By Richard Bourne

“I think Davis has the potential to lead the world in a better direction, onto a sustainable path with a stronger sense of community,” notes Cool Davis 2016 Eco Hero Steve Wheeler.

Now a full professor in UCD’s Department of Human Ecology, Steve came to Davis in 2007 and has become one of our leading volunteer local sustainability advocates.

He promotes infill in Davis that would accommodate residents in walk-able, bike-able locations, and thus reduce motor vehicle use and greenhouse-gas emissions while preserving agricultural land outside the city limits.

Steve’s lifelong love has been community planning.  He has shaped his career with total dedication to improving our human-made environment and its integration with the natural world.

His generalist outlook has taken him into all aspects of the sustainability movement.  Steve has taught an array of sustainability courses at UCD, and has published three books including Climate Change and Social Ecology.

In his busy life, Steve has served as editor of The Urban Ecologist journal, as Transportation Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, as an urban planning consultant, and as a lobbyist for environmental organizations in Washington, D.C.

He has won numerous awards including the Dale Prize for Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning, a national award given by Cal Poly Pomona.  Steve believes that a key aspect of sustainability is living a life in balance.

He bikes wherever he can, and spends fair weekends in his huge organic garden.  How fortunate we are that Steve has grown roots in Davis!

2016 Eco Hero: Transportation

2016 Cool Davis Award Recipients

Eco Heroes: Lisa Baker, Steven Wheeler, Parvaneh Keivanfar and Dana “Alex” Gray, