On Earth Day, April 22, the City of Oakland's Sustainability Office release its draft Energy and Climate Action Plan, an ambitious effort to reduce Oakland's greenhouse gas emissions by 36% below 2005 levels in the next 10 years.

The plan, some 80 pages, covers a range of actions such as transportation, land use, building efficiency, waste reduction/recycling, and community engagement. There are some tough targets here, such as reducing overall vehicle miles traveled by 20% even as the city's population is likely to grow. Or cutting annual electricity use by 32% through conservation and energy use.

But the plan also suggests that some of these challenges might be opportunities to improve Oakland: reducing asthma because of fewer cars and trucks; more exercise as people walk and bike more; and more local jobs to make all that efficiency and green energy happen.

Will it all come to pass? We'll see. And you can find out more by attending a public meeting on May 6.

There's one from 3 to 5 p.m. and another from 7-9. Both are at 1515 Clay St., Meeting Room 1, in Oakland.

Find out more by downloading a copy of the report. It's surprisingly readable and well organized.