some details to be worked out, but I’ve got a proposal on my desk. I want to get this on the ballot as soon as possible.”

Mayor Newsom and environmental director Jared Blumenfeld are quick to point out that slowing down climate change is not a competition. If another city comes up with a new program, they want to learn about it. Here are some of the innovations in other world cities that have inspired the mayor and his team:

reykjavik, iceland The city relies on hydropower and geothermal energy for its heat, electricity, and hot water needs. “Their ability to leverage local, nontraditional energy sources has inspired us to to examine the power of the bay’s tides,” says Blumenfeld.

london, england Former mayor Ken Livingstone imposed a congestion/emission tax on
cars driving into the city’s central business area. Cars with the highest emissions, such as
4 x 4s and high-powered sports cars, are hit with the highest rates, while those with the lowest
emissions (hybrids and electric vehicles) can drive free.

< Copenhagen, denmark Some 36 percent of this city’s residents bike to work. The city recently doubled its cycling budget, with more money going toward improving bike paths and overall biking infrastructure.

Bringing people together Whether it’s a case of prohibiting the city and county of San Francisco from purchasing bottled water with city money or buying an all-electric Tesla automobile, Newsom is willing to lead by example. “We’re going to need everyone to join in—the private sector, the federal government, the fiscal conservatives, and the progressive environmentalists,” he says. “It’s actually an exciting time. We live in an exciting region where everyone has great ideas. That’s my job—finding those groundbreaking ideas and doing my best to help them along.” 0

Singapore Extensive land-use planning has earned this island city-state a reputation as Asia’s leader at controlling industrial pollution and congestion while conserving local fresh water sources and an old-growth tropical rainforest, and integrating green design into new high-rise developments.

Want to take some quick and easy steps to protect the environment?

Berlin, Germany Mayor Newsom often says that he’d like San Francisco to “become the Berlin of the U.S.,” a reference to the German city as a leader in the solar technology industry.

GRANT DOuGAll

Go to simplesteps.org, where the Natural Resources Defense Council breaks it down according to how much time people want to spend— a minute, a morning, or a month.