Tom Steyer 2020
January 28, 2020

More Than 75 Climate Leaders Sign on to Support Steyer

Deep bed of support underscores Steyer’s strength as only candidate who will put climate first

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 28 2020) — Today, more than 75 leading national clean energy experts and environmental activists officially signed on to support Tom Steyer’s candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. The announcement reflects Steyer’s commitment to prioritize combating climate change from the Oval Office, and continues the momentum that has catapulted Steyer into the top tier of candidates.

The individuals who have signed on, including pioneers such as New Hampshire-based environmental activist and former elected official Dudley Dudley; clean energy expert and author Hal Harvey; Project Drawdown Founder Paul Hawken; distinguished professor and clean energy expert known for authoring or contributing to multiple reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Dr. Daniel Kammen; global energy expert Jules Kortenhorst; and Oxnard, California City Council Member and Mayor pro Tem Carmen Ramirez have been and will continue advising and supporting the campaign on environmental policy. Their endorsement comes on the heels of last week’s announcement, in which California-based climate leaders and elected officials Eduardo Garcia and Fran Pavley also officially came out in support of Steyer.

“In order to survive the climate crisis and save our planet, Tom knows we must fix Washington and end the corporate takeover of our government,” said Campaign Manager Heather Hargreaves. “If tackling climate change isn’t at the top of the next administration’s list, it won’t get done. We are thrilled to see that environmental experts, professionals, and activists who lead on these issues every day recognize that Tom is the best candidate to put this issue first and save our planet.”
“Tom’s been leading the fight against the climate crisis for more than a decade now, and his understanding of the challenges we face and the solutions we need make him the best prepared candidate to lead our nation in the face of this existential threat,” said Dr. Daniel Kammen. “Climate change is a global threat, and America must lead, both by example and by forming a global coalition. I am standing with Tom because he is the candidate who best understands that and who will make this fight his top priority.”

In addition to mobilizing in their communities, the endorsers have offered to volunteer their expertise to Policy Director Radha Seshagiri and campaign Senior Advisors on environmental policy and climate justice Vien Truong and Harold Mitchell to think critically and strategically about how a Steyer administration could affect change on environmental policy starting on day one. Many of the endorsers have been working with Steyer for years on state and national climate initiatives. The endorsement of environmental policy heavyweights is a reminder that Steyer is melding an ambitious vision of tackling climate change with the practical reality of putting the issue at the top of his list in order to ensure it gets done. He is the only candidate who has committed to declaring the climate crisis a national emergency on day one and pledging to use the emergency powers of the presidency to take immediate action.

California State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and former State Senator Fran Pavely, who have led on climate issues in the state legislature ranging from emission reductions to drought conditions, recently joined the campaign after years of working closely with Steyer on  California’s landmark climate policies to spur needed innovations at the federal level. Clean energy experts Hal Harvey and Jules Kortenhorst have agreed to advise the campaign on devising transformational solutions to greening global energy.

In mapping out effective and ambitious climate regulations that can help reverse the devastating effects of climate change, the campaign will benefit from the experience of Project Drawdown Founder Paul Hawken, who boasts an extensive portfolio in assisting governments and corporations take on environmental issues.

Finally, the campaign’s focus on climate justice has been validated by the endorsement of Oxnard, California Mayor pro Tem Carmen Ramirez, who has advocated for communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change, including poor communities and communities of color.

All of today’s endorsers are supporting Steyer in their own personal capacity and not as representatives of their respective organizations.

