Let’s not point fingers with blame.’ Let’s be practical about here we are, here’s what we have to work with. We can totally make this work without people getting hurt.”

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Getting Off Gas, Block by Block

Despite its complexities, block-level decommissioning is likely more effective than an individual, house-by-house approach, offering untapped economies of scale that can be replicated across California. Dr. Therese Peffer provides insight into the challenges of pruning gas at the neighborhood block scale and its implications for the Oakland EcoBlock project.

Guest Talk by Benjamin Jones: How Harmful is Indoor Air? (July 31)

Curious about the effects of indoor air on human health and well-being? UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment will host a guest talk by Professor Benjamin Jones from the University of Nottingham on July 31 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm PT. This is a hybrid in-person and online event.