Environment: Saving Our Planet from Climate Change

Climate change is finally reaching the forefront of the political debate – and it's about time. Global warming may easily be the most critical issue of our lifetimes. As your Assemblymember, Kriss will bring progressive leadership to fight for legislation limiting greenhouse gases – but more importantly, to address real causes of the problem. For over a decade, he worked vigorously as a Councilmember to target traffic congestion and air pollution – he is the only candidate who has fought for an "EcoPass," which has been wildly successful in getting cars off the roads. And he's worked to shift public funding from highways to public transportation. We need progressive leadership that is willing to do more than talk about the problem – Kriss has a record of proven results on addressing the real causes of the problem, and this is what you can expect from him as your Assemblymember.

Kriss's Priorities

Greenhouse Gas Emissions/Transportation and Land-use connections: The fight against global warming must start with the recognition that transportation and land use decision are a large cause for emissions. Kriss will continue to working with the concerned community members to understand how to change our own lives, as well as how to change the structure of our government and society to respond to climate change.

Environmental Justice for low-income communities: Creating a sustainable community means that we need to ensure that all of our neighborhoods have access to safe and clean environments. As a member of 10 regional transportation committees, Kriss has consistently fought to increase affordable access to public transportation and to promote the use of transit oriented development. Kriss has also been at the front lines in supporting low income communities in addressing the impact of corporations, including the Chevron refinery, on the health and safety of the neighborhood. He has worked with environmental organizations, labor unions, and neighborhood advocates

Green Jobs/Green Economy: As an Assemblymember, Kriss will work to promote good paying jobs for youth and low income residents, and supporting the small business people who are exploring how to be green and be successful. Locally, he has worked with small businesses and to cut red tape and navigate the bureaucracy. With the emergence of environmentally conscious green businesses, it will be ever more important to develop sound policy that promotes good socially responsible business.

Kriss's Track Record

• Strengthened waterfront habitat protections for shoreline birds, defended biodiversity by protecting native plants, breeding areas for migratory birds and habitats for the Coopers Hawk. -vigorous defender of making sure that the city and parks do not do programs and projects that disturb the nesting grounds—worked with Audubon and Sierra Club.
• Fought for creek restoration and expansion of the Clean Water Program, helped prevent massive and inappropriate development along the shoreline. Clean Water program- works to protect the run-off from the streets into the storm drains and into the Bay-this involves expanding the amount of street sweeping the city does to keep the gunk of the streets
• Created the Eco-Pass, getting city employees out of their cars and onto public transportation, later led efforts to expand the Eco Pass for UC, Alta Bates Hospital and employees of Telegraph Avenue businesses Eco Pass provides free public transit for 1,500 city employees-researched transit and created the proposal-this is a model for other cities
• Sponsored the Zero Waste initiative –now a model for cities nationwide. This initiative commits the city to go beyond what the state mandates in regards to recycling and reusing things. Basic idea is to maximize re-use, recycling, encourage purchasing where you don't buy as many things that need to be thrown away in the first place. Part of the goal is to create the first zero-waste facility in the United States (the only other is in New Zealand)—This facility would be the transfer station (where you take all your recyclables and trash, where it gets sorted and taken to the landfill)-this is like taking recycling to the next level, capturing as much of the waste as possible—sending it to Urban Ore for re-use of parts.
• Sponsored the Precautionary Principle initiative –now a model for cities nationwide. thinking through environmental impact beforehand and factor that into decisions-he convened the commission from environmental, health and community groups, created momentum to shepherd it through the city bureaucracy It passed. It's primary focused on when you're buying products for city facilities-cleaning products, etc.
• As a member of the Congestion Management Agency, Kriss fought hard to prioritize funding for decongestion along the I-680 corridor.
• Increased funding for accessibility, and bicycle and pedestrian alternatives
• Helped save millions of dollars for Berkeley's parks, and brokered the compromise that allowed more playing fields to be built without harming wildlife habitat.
• Works tirelessly for funding of our parks, supports mini-grants to encourage community-city partnerships to improve our open space.
• Secured funding to upgrade Berkeley's storm drains to protect the bay from unprocessed run-off.
• Supported expansion of effective recycling programs and the strongest possible protection of the East Shore State Park waterfront.
• Serves as Berkeley's representative on the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency and Waste Management Authority, as well as filling in as an alternate to Supervisor Keith Carson on the Alameda County Transportation Authority. In all these venues, he advocates for environmentally friendly policies and funding priorities. Beyond just being a good vote, he strategizes with environmentalists on how best to channel community organizing and grassroots lobbying into winning campaigns for the environment.
• Has been on all these regional committees, and advocate for increased funds (operational and capitol) for transportation - increased funding for bicycling and pedestrian alternatives.