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Climate,the Green New Deal, and California Fires

Here is my policy overview on climate change.
Here is my policy overview on prevention of California fires.
Watch the 2020 debate - on the climate change topic

In 2020 - Four million acres, 112 million tons of greenhouse gases, thousands of lightning strikes, 11 million gallons of fire retardant. And 31 lost lives, with more than 100,000 having to evacuate from their homes. This is an exponential increase compared to 2019 when ~100,000 acres burned down in California. Many urban communities today are feeling the threat of evacuation and fire. Our droughts and dry conditions have exacerbated the problem.
Watch the 2020 debate - on the climate change topic

Recently, we have seen rollbacks on environmental measures in the United States, and restrictive climate policies weakened around the globe. Now more than ever, we need the Green New Deal. Climate change is the most urgent issue of our time. The science is clear: global temperatures continue to rise, and the world is already experiencing more intense hurricanes, deadly heat waves, wildfires, and droughts. We must take a three-pronged approach to the battle against climate change:

  • Mitigate: We must find ways to reduce the effects of human activities on the environment by seeking cleaner, more efficient energy sources for our homes and businesses. As your Congressman, I will encourage government investment in renewable energy infrastructure and promote energy-efficient manufacturing in business. My high-speed transportation vision for the Silicon Valley Megaregion will provide an eco-friendly alternative to driving, reducing pollution and traffic congestion in the greater Bay Area.
  • Restore: We must take steps to protect and revitalize green spaces in our community and around the nation. Forests and wetlands not only clean our air and water, but they also provide the most cost-effective solution to quell rising temperatures. To avoid these excessive future expenses, we must act now to restore and protect nature within our communities. A mature tree planted on the south side of a building can reduce cooling and heating costs by 10 to 30%, as well as absorb carbon emissions and provide aesthetic beauty. Planting trees is good, but rather slow climate action. We need to explore rapid and quick acting technology options to restore a livable climate as described here. Planet earth cannot wait anymore.
  • Advance: We must promote the rise of sustainable clean energy: wind, solar, and biofuels. Silicon Valley is the technological leader of the world; collectively, we must devise bold solutions and lead the world on preventing climate change. We can create millions of jobs in the clean energy sector and bolster our economy, while simultaneously protecting our environment. As your representative, I will be a strong advocate for these changes in our district.

We can’t afford to wait — we must take immediate, bold action to limit the effects of climate change. The United States must lead the world in reaching net-zero emissions by 2035. We must promote and create jobs in a clean-energy economy and build green-energy infrastructure.. I am serious about protecting the environment and that is why I am a vegetarian practitioner with no meat or eggs in my diet. Clean air and water is a basic necessity for all living things. We owe it to our children to take care of our planet.

creek cleanup

Open Space

I am committed to being an advocate for California’s natural open spaces and to preserving and protecting our native wildlife. I am against the development of the Cargill Salt Water site property, which was once underwater and part of San Francisco Bay a century ago before it was diked for salt-making. The Stanford development project demands caution, and we have to address mitigation plans with traffic and housing. As a councilmember of Saratoga, I stood firm against a potential 300-room hotel mega development project on a hillside in a high fire hazard zone that would have also disrupted wildlife and vegetation and the very future of our community. The project was ultimately defeated. I was in support of 65 acres of open space preservation with the ribbon cutting of the newest park in Saratoga - the Quarry Park. Read my views on the Los Gatos North 40 project here.

I believe that we need managed housing growth in Silicon Valley. I am not in favor of policies like Senate Bill 50 or Senate Bill 35, which preempt local control for housing developments. There have been cases in Silicon Valley where development was planned on hillsides and a high fire risk zone. This will not only put our environment in jeopardy, the wildlife but also our people. The Mega Silicon Valley vision plan, “21 Counties in 21 Minutes” is a better approach to solve Silicon Valley’s housing and traffic challenges, while preserving our quality of life allowing for economic expansion.

cutting
Other Priorities