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Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates |
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Berkeley Mayor Powers on With Climate Strategies
by Barbara Crane
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates has a unique opportunity to address global
climate change. A year ago voters overwhelmingly voted “yes” on Measure G,
giving him a mandate to devise a plan that would cut the city’s greenhouse
gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.
Green Technology recently spoke with the Mayor about Measure G and the
proposals being advanced to achieve the 2050 goal.
Green Technology: Why did the City of
Berkeley
put Measure G on the ballot?
Mayor Bates: In 2006 I attended a meeting on global warming at
Sundance in Utah
led by Robert Redford and the mayor of
Salt Lake City, Robert Anderson. I was armed with the gravity of
the problem as a result of that meeting and decided to do everything I
could to make
Berkeley a model for other cities to follow.
We began thinking about how we could inform people about the issue of
global warming in a very cost effective way. We decided to put it on the
ballot because it would be distributed to all 69,000 voters and was
certain to stimulate debate. A ballot measure would also determine if
there was a consensus for action. We got an overwhelming vote—81 percent
in favor of the mayor coming up with a plan. That gives me the opportunity
to move as aggressively as I can, given the support of the electorate.
Green Technology: What individuals, agencies or groups have you
been working with on climate protection strategies?
Mayor Bates: I’m working with the Alameda County Mayors
Association, of which I’m past-president. The then-mayor of
San Leandro, Sheila Young, and Roberta Cooper, the mayor of
Hayward, , also
attended the Sundance session. We encouraged all 14 cities in Alameda
County to join
ICLEI
[the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives] and
work together on the issue of climate change.
Green Technology: Do you see these partnerships as integral to the
success of Berkeley's plans?
Mayor Bates: Yes, I do. I should mention that I was uniquely
positioned because I serve on the
San Francisco County Air Quality Management District.
I also serve on the
Bay Conservation and Development District,
which deals with water issues, and on the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
I’ve pushed all the regional organizations to do something about
climate change. That’s happening. They’ve come together as a joint policy
committee, which I serve on, and they’re looking at ways of dealing in a
coordinated way with global warming and climate change in the San
Francisco Bay region.
Green Technology: How did your commitment to reducing greenhouse
gas emissions begin?
I started with my own private life. I’m married to Loni Hancock, the
assemblywoman from this area. We have a solar photovoltaic roof on our
house and a hybrid car. I walk to work whenever I can. We wash our clothes
in cold water and recycle everything in sight.
Green Technology: What's your long-term vision for Berkeley?
Mayor Bates: I would love for Berkeley to be a carbon-free city.
I’d like to show people that we can reach the 80 percent reduction in
greenhouse gas sooner than 2050 and help people understand that living
simply increases the quality of life.
Green Technology: Do you think these goals are achievable?
Mayor Bates: Yes. We have a goal of zero waste. Can we get there?
Probably not. But it’s a great goal. It makes people think about how to do
things differently, like pre-cycle rather than recycle. You don’t buy
products that use excess packaging. Use your own grocery bags at the
store. I think we have to realize that the Earth is literally in crisis.
If we care about this planet, if we care about the future, we have to live
differently and still have a good quality of life. For example, I walk to
work. It’s the only time I really get exercise. That’s important for my
own health. I eat fresh, locally grown food. That’s not a diminishment of
my quality of life, it’s an enhancement.
Green Technology: Cities are notoriously strapped for money. How do
you pursue these goals on a tight budget?
Mayor Bates: We’re trying to incorporate the idea of greening our
city into the whole fabric of our city government. We buy recycled paper.
We try to recycle rather than throwing things away. We have a wonderful
workforce. We’ll train them to come up with new ideas and use them to make
the work place greener.
We’ve also been very fortunate. The San Francisco Foundation has recently
given us a grant to do some of the social marketing we want to do with the
residents. We’re in the process of announcing a grant from the EPA of
$160,000 to finish development of our solar financing program. We’re also
going to write a how-to guide for other cities to establish this program.
Green Technology: Is there advice you’d give to other mayors or
citizens who feel passionately about this issue and haven’t been able to
get things moving?
Mayor Bates: First, they need to live their own lives in a way that
sets an example. Secondly, it’s important that leaders are brave and bold
and come up with ideas they can present to the general public about
strategies to move forward on global climate change. People know there’s a
problem and they want solutions. They need to push their officials at the
local and state levels to put forward programs that can make a
difference.
Green Technology: Have the citizens of
Berkeley
stepped up to the plate?
Mayor Bates: We’ve had over a thousand suggestions from our
community. Now we’re trying to figure out what’s practical and workable.
It’s a lot of fun to come to work every day!
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