Safeguarding our Environment
Beginning with her service as a policy advisor to then-Vice President Al Gore, Michela Alioto-Pier has worked to protect and improve our environment throughout her career. Michela understands that our economy, our air and water, and our future depend on smart policies that drive innovation in energy and that protect our limited, critical resources. As Mayor, she’ll continue the City’s visionary leadership while focusing on revitalizing parks and open spaces in our neighborhoods.
As Supervisor, Michela:
Led the fight to close polluting power plants in the southeast sector of our City without constructing new plants, to focus the City on clean energy solutions. When City leaders including the President of the Board of Supervisors and City Attorney wanted to put polluting power plants in our City, Supervisor Alioto-Pier had seen enough. She persuaded the Chronicle to fight the plan, saying “it makes no sense to shut down the old plants only to replace them with three new ones that will burn fossil fuels that contribute to global warming and create continued health hazards for the same neighborhood's long-suffering residents.” She demanded the City treat all neighborhoods fairly, and never lost faith with residents of the Southeast part of our City. A coalition builder, she helped win the closure of the plant and the Chronicle said “Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier was the visionary here, insisting that the city could present an effective plan to the operator that didn't involve new plants.”
Worked to protect our air quality by fighting the state’s plan to spray pesticides throughout San Francisco, and establishing community notification when City departments use pesticides. In Sacramento, special interests convinced state officials to approve aerial spraying of pesticides to stop the Light Brown Apple Moth. This plan was opposed by leading environmental organizations, and Michela led the City’s response by supporting state legislation to prevent the spraying, and urging the US Department of Agriculture to intervene on behalf of the environment. She also led the rewrite of local pesticide regulations to improve neighborhood notification and establish an appeals process when City departments want to use pesticides.
Partnered with neighborhood groups and philanthropists to repair our parks and open spaces.
In these tough budget times, there is always a risk that parks will go neglected, or that open spaces will be harmed by development. Michela worked with neighborhood leaders to stop the Public Utilities Commission from turning neighborhood open space into private development when she helped the Russian Hill neighbors add the Francisco Reservoir to the City’s Capital Plan. With the Maybeck Foundation, she worked to repair the Palace of Fine Arts. Michela also supported full funding for the Recreation and Park Department during the budget process.
Introduced Legislation to Ban Smoking in Public Parks.
Smoking in public parks polluted the air, the ground and the experience for many San Franciscans. Michela moved to stop smoking in public parks, cleaning the air and keeping untold numbers of butts from littering and polluting the ground.
As Mayor, Michela will:
Tackle climate change and make San Francisco the leader in our new energy economy. Michela will continue San Francisco’s leadership role in supporting the US Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, which will reduce carbon emissions in San Francisco to pre-1990 levels in accord with the Kyoto Agreement on Climate Change. Michela will direct the Public Utilities Commission to make our City the leader in our new energy economy by prioritizing clean power, and will never support expansion of dirty, polluting fossil fuel power sources. She will audit every department’s energy usage, especially at the Airport, Port and MUNI, to determine how to phase out fossil fuels. Using the City’s unrivaled purchasing power, she will help drive and develop our new energy economy.
Fully fund public health and environmental programs focused on ending environmental injustice. Rates of asthma and other health conditions in the Southeast sector of our City are unacceptably high, a direct result of close proximity to polluting power plants. Michela will ensure that the City fully funds healthcare and environmental programs that respond to environmental justice issues. As Mayor, Michela will ensure that early childhood screening, lead hazard abatement, and clean water programs are protected from budget cuts and that policy decisions take environmental justice into account.
Renew the City’s commitment to parks, open space and the urban forest. Michela knows that for many City residents, the opportunity to interact with our natural environment starts in our neighborhoods. She will ensure that additional funds are committed to implementing the Capital Plan for our parks, to improve unsafe conditions and make parks more inviting. Michela will restore budget cuts to the Department of Public Works to protect and expand our urban forest, maintaining trees on key streets across our City, such as Dolores Street, which runs through the Castro, Mission and Noe Valley neighborhoods.
Ensure that City Projects and Events Meet High Environmental Standards. San Francisco has tremendous renewable resources, and substantial purchasing power. Michela believes we should take full advantage – using shore power on the waterfront, putting a premium on environmental responsibility in purchasing, and working with corporate partners like the America’s Cup so than any event in our city makes a positive contribution to the environment.