The growing list of Steyer’s environmental endorsers includes:
  • Omer Aftab, VP of Marketing at AutoGrid
  • Felipe Benitez, Climate activist
  • Cassie Bowe, California-based climate professional
  • Mae Bradshaw, New Hampshire-based attorney and Rye Heritage Commission
  • Kathy Bremer, California-based environmental attorney
  • Detra Bruce, South Carolina-based clean water activist
  • Mackenzie Buckner, Colorado-based climate activist
  • Kathy Byrnes, Iowa-based climate activist
  • Jennifer Caldwell, President of Caldwell Fisher Family Foundation
  • Peter Calthorpe, California-based urban design professional
  • Danielle Chamberlain, PhD, California-based research and development executive
  • Ilenia Chestnut, South Carolina-based clean water advocate
  • Stacy P. Clark, Environmental Geologist & Climate Advisor
  • Chip Comins, Chairman and CEO of American Renewable Energy Institute
  • Tamberly Conway, Founder and CEO of Conservation Conexions, LLC
  • Brian Crisp, Climate professional
  • Kevin Czinger, California-based climate professional
  • Frank DeRosa, former CEO of NextLight Renewable Power
  • J. Steven Dolezalek, Managing Partner of Resourcient Group LLC
  • A. Doucet, Texas-based climate supporter
  • Eric Dresselhuys, California-based climate professional
  • Dudley Dudley, New Hampshire-based climate activist
  • Rev. Gerald L. Durley, Founder of UrbanGreenhouse Institute
  • Channing Dutton, Iowa-based climate activist and attorney
  • Ed Fallon, Former Iowa state legislator and Director of Bold Iowa
  • Eduardo García, California State Assemblymember and environmental policy leader
  • Rob Glen, Regional Director at BNEF
  • Catha Groot, Radicle Impact Partners
  • Matt Hale, California-based climate professional
  • Hal Harvey, Clean energy expert and author of Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy
  • Paul Hawken, Founder of Project Drawdown and environmental movement leading voice
  • Chestnut Ilenia, South Carolina-based clean water advocate
  • Jameson Jenkins, South Carolina-based climate supporter
  • Danielle Jezienicki, Director of Sustainability at Grove Collaborative
  • Andi Johnson, Texas-based climate activist at EarthX
  • Linda Cather Johnson, Iowa-based climate activist
  • Scott Johnson, Iowa-based corn breeder and climate activist
  • Professor Daniel M. Kammen, Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley; Director of Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory; contributing or coordinating lead author on multiple reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  • Jules Kortenhorst, Leader on Global Energy Issues and Climate Change
  • Melissa Kraai, Colorado-based climate professional
  • Marie Lakin, Communications Director of Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas
  • Debbie Levin, California-based environmental media professional
  • Nancy MacDonald, New Hampshire-based climate activist
  • Maria Martinez Romero, Nevada-based climate activist
  • Veery Maxwell, California-based climate professional
  • Claire McConnell, Director of Business Development of Proterra, Inc.
  • Mary Kate McDermott, California-based climate supporter
  • Adam Medoff, Principal of Lacuna Sustainable Investments
  • Lisa Millet Poncia, Louisiana-based climate activist
  • Wendy Millet, Director of Gallop Ventures
  • David Mitchell, South Carolina-based climate supporter
  • Ian Monroe, California-based climate professional
  • Debbie Morrow, Founder of Tell Them Tuesday
  • Ami Naik, Director of Radicle Impact
  • Amit Narayan, CEO of Autogrid Systems
  • Rick Needham, California-based climate professional
  • Sara Nichols, California-based climate activist
  • Fran Pavley, former California State Senator and environmental policy leader
  • Cynthia Peurifoy, retired Environmental Justice Coordinator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • John Powers, Colorado-based climate activist
  • Carmen Ramirez, Oxnard, California City Council Member and Mayor pro Tem
  • Autumn Rizzo, Texas-based climate supporter
  • Lois Roberts, South Carolina-based clean water advocate with Denmark Citizens For Clean Water
  • Manos Saratsis, Head of Product of Station A
  • N. Sane, Texas-based labor and employment attorney and climate activist
  • Carla Scholten, Iowa-based attorney and climate activist
  • Rajeev Singh, Chief Technology Officer of AutoGrid
  • Daniel L. Skaff, California-based climate professional
  • Donna Smalley, Alabama-based attorney and climate activist
  • Nick Thomas, Director of Business Development of EarthX
  • David Thoreson, Iowa-based environmental professional
  • Rosie Torres, CEO of Torres Law Group, Inc.
  • Janice Tran, Climate professional
  • Andrew Truitt, Co-Founder of Distributed Resource Venture
  • Sarah Truitt, Project Leader at National Renewable Energy Lab
  • Molly Ward, Renewable energy professional
  • Merlin Yockstick, CEO of RegenIOWA
  • Djuna Zupancic, Colorado-based climate activist
Today’s endorsements are a reflection of Steyer’s extensive record of leading climate-focused work in his home state of California and nationwide. In California, Steyer has played a pivotal role in combating statewide ballot propositions led by big oil that would have rolled back essential environmental regulations, led on environmental legislative initiatives such as cap-and-trade and protected at-risk communities by fighting against the expansion of a gas power plant in the predominantly Latino area of Oxnard, California. In addition to being a leading voice in opposing Trump’s exit from the Paris Climate Agreement, Steyer’s nationwide leadership on climate issues includes opposing the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline,  advocating against Trump’s efforts to open up the Arctic and coastal waters for oil and gas development, and fighting Trump’s efforts to weaken clean car standards.