For Immediate Release
May 25, 2008
Breathe California Chosen to Coordinate the Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition
Breathe California is proud to announce that it has been chosen to serve as the Coordinator for the Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition. The announcement was made on April 18th by Michael Bednarz from the U.S. Department of Energy, which sponsors close to 100 such coalitions across the country.
The Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition is a partnership of public, private agencies, businesses, and interested citizens whose goal is to improve air quality and achieve energy independence by promoting and advancing the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in the area. Through its collaborative network, the coalition acts as an information clearinghouse and resource on AFVs, while also:
- Advocating cities and corporations to utilize AFVs in their fleets.
- Coordinating efforts to raise awareness of the benefits of AFVs.
- Providing educational trainings and workshops to assist fleet operators transition to AFVs.
- Working with community leaders to affect policy and legislation that will further promote AFVs.
"Breathe California and Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition are a perfect marriage for working together to reduce vehicle emissions,” said Bob Garzee, Chairman of Synergy EV, Inc. and a Board Director for the coalition. “We enthusiastically welcome this health-focused organization, its aggressive leader Margo Sidener and its hundreds of volunteers to our team.”
In its new role, Breathe California will help coordinate the efforts of the coalition’s many members. In one of its first acts, the agency helped coordinate a Clean Cities Coalition presence at CISCO System’s Earth Day event – one of the largest in Silicon Valley. With more than 5,000 people in attendance, the group showcased zero-emission electric cars, initiated a dialogue with CISCO about “greening” their fleet, and educated attendees about AFVs, air pollution and its impact on public health.
To learn more about the Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition, please visit www.svcleancities.org or call Breathe California at (408) 998-5865.