Environmental Protection, Climate Justice & Clean Energy

Dan is a longtime environmental leader in the East Bay and statewide. He’s spent most of his professional career developing policy and leading advocacy campaigns to promote clean energy, implement effective climate solutions, combat air and water pollution, fight for environmental health and justice regulations, defend the rights of animals, promote biodiversity, facilitate recycling, and protect our parks, wetlands, waterways and open spaces. Dan will also prioritize the elimination of toxics in our workplaces, in consumer products, and in our food supply. Dan believes that by growing our clean energy economy, we can create good, green jobs for Bay Area residents while protecting our precious environment for generations to come. Dan authored the law to ban the storage and handling of coal in Oakland and has been a leader in statewide efforts to promote more renewable energy.

 

Dan's strategy on climate change includes: 

• Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs)/Clean Fuels – Expand electric vehicle infrastructure statewide w/ resources targeting multi-family housing and lower income communities. Make sure we have incentives in place to help people purchase cleaner vehicles. Support alternative zero emission fuels that are made from clean sources. In the heavy duty sector, we must phase out fossil fuels to reduce unhealthy black carbon pollution. 

 

• Renewable Energy – Work to facilitate more utility-scale solar and smaller, behind-the-meter rooftop solar as well as large-scale wind and solar in appropriate locations, including offshore wind. Rein in abuses by investor-owned utilities. And support massive distribution of battery storage technology to further facilitate our clean energy future.

 

• Green Buildings/Building Decarb – New buildings should be built as all electric. I am proud to have been the author of this law in Oakland that requires clean, all-electric new buildings. Existing buildings should also transition to no longer use unhealthy natural gas. This will take time and money. The state should assist local jurisdictions in creating such plans/timelines. Dan has been a long-time advocate of energy efficiency and green building requirements

 

• VMT Reduction/Sustainable Communities – We must reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) if we are serious about reducing overall heat-trapping GHG emissions. Focusing the building of new housing in highly urbanized areas must be a priority—particularly transit-oriented development locations. We must respect urban growth boundaries and build up, not build out (no sprawl!). We need dedicated funding for public transit, as well as other non-car mobility options (ped and bike safety, safe routes to schools are key) that are inviting to more people. We should implement and adhere to the state's Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure.

 

• Waste/Recycling – Reduce food waste into our landfills, and fully implement green waste diversion, Promote recycling and reuse. Dan was a board member and former chairperson of StopWaste. Dan authored the law in Oakland to ban single-use plastics and to promote environmentally-responsible reusables. Dan will continue to be a leader on these issues to remove plastics from our waste stream. 

 

• Climate Justice, Nature-based Solutions, and Adaptation – Promote and fund wetlands restoration/expansion; put resources into strong 30x30 preservation/implementation; expand climate resilience hubs—particularly in disadvantaged communities; support robust urban tree canopies; climate-smart agricultural practices; promote environmentally responsible wildfire prevention. I'll lead policy and budgetary efforts in coalition with advocacy groups and policy experts to strengthen and implement the State’s Climate Adaption strategies. Further, we must take advantage of the air quality co-benefits that would come with GHG emission reductions when the reductions are at or near the source in our communities. 

​

Dan Kalb has worked on state issues for the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Sierra Club. If you want someone who comes from and has deep expertise and background in the environmental, climate justice and clean energy community, Dan is that guy.