Letter from Our CEO

April 2021

The end of April marks the 100th day of the Biden-Harris administration. The steady, focused, and competent roll-out of executive orders, administrative actions, and the passage of the American Rescue Plan have demonstrated how much elections matter.

On April 15, Californians age 16 and over will have access to the COVID-19 vaccine (have you registered on the MyTurnCA website?). We are on a path toward economic recovery that promises a historic shift towards a more just, and racially, economically, and socially equitable society. We can start to imagine a new, better normal that boldly addresses public health, gender and racial equality, economic justice, and the threat of climate change.

The Biden-Harris’ infrastructure plan acknowledges that we need a comprehensive program to move the country forward. As vaccinations allow the Administration to turn toward other policy priorities, it will be important to ensure that our country tackles the inequalities underscored by this last traumatic year.

So here are a few guiding principles I’d like to see guide our path forward. First, like President Biden’s clean energy plan, let’s connect our strategies to combat climate change to our economic recovery, and put to bed the tired false dichotomy of going green vs. economic prosperity. Here in California, where many still face economic uncertainty, a green recovery plan can put people back to work building infrastructure needed for cleaner vehicles, protecting and restoring our public lands, and ensuring that all communities have access to basic human rights like clean water.

Second, we need to focus our investments and policies on the communities that have been the hardest hit during the pandemic, and that have suffered the most from systemic racism. Racial equity and economic and environmental justice are core issues that require immediate attention. As we map out investments and infrastructure projects, let’s place the highest priority on enhancing communities that are home to the people who couldn’t work from home, couldn’t afford to miss work, or had to shutter their small businesses – the folks who picked, processed and delivered the food and packages that made it possible for so many of us to shelter-in-place. The communities that suffer from poor air quality, a lack of access to green space, unsafe water, and limited good-paying job opportunities should receive the first and largest investments in our new clean energy future. Those investment must come with targeted, well-designed local hiring policies and programs to build middle class career pathways for youth, women, immigrants, and low-income people of color.

The good news is that focusing on justice also happens to be exceptionally cost-effective. When climate change investments tackle broader issues such as workforce development, racial equity, and environment justice, taxpayer dollars pack a powerful punch (that’s technical superhero talk for a larger multiplier effect) that truly leads toward a more prosperous future for all.

Here in California, we’re working hard to ensure that investments in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and EV purchase subsidies are designed to focus the greatest benefits on low-income residents. This will make it easier to transition to the cars of the future at the accelerated pace necessary to turn back the tide on climate change. Likewise, we’re singularly dedicated to pushing for zero-emission freight transportation that lessens the impact of shipping and delivering all those online purchases on low-income communities in places like the Inland Empire, the Central Valley, and Los Angeles’ 710 Freeway Corridor.

Third, our green, inclusive recovery must include investing in the stewardship and preservation of our public lands and open space.  Addressing our backlog of maintenance projects and facilities at our National Parks, partnering with tribal communities on forest management, and restoring wetlands, streams, and watersheds can spread the benefits of economic recovery to rural as well as suburban and urban communities, while connecting people to the healing power of open space. Once again, by designing effective workforce programs as part of these investments, we can help young people and others from underserved communities find jobs that lead to middle class careers in the outdoors. Our green, inclusive recovery can recruit and nurture a corps of diverse stewards of our treasured spaces.

Lastly, let’s tap into new ways that California can lead in clean energy. The Salton Sea is the state’s largest remaining wetland and an untapped resource to develop geothermal resources and harvest lithium for a clean energy future. By investing in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys we can create good jobs, while restoring habitat and improving air quality through dust suppression. This is yet another example of an innovative project that can once again put California in a leadership position for a new era.

There is no time to lose in moving toward a greener future. Those of us in the movement know that this is the time to dream big. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change direction in the way we power our economy and the power we use to lift everyone up in our society.  We can’t be shy about our wish list, and even less timid in our advocacy to make it all possible. Let’s rebuild our country into a place worthy of our descendants.