PG&E: Monopolizing Our Grid As Well As Our Public Forums

We had a quick guerrilla action this morning at PG$E's downtown office where they were hosting a Chamber of Commerce sponsored event that was focused on the theme: "How Business Can Preserve the Planet."  Of course Gavin Newsom, PG$E's favorite spokesman, was there to give a talk entitled "San Francisco: America's Greenest City."  Wow!  Imagine that... Gavin giving a self-congratulatory speech.  I'm sure he threw much praise in the direction of his wonderful benefactor PG$E as well. 

So we decided to show up and greet folks as they arrived with our own messaging because we think it's unacceptable that Gavin can be making claims of greatness when so much work needs to be done.  Other than sing the praises of PG$E, what is Gavin actually doing to promote sustainability in SF?  Not much, that's for sure!!

Despite Gavin's lack of leadership, SF is on the verge of becoming a beacon to cities across the US who are looking for ways to address the climate crises NOW.  If Prop H passes this November, SF will be an example of how local communities can take action to make sure that there is accountability in pursing aggressive clean energy mandates.   

So please... in any way you can, help support Prop H between now and November so that we can take back our energy grid in SF as well as our public forums.

If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, please check out Amanda Witherell's article on Prop H in the SF Bay Guardian from last week.

And please give a waive to PG$E's security team the next time you're at Market & Beale:

So what's Prop H all about...

Well if you've been following our blog recently you've noticed we here are strong supports of San Francisco's proposed Prop H. We're doing our best to get the word out that this is a well written policy that will be the impetus for real change in SF's energy future.

We would love your help in the next two months to build the necessary momentum to get Prop H passed. PG$E has already spent $500,000 to fight this because they realize the danger it poses. Just imagine if local communities start to pass similar mandates that require their local governments to ensure that their power supply is coming completly from renewable sources within three decades. Well if we pass Prop H in SF then other communities will see that it's possible and they will begin to tire of PG$E's greenwash and their failure to even keep up with conservative State mandates.

PG$E is scared!!! They're scared that more and more communities will say no thank you to their nuclear and natural gas infrastructure. They're scared that people will begin to realize that PG$E is going to milk their old & dirty infrastructure for every last dime and that their marketing campaign to create a green image is just an attempt to give them more time to profit from dirty energy. They're scared that more and more people will begin to realize that PG$E is not the answer to our energy crises.

Please join us as we work to build a sustainable energy future for SF and in doing so make this city a beacon for other communities who are working to do the same.

If you would like to get involved please contact us at dirtytruth@letsgreenwashthiscity.org


And if you want to know more about Prop H, below are some good links to check out:

Clean Energy Act - Prop H
Campaign's website

PG&E’s First Big Lies
Editorial, San Francisco Bay Guardian, August 6, 2008

SF Girds For Its Biggest Public Power Fight Yet
SF Chronicle article, September 3, 2008

Ways to help support Prop H this Labor Day weekend...

Friday, Aug. 29:

Critical Mass

• For Critical Mass, we have stickers to pass out that have a “Shift to Clean Energy Yes on H” message with bike imagery on them. To meet up with us, you can come with your bike to the Global Exchange office at 2017 Mission St at 5pm, and we’ll ride over from there to pass out stickers at Justin Herman Plaza before the Critical Mass ride departs at 6pm. Or just find us at Justin Herman Plaza before 6pm.

Saturday, Aug. 30:

Slow Food Nation

• We’ll be handing out literature and have clipboards to sign up supporters for Prop H at various Slow Food Nation events, including:

• 11:30am outside Herbst Theater to catch people on their way in to the “Climate Change & Food” event. Also again after the event from 1:30pm-2pm outside Herbst Theater.

• 3pm-7pm at the Slow Food Rocks Concert at the Great Meadow at Fort Mason Center. We’ll be passing out our music themed rock guitar “Yes on H!” stickers and signing up supporters.

Sunday, Aug. 31:

Sunday Streets

• 9am – 1pm along the Embarcadero in the 4.5 miles section from Chinatown to Bayview closed to cars and open for people (www.sundaystreetssf.com) We’ll have stickers to pass out that have a “Shift to Clean Energy Yes on H” message with bike imagery on them. We’ll also be handing out literature and have clipboards to sign up supporters for Prop H.

Slow Food Nation

• We’ll be handing out literature and have clipboards to sign up supporters for Prop H at various Slow Food Nation events, including:

• 12:00 Noon Farmers Market. Meet at Larkin & Civic Center Plaza at 12 Noon.

If you would like to join us at any of these events and you want further details, please email us at dirtytruth@letsgreenwashthiscity.org

PG$E v. SF Clean Energy

Rough. PG$E keeps trying to make this argument that we should oppose Prop H and keep paying for their dirty energy. I think that one of their main points is that keeping our energy dirty will keep it reliable, but I can't quite make out what they're saying over the sound of their equipment exploding all over the city. And by "exploding" I mean multiple manhole covers violently flying into the air:

"Another sewer frisbee went flying at 8:55 last night at Stockton and O'Farrell when a PG&E transformer fire triggered an underground explosion. No one was hurt, thankfully."


There's also a fantastic article in the Guardian about the blank check that PG$E has written to oppose Prop H. They've been sparing no expense in purchasing the illusion of grassroots support. They even went so far as to pay for a ballot argument from the SF Republican Party. The article also gives an excellent profile of PG$E's record of lining SF politician's pockets.

Photo Ops Don't Make Gavin Green

The opportunity was just too good to pass up. In the heat of his posturing against the SF Clean Energy Act, Greenwash Gavin went downt to Chrissy Field to help unveil a new climate change art exhibit. He even got a flashy award for a citywide reduction in carbon emissions that, at best, he's failed to muck up. The event used the full greenwashing playbook. There were photo ops with sculptures of the earth, the actions of a city were co-opted to make its mayor look squeeky green, there was a march of corporate sponsors and plenty of emphasis on the "little things" that add up to big change. (Funny how we forget that sometimes big things, like dumping a dirty power company, also add up to make big change.)

I showed up decked out in a gorrilla costume with a giant Gavin mask and a "Photo Ops Can't Make Gavin Green" sign. Someone, I think Eric Jaye, promptly told me that I was disgusting, but the reporters all seemed interested. I handed out a flyer with talking points, gave out my contact info along with a few soundbytes, and generally worked the crowd. Once I'd clarified that I didn't want to start trouble cops and park rangers came up to me and showed support, along with a good chunk of the crowd. I tried but failed to get in a shot with Gavin. Some scrawny, dude in a pinstripe claiming to be "part of the mayor's security detail" kept blocking my way and I didn't want to start trouble. (Seriously, this guy looked like he was going to collapse under the weight of his own hairgel. Any security that he had was far from apparent.)

Moral of the story- a little prep, a little research and a little timing can work wonders.