Press Release
December 5, 2013

Contact: Jenesse Miller, CLCV – 510.844.0235

California League of Conservation Voters To Honor Environmental Champions and Innovators at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Among Speakers at Annual Environmental Gala

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2013) – The California League of Conservation Voters—the nonpartisan political action arm of California’s environmental movement—will honor four of California’s leading environmental champions at its annual Southern California Environmental Leadership Awards gala event tonight.

“Tonight we are privileged to honor leaders who stand with CLCV in protecting California’s environment for future generations,” said CLCV CEO Sarah Rose. “Our honorees are leaders in their respective fields, but they’re also leaders in engaging public participation towards a more sustainable future for California: The Goldhirsh Foundation and its President, Tara Roth, Clean Energy President and CEO Andrew Littlefair, conservationist and solar energy champion Lorraine Paskett and former Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer.”

CLCV Board member Tracy Escogue, who will introduce honoree Tara Roth, said, “Under the amazing leadership of Tara Roth, the Goldhirsh Foundation has begun a conversation among Angelenos about our hopes and vision for the future of our communities. Their LA2050 challenge exemplifies the type of bold leadership and initiative that will be critical to overcoming the environmental challenges we must all face.”

“The Goldhirsh Foundation and CLCV share the vision of California as an active, engaged, mobilized population who is informed about conservation issues, and works to advance policies that will create a healthier, more sustainable future,” said Roth. “Tools like the CLCV California Environmental Scorecard, political endorsements based on expertise, rigorous research, and experience – much like LA2050 – are absolutely critical to informing Angelenos on how they can vote to create a healthier, thriving future for Los Angeles and for the state of California. If we can rally together behind our shared vision – and utilize CLCV’s tools to make informed decisions toward that healthy, thriving future – then we do have the power to truly shape it.”

CLCV Board member Wendy Mitchell will introduce honorees Dario Frommer and Lorraine Paskett. The couple noted: “When it comes to the environment, there is little dispute that California has long been America’s leader. From air quality, to water conservation, to coastal resources, to energy, to parks, and greenhouse gas emission reduction, we’ve been America’s conscience, even when it was hard and unpopular. And when it comes to environmental advocacy, CLCV is California’s most effective and forward looking organization. They have been at ground zero on many of our brightest advances to protect our environment and our health. They appreciate the critical synergies between policy and politics. In this era of rapid social, political, and technological change in America, they understand the importance of building new constituencies and alliances to sustain our environment and protect our health.”

Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (Long Beach) will introduce honoree Andrew Littlefair. In describing how the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles cleaned up their “diesel death zones” by switching to natural gas, honoree Andrew Littlefair said, “This success story is the result of the vision and hard work of many California state legislators, local leaders and regulators who believed natural gas for heavy duty trucks could be the answer to a dire situation. Their leadership not only resulted in cleaner air for the local port communities, it has had significant national ramifications.” He continued: “Today companies like Clean Energy which are building a national fueling infrastructure are revolutionizing an industry that burns over 25 billion gallon of diesel a year. Thousands of new natural gas heavy duty trucks are hitting the nation’s highways because of what started as project to clean up the air over little San Pedro, California. With your continued help and support, we will get there and our children will be the benefactors.”

CLCV Chair of the Board Rick Zbur will introduce special guest L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. Zbur ntoed, “Mayor Garcetti is dedicated to a healthier and greener Los Angeles through cutting-edge initiatives that clean up our air and water, increase our use of clean energy, tackle climate change, and increase green space for all to enjoy. We’re thrilled that our mayor is an inspiring and passionate environmental leader who is 100 percent committed to a sustainable future of our great city.”

More information about the event, including biographies of all of the honorees, can be found at www.ecovote.org/gala/

California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.

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