CESP Co-Director Stephen Schneider honored with Clean Air Award

CESP NEWS

June 5, 2007

CESP Co-Director Stephen Schneider was one of nine local organizations, businesses and individuals honored last week with a 2007 Clean Air Award in recognition of his exemplary leadership in fighting global warming.

For more information, contact:

Dave Low, Director of Communications at Breathe California

San Francisco, Calif. - Continuing a 17-year tradition, BREATHE CALIFORNIA presented its 2007 Clean Air Awards to nine local clean air leaders Thursday, including 3 award winners from San Jose. The prestigious awards, which were presented at the agency's annual Clean Air Luncheon, seek to promote local efforts to improve air quality by honoring those in the business, governmental, educational and non-profit sectors that have made important contributions to fighting air pollution. Recognizing that California is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of warmer temperatures and climate change, BREATHE CALIFORNIA dedicated this year's awards to the innovative approaches being taken to combat global warming.

"Research continues to show what a tremendous impact air pollution and climate change can have on our health," said Margo Sidener, President & CEO of BREATHE CALIFORNIA of the Bay Area. "In addition to fighting for tougher emission standards, it is important to recognize and support local leaders who are fighting to clean the air we breathe."

Among this year's winners was Stanford University Professor Stephen Schneider, Ph.D, who was recognized for his research, policy analysis and outreach in climate change. A longtime Peninsula resident, Schneider is currently the Co-Director of the Center for Environmental Science and Policy and a Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and guides the work Ph.D. candidates, post-doctoral scholars, and other researchers. He has consulted with federal agencies and/or White House staff in the past six administrations and has testified before Congress numerous times, including recently in support of California's request for a waiver that would allow the state to sets greenhouse gas standards for vehicles. Currently, Dr. Schneider is working to identify viable climate policies and technological solutions while counseling policy makers about the importance of using risk management strategies in their decision making.

Breathe California also presented Clean Air Awards to: Sustainable Silicon Valley (San Jose); Synergy EV, Inc. (San Jose); the Santa Clara Valley Water District (San Jose); Sustainable Agriculture Education (Berkeley); Nadine Alexis Weil for her website heartofgreen.org (San Francisco); CONCO Cement Company (Concord); the San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco) and Tom Dowling from the Electric Auto Association (Folsom).

Global Warming can pose serious health risks for all individuals, especially the 750,000 Bay Area residents suffering from a form of lung disease. Increased temperatures threaten to exacerbate air pollution, increasing the risk of asthma, respiratory and other lung related ailments. Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution has been linked to the onset of asthma, the development of lung cancer and premature death. Even short-term exposure can cause shortness of breath, trigger an asthma attack or cause serious complications in people with heart disease or diabetes.

Breathe California, a non-profit organization with local offices in San Jose and Daly City, is committed to fighting lung disease in all its forms and protecting lung health. To learn more about the agency, its annual Clean Air Awards or this year's award recipients, please call BREATHE CALIFORNIA at (650) 994-5868 or (408) 998-5865. Visit BREATHE CALIFORNIA's web site at www.breathecalifornia.org.