RICHMOND GLOBE
December 5 - 11, 2007

East Bay Mayors Team Up with UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab to Build Regional Green Economy

By Clifford L. Williams
Globe City Editor

Tom Bates, SunPower CEO Tom Werner, Ron Dellums and Gayle McLaughlin.PHOTOS BY Z’MA WYAT

Mayors from Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Emeryville formed an East Bay Green Corridor Partnership on Monday with UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to build a regional green economy. The partnership was announced during a press conference at Richmond’s SunPower Corporation, which designs, manufactures and delivers solar power systems worldwide.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Emeryville Mayor Nora Davis signed a statement of principles launching the cooperative effort to be a world leader in environmental innovation, emerging green business and industry, green jobs and renewable energy. The mayors were joined by UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, Berkeley Lab Director Steven Chu, Seeo Inc. Director of Corporate Development Ilan Gur, SunPower CEO Tom Werner, and Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, who served as emcee.

Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said, "A green economy which focuses on the triple bottom line of economics, environment and social equity is the greatest opportunity of the 21st century to improve the lives of all people."

"Berkeley is known as one of the world’s most innovative and creative places, but our economic success is tied directly to the success of our neighbors and our region," said Bates. "It is vitally important that we keep the innovative ideas, companies and jobs here in our area."

Oakland was lauded for allocating $200,000 for green jobs development and training.

"This nature of collaboration is crucial to sustain our collective effort to remain a regional leader in the emerging green industry," said Dellums. "Uniting these four cities behind this goal will do a great deal to coordinate our business, government and community resources."

Davis said "We share a vision of a green economy that provides jobs for all our people, revenue for our cities, and serves as environmental center for the nation. We are much better able to make our shared vision a reality if we work together."

"A green economy which focuses on the triple bottom line of economics, environment and social equity is the greatest opportunity of the 21st century to improve the lives of all people," said McLaughlin. "Given the crisis the world faces from resource depletion, poverty and species extinction, a green economy is also the only way to reinvigorate our economy while at the same time addressing environmental destruction and social inequity." [emphasis added]

Emeryville Mayor Nora Davis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Steven Chu, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau

"As a public university, UC Berkeley is committed to contributing our academic resources and developing research approaches that impact the most pressing problems globally and locally," said Birgeneau. "Our newly formed Energy Biosciences Institute will bring some of the best minds in the world together to focus
on global energy production and alternative energy source."