Jerry Brown: Protecting our Environment


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Jerry Brown has always been on the vanguard of environmental issues. As governor he was a pioneer in expanding the use of wind, solar and geothermal power. And as Mayor of Oakland, Brown has fought for sustainability, green construction and a commitment to renewable energy. Jerry Brown has made Oakland into one of our country's top ten green cities.

    A Pioneer for Renewable Energy


  • More Solar Power than Any County in the United States: In 2005, Oakland became home to the largest corporate solar electric system in California. The Fed Ex facility at the Oakland Airport generates almost 1 megawatt of electricity—enough pollution-free solar electricity to power 900 homes. Alameda County now boasts more solar power than any other county in the nation

  • Low Cost Conservation and Solar Loans: Under Brown’s leadership, the California Public Utilities Commission ordered utilities to offer low-cost conservation and solar loans.

  • Extended Tax Credits for Solar Energy: Governor Brown extended tax credits for solar energy systems and made them more accessible to commercial users.

  • Promoted Solar Energy: Brown authorized personal income tax credits for the installation of solar-energy devices.

  • Lifted Solar Energy Restrictions: Brown made it state policy to encourage the use of solar energy and prohibited local governments from restricting the use of solar power

  • Alternative Energy Financing: Brown passed a constitutional amendment to allow the sale of bonds for installation of facilities using alternative energy sources, such as solar power, cogeneration and biomass.

  • Biomass: Brown passed the Agricultural and Forestry Residue Utilization Act, providing low interest loans to industry for biomass–to-energy projects.

    A Fighter for Clean Water


  • Clean Water/Water Conservation Law: Brown passed the Clean Water and Water Conservation Law of 1978, to pay for the prevention of water pollution, conservation, and water reclamation. The bond helped finance projects that prevented irrigation run-off water from polluting streams and rivers. The law also allocated funding for a program which installed water saving devices in household plumbing.

  • Established Drinking Water Contaminate Detection Program: Brown passed a law requiring the State Department of Health Services to establish a program to detect and monitor organic chemical contaminants in drinking water.

  • Tougher Liability for Water Polluters: Brown toughened liability for illegal discharge of liquid waste into groundwater.

  • Protecting Creeks: Under Mayor Brown, Oakland required creek protection permits for all creek side development. Mayor Brown also supported the grassroots environmental organizations dedicated to improving water quality. The Watershed Improvement Program (WIP) was created to organize community-based river cleanup campaigns known as the Creek Restoration Project. WIP also supports an Adopt-a-Creek program, provides resources to local schools, and organizes the annual Creek to Bay Day.

    Protecting California's Coastline


  • Fought Offshore Oil Drilling: Brown has fought every attempt to drill for oil off the coast of California. Brown stood up to the Reagan Administration’s plans to expand offshore oil drilling. Brown signed a law forbidding new federal leases for drilling along the California coast. Federal officials are “playing Las Vegas odds with the people’s money” with plans to sell new oil leases off the CA coast.”

  • Attacked US Offshore Oil Decisions: Governor Brown rebuked the US Interior Secretary for disregarding California’s rules restricting offshore drilling, particularly Exxon’s plans to build a floating treatment plant dangerously close to California’s ocean jurisdiction in Santa Barbara. Brown defended California’s coast saying “the environment we leave our children is too important to be caught up in this state/federal squabble.”

  • California Coastal Commission: Brown made permanent the California Coastal Commission to control shoreline development.

  • Preserved Wetlands: Under Brown California was able to acquire many coastal wetlands for preservation.

  • Restricted Offshore Oil Pipelines: Brown prohibited the placement of oil or gas pipelines across the coastal zone.

  • Made Navel Ship Basin into Park: Brown reclaimed an industrialized former naval ship basin to create Middle Harbor Shoreline Park which offers residents over forty acres of open space. The park is integrated with a 180-acre water restoration that provides habitat for species such as flatfish, anchovy, perch and Dungeness crab. The park also restored shallow water habitats that benefit migratory birds and numerous shorebirds, diving ducks, and sea birds.

  • Wetland Restoration: Under Brown’s leadership Oakland restored a 72-acre wetland which now hosts some of the most significant populations of shorebirds and waterfowl in the central bay. Over 90 bird species inhabit the area, including the federally endangered California Clapper Rail, a bird found only in San Francisco Bay salt marshes. The site also provides a habitat for California’s endangered Least Terns and Brown Pelicans which feed in the waters around the site.

    Clean Air


  • Enacted Toughest in the Nation Clean Air: Brown enacted the toughest in the nation clean air laws by cutting emissions caused by vehicles and manufacturing.

  • Increased Penalties for Air Polluters: Brown passed a law to double the fines for the violation of California’s air pollution laws.

  • Tightened Air Pollution Laws: Brown closed a loophole in air pollution laws that had previously allowed out-of-state cars to be imported which did not meet air pollution standards.

  • Required Smog Check: Governor Jerry Brown signed the groundbreaking Inspection and Maintenance bill establishing one of the first Smog Check programs in the United States. This program has achieved remarkable reductions in emissions from vehicles repaired after failing a Smog Check test.

  • Air Pollution Research: Brown funded early air pollution research in order to toughen air quality standards.

  • Fought Acid Rain: Brown signed pioneering legislation to study the effects of acid rain and find ways to limit new sources of acid rain.

  • Reducing Greenhouse Gases: Under Brown’s leadership Oakland became the second city in the nation to accept mandatory Green House Gas reductions through a program at the Chicago Climate Exchange. The City of Oakland set a goal to reduce green house gases by 15% before 2010, which exceeds Kyoto green house gas reduction targets.

