Monday, August 18, 2008

Clean Energy Victory Garden



The Slow Food Nation "Victory Garden" in Civic Center Plaza has started to blossom...



...and the public was invited for a tour of the gardens on Saturday...



...as part of a celebration of the Clean Energy Act Proposition 7 which is on San Francisco's ballot this November.



Various politicos were in attendance and giving speeches, such as State Senator Mark Leno and San Francisco School Board President Mark Sanchez above.



Bob Brigham, who is volunteering for the proposition, was pedaling on the bike-powered P.A. system...



...which was being used by the dancer Krissy Keefer...



...and her entourage of Taiko drumming dancers...



...who couldn't have been any prettier.



Greg Dewar, a local political consultant, thinks that Proposition H is a bait-and-switch attempt at enacting public power and throwing out the PG&E utility monopoly, while Bob Brigham has promised a list of how the proposition will be helpful and why it's going to win. We shall see.

5 comments:

Greg said...

If the thing was just about encouraging cleaner energy, I might have supported it. But the BG and the folks at Beyond Chron have made it clear this is public power in disguise, and I don't think that's very fair. It's like writing an initiative called the "I love kittens and puppies" initiative and hiding public power in there. I mean, who doesn't like puppies and kittens???

BTW, Prop 7 is the statewide initiative, which is opposed by most environmental groups. The local one is Prop. H, which has proponent and opponents.

Personally I'd be happy if they could just get MUNI up to speed, THEN try a takeover of PG and E. I mean, can you imagine MUNI style failwhale where the lights are concerned?

Civic Center said...

Dear Greg: Thanks for the Prop 7/Prop H clarification. I'll change it in the text.

Bob Brigham said...

The SF Clean Energy Act is just that, Clean Energy. If PG&E is the cheapest route to get to 100% clean, it will be used. The idea that it is misleading is nuts, the only thing misleading is PG&E's hate campaign against clean energy which has polluted Greg's brain. Which is too bad.

In an early post, you said, "The initiative has little chance of success since the rich, corrupt old power structure of San Francisco owns most of the PG&E stock, and they are not about to have their steady stream of income denied without a fight."

Anyway, here are some reasons why I think it has a great chance of passing:

10. Al Gore. Why Gavin Newsom wants to make Al Gore cry is beyond me, but the vast majority of voters thank him for his leadership on going 100% clean.

9. Barack Obama. Huge turnout this fall.

8. Democrats. The Democratic Party supports the measure enthusiastically.

7. Clear choice. Voters get to decide between siding with the polluters or siding with the Sierra Club and the SF League of Conservation Voters.

6. Timeliness. This is a great year to be supporting clean energy.

5. Enthusiasm. Other than the consultants getting rich by perpetuating global warming, nobody gets excited by stopping progress.

4. Economy. This will create green jobs and lower electrical rates.

3. Internet. Bloggers like you can debunk PG&E's millions in lies.

2. Leadership. San Francisco needs to lead the way, we have an obligation.

1. Necessity. San Francisco loves dykes at the Lexington, but has no interest in dikes along the waterfront to protect against higher sea levels. The time to act is now!

So come on and check it out at a Clean Energy party this Thursday, from 6-9 at On the Corner (Divisadero and Oak).

Civic Center said...

Dear Bob: Thank you for coming through with the promised Top 10. I particularly liked the images of Al Gore crying and a waterfront full of dikes/dykes.

janinsanfran said...

Nice list Bob. I'd figured out from the PG&E scare litter all over that I was for this one, but it is good to know why.