Dedication
Our founder Marcia Pagels was inspired by the term, “Think Globally, Act Locally.” The result of that inspiration was the first edition of Sustainable San Mateo County’s Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County, released in May 1997.
Today, as we reflect on global events of the past year involving both manmade and natural disasters, we are also reminded of the very local tragedy in San Bruno. Our heartfelt love and concern goes out to those affected by the incident as does our gratitude for those who responded in a great time of need. We would like to dedicate this 15th annual edition of the Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County to the people of San Bruno and to those who supported the community in the days and months after.
About this Report
This is the fifteenth annual edition of Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County report! This report tracks data on 30 different “indicators,” or trends, each of which affects the health and prosperity of our county. It also highlights actions cities in the county are taking to move toward a more sustainable future.
The purpose of this annual report is to stimulate a communitywide dialogue about the long-term health of the county. A reflection of the wide range of issues facing our community, it covers diverse topics such as child care availability and water quality, disaster preparedness and community health. Taken together, each indicator shares a common thread: they all impact the economy, environment, and social equity of our community—the so called “triple bottom line” of sustainability. Propelled by the philosophy that
“what gets measured gets managed,” this report aims to both educate the community about sustainability and bring the concept of sustainability into the mainstream of countywide decision making.
Though this is our fifteenth consecutive year in print, each year we add or subtract indicators, based on the availability of data and the level of interest within the community. The exclusion of any indicators that have been analyzed in previous editions does not reflect our belief that those indicators are no longer important, but rather the unavailability of new data or lack of print space to accommodate them.
This report would not be possible without the dedication of dozens of local volunteers, each of whom gave many hours of their valuable time and energy. They research, edit, and layout the pages that follow. We are extremely grateful for their assistance and the financial contributions of our sponsors.
View or download the entire 2011 Indicators Report here.
To view and download individual sections of the report visit our Sustainability Hub here.
To receive a hard copy of the report please call 650-638-2323 or
email adrienne@sustainablesanmateo.org with your address.