( Berkeley , CA ) – On Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 9:30 a.m., Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) will be hosting a Town Hall meeting on Solutions to the Global Warming Crisis. Speakers include: Bruce Hamilton from the Sierra Club , Catherine Witherspoon from the California Air Resources Board, California Public Utilities Commissioner Dian Grueneich, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates , Ian Kim from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and Daniel Kammen from the UC Berkeley Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory.  The event will take place at Berkeley City College , 2050 Center Street , in Berkeley .

“I am convening this forum because I believe that Global Warming is a serious problem that we as Californians cannot afford to ignore. Our state is a microcosm of every national and global environmental challenge.  The enactment of AB 32 – the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 – gave us an important framework to begin to address these challenges.  However, we have a lot more work ahead of us if we are going to effectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We want to get it right -- for ourselves, for our children and for the planet,” said Assemblywoman Hancock. 

Assemblywoman Hancock is hosting this informative and dynamic event to explore strategies for reducing our consumption of electric power and gasoline, to implement transit–oriented development, conserve natural resources and foster green businesses.  Participants will learn how creating a climate-friendly culture in the Bay Area can positively impact their lives, families, businesses, communities, and ultimately our planet. 

“The climate crisis is overwhelming; to slow the warming trend, the planet as a whole must emit fewer greenhouse gases. But solutions are not out of reach. Reducing emissions requires action at all levels: global, federal, state, regional, local and individual,” said Hancock.

SPEAKER AVAILABILITY: From 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, other elected officials and speakers will be available to meet with members of media.