Issue Position: Protecting The Environment

Issue Position

As a California State Senator, Ben will be at the forefront of promoting broader global protection efforts, including incentivizing the development and use of green technology and working to counter the dangers of climate change.

Ben will work to enact legislation that (1) reduces carbon emissions, (2) protects our safe water supply, (3) reduces our reliance on fossil based fuels, (4) increases the usage of renewable energy, (5) reduces the State of California's carbon imprint, (6) preserves additional open space, (7) places a moratorium on hydraulic fracking, (8) secures additional funding for urban mass transit, and (9) supports local city planning that encourages transit oriented development that is both pedestrian and cycling friendly.

As a Board Member of the Santa Monica and Malibu Unified School District, Ben helped implement regulations that made school properties environmentally sound and ensured that school construction projects were environmentally sensitive.
As a UC Regent, Ben passed a major sustainability measure that improved the University's green building practices and strengthened the role of the UC's sustainability coordinator.
As the University of California Student Regent, Ben drafted a resolution on environmental sustainability that the Board adopted.

Impact of Ben's resolution:
UC changed its green building policy to require LEED certification for all new buildings and all large renovation projects. As result, as of June 2014, UC now boasts 166 LEED certifications. This is more than any other university in the country (Harvard is #2).
Sustainable Foodservice Operations was added to UC's Sustainable Practices Policy. UC campuses and medical centers are now award-winning leaders in sustainable food practices and are on track to surpass the goal of 20% sustainable food by 2020 more than five years ahead of schedule. In 2012-13, UC has now directed nearly $20 million from its food procurement budget to local and sustainable food, signaling to the local economy the value of sustainable food production.
Ben's leadership provided direction for the UC Sustainability Program, which has grown into a model followed by other state universities around the country. See the latest UC Annual Report on Sustainable Practices for a glimpse at the legacy that Ben played a major role in making happen.

Ben also orchestrated the first "zero waste" UC Board of Regents meeting, collaborating with Regents' office and UC Davis' Zero Waste Program to dramatically reduce the amount of waste produced by the Regents' September 2007 meeting in Davis.

Ben is a lifelong environmentalist. Raised in Santa Monica he grew up swimming in the bay and hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. Ben knows firsthand the importance of preserving open spaces and protecting the coastline. California is home to some of the most precious natural resources in the world. Ben will work to ensure preservation of these resources for future generations.

He's proud to have the endorsements of environmental champion Senator Fran Pavley and regional elected officials who have played a critical role in open space preservation, such as Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, former Assemblyman Terry Friedman, and former Supervisor Ed Edelman.

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