"Can we have economic growth and a better environment? We can and we must. For, in reality, we cannot divide and segregate economic and environmental issues. The two are interrelated. They are inextricably tied together and the decisions we make about one affects the other."

Governor Edmund G. 'Pat' Brown
1973 on the occasion of the founding of CCEEB

California Leaders Win Pat Brown Award
May 23, 2007
Sacramento, California

At a special ceremony today, the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB) presented Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate President pro Tem Don Perata, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez with the 2007 Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Award for their recent work and collaboration on climate change policy in California.

More than 170 guests and dignitaries attended the event, including state legislators, agency officials, and many top policy experts from business, labor, and environmental organizations. The ceremony was held at the Sterling Hotel in Sacramento near the Capitol building.

VIEW the webcast.

READ the full ceremony transcripts.

READ the press release issued by Governor's Office.

Highlights from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's acceptance speech:

When you win an award or a trophy for bodybuilding, it's what you have done for yourself. But this, getting an award like this, is what you have done for the environment, what you have done for millions and millions of people. So this is without any doubt the most important award that I have ever received...

Three and a half years ago when I ran for governor I said that we have to protect the environment and protect the economy at the same time. So it is really amazing, when you think back, when the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance was created by Pat Brown in 1973, that he thought about that already, and that he envisioned that, because that's where the action is.

And I think that Governor Brown was really smart by including everybody. He reached out to business leaders, to labor leaders, environmentalists, public leaders and community leaders, and everybody. Everyone is included in this foundation and organization. And he challenged all Californians, always, and he talked about it, and he said: "Can we have economic growth and a better environment?" And of course he said: "We can and we must. For, in reality, we cannot divide and segregate economic and environmental issues." Those two are interconnected and interrelated, and this is exactly what it is.

Highlights from Senator Don Perata's acceptance speech:

I see this as simply the first round of a long fight that we're going to have for the environment. I was asked recently how we can have it both ways, have environmental preservation, environmental leadership, and still keep our economy going. And what we have in this state is very rare. We have the greatest university system in the world, so we have the classroom. We have the laboratory, because everything that we develop in California we can test right here. And then finally we have the market. We have the greatest marketplace in the world. And so in California we can provide the leadership for the next generation, for the generation after that. This is not a fad; this is a fact. And we are able to show that it can come from idea to laboratory to practice to market without ever leaving home.

I salute the leadership of the Governor, my friend and colleague Fabian Nœ–ez, and all of you for being willing to sustain what I believe is the most significant thing we can do with the time that we have in California and in California's leadership.

Highlights from Speaker Fabian Núñez's acceptance speech:

When people think about Pat Brown, we don't just think about the infrastructure investment that he made in our roads and highways and schools, and in water infrastructure; we think about the leadership that he provided. Albeit he was not the most popular governor in the world, certainly not the most popular governor in recent history; but he did have a sense of idealism, balanced with a very pragmatic approach to government, understanding that California is an important place to get things done, and California needs to be a leader for the rest of the country.

And I think that one of the reasons why I feel so honored to be one of three recipients here is that clearly I'm standing with two of the greatest leaders California has ever had, but also because of what Governor Pat Brown represents to me and to many young people who perhaps weren't born at the time that he was governor, and some of us who were, were very young while he was governor. But know that one leaves a lasting mark, when you think about a footprint that is larger than your own, and it impacts the lives of other people.

The environmental community convinced me that it was important to have a framework out of California that could help us build the momentum from the bottom up across the country, and that this was the only way we're going to get Congress to act, albeit we didn't know whether Congress would act. But we knew that if we took the right steps in California that ultimately the rest of the nation would follow. And we also knew that if we had a governor championing this cause, it would help spur the type of discussion and debate across the country that would elevate this issue to the kitchen table of every family in this country.

Highlights from CCEEB President Gerald D. Secundy's remarks:

Thirty-four years ago the late Governor Pat Brown believed that collaboration could fundamentally change politics in California. He founded CCEEB to advance this goal. As we look around the room today we see our friends, representing business, labor, the environment, government and others, who all strive to continue his legacy. I think Governor Brown would be very pleased.

Rarely has there been an environmental or economic problem of such complexity, of such magnitude, or of such reach. When the state's leadershipÑand leadership is the right wordÑwhen they decided to tackle climate change, they relied on collaboration with each other and with the people of California.

