Press Release
December 6, 2012
Contact: Jenesse Miller, CLCV – 510.844.0235
California League of Conservation Voters Honors Environmental Champions at Petersen Automotive Museum
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Dec. 6, 2012) – The California League of Conservation Voters—the nonpartisan political action arm of California’s environmental movement—celebrated its 40th anniversary and four of California’s leading environmental champions at its annual Southern California Environmental Leadership Awards gala at the Petersen Automotive Museum tonight.
CLCV honored veteran television producer Dayna Bochco, California Controller John Chiang, Southern California Gas Company President and CEO Anne Shen Smith, and Paramount Pictures for their commitment and work to address climate change and protect the environment and the public’s health.
“What makes both CLCV and tonight’s honorees successful are the following traits: commitment to leave behind a better world than we inherited; respect for natural wonders that humans could never replicate; hope that we can transition to more sustainable sources of energy that create new job opportunities and protect our planet; and love for our families, for our communities and for this amazing state we call home,” said CLCV CEO Sarah Rose.
“These are not extraordinary traits,” continued Rose. “But it takes organizations and individuals willing to be extraordinary for those traits to make the difference. Tonight we honor these extraordinary people and an extraordinary movie studio for their commitment, respect, hope and love they have demonstrated in their work to protect our environment.”
“I am honored to receive this award from CLCV, one of the most effective environmental organizations in our state,” said Dayna Bochco, President of Steven Bochco Productions and a member of the California Coastal Commission. “Their proven 40-year track record of electing environmental champions and holding lawmakers accountable has made them an inspiration to us all, and has helped make California a national leader in environmental progress and protection.”
“I am proud to receive the Environmental Leadership Award this evening from the California League of Conservation Voters,” said California Controller John Chiang. “I will always be reminded of this honor as I continue my work to safeguard California’s precious coastline and natural resources for all Californians to enjoy, and I extend my deepest appreciation to CLCV.”
“I am incredibly honored that CLCV considers me deserving of this recognition,” said Southern California Gas Company CEO and CLCV Education Fund Board member Anne Shen Smith. “I feel very privileged to work alongside so many committed people to keep our world clean and healthy for future generations.”
CLCV Chair of the Board Rick Zbur asked attendees to join CLCV in mobilizing public support for solutions to climate change, while describing each honoree’s individual contributions to addressing that challenge:
“One is a 100-year-old movie studio that’s dramatically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and made An Inconvenient Truth the best-known film about global warming; another is a television producer who has made it her personal mission to protect our marine life and our coast from threats like pollution and rising sea levels; a third is the chief executive of an energy company who demonstrates that our most successful business leaders can also have a deep commitment to social responsibility and environmental stewardship; and another is our state’s chief fiscal officer, who has joined with institutional investors managing $4 trillion in assets to call on federal lawmakers to enact a national standard to address global warming.”
“Their contributions may be very different, but our honorees reflect what is possible in California, and their example helps inspire us to do the necessary work to stop climate change in its tracks,” concluded Zbur.
More information about the event, including biographies of all of the honorees, can be found at www.ecovote.org/gala/
ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.