  • Passed a Green Fleet Resolution: In response to a statewide call from the American Lung Association, the City of Oakland passed a Green Fleet Resolution in 2003. The resolution requires government staff to purchase the cleanest vehicles available for municipal fleets. To date, 14% of the City's fleet uses alternative fuels including: compressed natural gas, propane and electric. Oakland has installed a compressed natural gas fueling station at the airport and is scheduled to build two additional hydrogen fueling stations.

  • Port Recognized for Outstanding Green Practices: The Port of Oakland was recognized by the Alameda County Green Business Program for outstanding Green practices and programs under Brown’s leadership. The Green Business Program is a partnership of environmental compliance agencies and professional associations that certify businesses as green based upon proven reductions in pollution and the conservation of energy and water.

    Controlling Waste


  • Superfund Cleanup: As Governor, Brown made available 100 million dollars to clean up superfund sites and toxic dumps such as the McCall Dump in Orange County, as well as 83 hazardous waste dumps in California.

  • Promoting Green Collar Employment: Brown collaborated with the City of Berkeley to create a Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) to develop markets for products made from post-consumer waste materials and generate green collar jobs.

  • Oakland’s Ballpark Uses Renewables: Under Brown’s leadership Oakland Coliseum became the first ballpark in the United States to use bioplastic cups. Constructed entirely from cornstarch, these items biodegrade within 40 days and eliminate Oakland Coliseum’s need for Styrofoam and plastic. The Coliseum has become a model for the nation, prompting other parks such as SBC Park in San Francisco adopt Oakland’s bold new waste diversion program.

  • Increasing Residential Recycling Programs: Brown started a new weekly residential recycling program and one-cart recycling service, which has resulted in a 50% increase in residential recycling from 20004.

  • Litter Law Enforcement: Brown’s Litter Enforcement team has cited and removed 5,000 abandoned vehicles from city streets and cited 1,540 illegal dumping cases, resulting in a 13% decrease in illegal dumping.

  • Mitigated Hazardous Material Incidents: Under Brown’s leadership, the Oakland Fire Department (OFD) has successfully mitigated hundreds of hazardous materials incidents. The Haz Mat team responds to approximately
    2,000 hazardous materials related calls per year.

    Green Building


  • Green Building Resource Center: Brown’s Green Building Resource Center, established in 2000, serves as a clearinghouse to assist builders with green building strategies, city-backed incentives to use safe nontoxic
    building materials, and energy efficiency guidelines.

  • Award-Winning Reputation: In 2005 Oakland was named one of America’s “Top Ten Green Cities” in two prominent national guides: greenguide.com and sustainlane.com

  • Cost Saving Environmental Policy: Brown’s green building standards are saving developers thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars by recycling concrete, floor tiles and other materials which previously were dumped in the landfill.

    Protecting Open Space for Future Generations


  • Preserving Lake Tahoe for Future Generations: Brown passed a bond that allowed California preserve land around Lake Tahoe for future generations by buying land where development would adversely affect the natural environment and to provide more lakeshore access to the public for wildlife habitat and recreation.

  • Safeguarded California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers: Brown protected our wild and scenic rivers by making them part of the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers System which prevented future development from damaging California’s rivers.

  • Restored Salmon and Steelhead Runs: Brown restored hundreds of miles of Salmon and Steelhead runs on California rivers.

  • Protected Marsh Land: Brown acquired “green belt” property in the vicinity of the Suisun Marsh in Solano County. Governor signed legislation yesterday appropriating $2 million for acquisition of “green belt” property in the vicinity of Suisun Marsh in Solano County.

  • Established the California Coastal Conservancy: Brown established the California Coastal Conservancy to acquire and protect coastal areas.

  • Expanded Parks and Wilderness Areas: Brown added over 700,000 acres to the State Park System and protected over 500,000 acres as wilderness.

  • Created Renewable Resources Investment Fund: Brown created the Renewable Resource Investment Fund to restore salmon fishery stocks, develop wood energy projects and create water conservation and reclamation projects.

  • Removed Tidal Flow Constrictions: Brown earmarked over $70 million to remove tidal water flow constrictions along the Lake Merritt Channel, improve water quality and restore animal habitats.

  • Created the Santa Monica Mountains Planning Commission: Brown signed a bill establishing the Santa Monica Mountains Planning Commission.

  • Constructed Nature Trails: Brown constructed nature trails along the estuary waterfront to provide continuous public access from Jack London Square to Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park. These parks ensure that natural watersheds remain protected while also allowing citizens to appreciate Oakland’s natural beauty.

  • Funded Reforestation: Brown embarked on a major program of reforestation with funds derived from geothermal revenues and natural gas revenues.

  • Tree Planting: Under Brown’s leadership Oakland has planted more than 3,424 trees and will increase the net number of trees around Lake Merritt by 52%.

    Energy and Recycling:


  • Established Energy Efficiency Standards: Brown created the country's first building and appliance energy efficiency standards.

  • Created Pioneering Recycling Programs: Brown developed innovative recycling programs to reuse paper, motor oil, metal and glass.

  • Promoted Cogeneration Technology and Resource Recovery: Brown signed a bill to promote important energy efficiency technologies including cogeneration and resource recovery projects.

  • Fought to Regulate Oil Companies: Brown outlined a program for taxing and regulating the petroleum industry in the state, saying its time
    California ended its ‘love affair’ with oil companies. Brown’s program included an excess profits tax, abolition of oil depletion allowances, and establishment of a state energy corporation to “allocate fuel, collect petroleum data, and plan for future energy needs” (San Francisco Chronicle). He also called for a “truth in energy act” that would assure the public complete information about oil reserves and prices.

Sierra Club California say Poochigian's anti-environment record makes him "Unfit"


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