Just as Pat Brown could not see the future but could anticipate it, so must we work together on behalf of future generations. In 30 years or in 50 years, how will those Californians judge us? In the words of our founder: "What we do here may not have its full impact on our own lives. Our children and their children will be the better judges of what we do." Their judgment won't be based on writing in the books; it will be based on actions taken to ensure a sound economy and a healthy environment that support life on earth.

Highlights from CCEEB Chairman Walter McGuire's remarks:

I heard a thing on NPR a couple of weeks ago, it was an old New England fisherman who was just being interviewed, he was talking about some environmental problems that were really hurting his industry. And he said something which I thought was terrific, and maybe frames these awards today. He said: "You know, our children are not our future; we are their future." And I thought that was a heck of a turn on the phrase, because today we honor three wonderful leaders who actually have done something that will make my kids, and I'm sure the kids of this state, and maybe the world, a much better place.

We basically, I think, with AB 32 and other things we've done and said, that the fight against global warming really starts at home, and that home is California. And there's a choice, and California has made a choice to do something about it.

ELIGIBILITY
All individuals and organizations are eligible to receive this award, including elected officials, environmental, community, labor and business leaders, nonprofit organizations, professional and trade associations, and government agencies. Any individual or organization may submit one of more nominations for themselves or others. The criteria for nominations is intended to be broad and may include anything from honoring an individual for a lifetime of commitment to the ideals of environmental and economic balance to honoring an organization for a specific project or endeavor.

SELECTION
A Selection Committee will judge all nominations. The Selection Committee will consist of CCEEB Directors and be representative of all three of CCEEB's constituencies. Nominations are open at specific times of the year. Shortly after the nomination deadline, the Committee will announce its final selection. CCEEB will host a lunch honoring the recipient(s) at an award celebration near the Capitol in Sacramento, California.

ABOUT THE AWARD
The award is a hand crafted gold, sterling silver and bronze sculpture created and designed exclusively for CCEEB by jewelry artist Cheryl Brink. The sculpture symbolized th need to balance CCEEB's tripartite coalition of business, labor and public members. Its three individual columns stand only through their connections to each other.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

Donald Bren
for his leadership in creating and implementing a voluntary open space conservation program

John Krautkraemer, Dan Nelson and Timothy Quinn
for their leadership in negotiating and securing approval of the landmark Bay/Delta Water Accord

Richard M. Rosenberg, Former Chairman, Bank America Corporation
for his ability to incorporate environmental practices into banking operations and corporate management

The Walt Disney Company
for their Environmentality Program that is designed to teach and encourage each person and employee to think and act with the environment in mind

California Air Resources Board, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the South Coast Air Quality Management District
for the joint ad campaign , "Success is in the Air", celebrating 50 years of clean air progress

Steve McCormick of The Nature Conservancy
for a lifetime of work in environmental conservation

Lucy Blake and Linda Bagneschi
for their work on environmental indicators that describes the state of progress toward reaching environmental goals

Shaklee Corporation
for becoming the first certified Climate Neutral enterprise in the United States

3M Corporation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for the participation of 3M in the National Environmental Performance Track Program and to US EPA for creating such a program

Sustainable Conservation
for the advancement of stewardship that actively engages businesses and private landowners in conservation

The Dow Chemical Company
for establishing and maintaining The Dow Wetlands, a 471 acre preserve, that hosts more than 170 species of birds and has a diverse range of habitats that include freshwater/brackish tidal marsh, freshwater ponds and open water, mudflats, riparian zones, uplands and grasslands.

Wine Instiute, California Association of Winegrape Growers, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and the many wineries and grape growers who have worked together in an effort to promote sustainability in winegrape growing practices that are environmentally sensitive, socially responsive and economically feasible.

BAAQMD (Bay Area Air Quality Management District), BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit District) and MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) for striking an unprecedented and innovative partnership to improve regional air quality by creating a "Spare the Air" day promotion that gives a Free Morning Commute to passengers on the first five "Spare the Air" weekdays.

CCEEB will honor the 2007 Pat Brown Award Recipient at an award luncheon at the Sterling Hotel in Sacramento, California (date to be determined). Please contact Yvonne Vukasin for further information at 415/512-7890 x14.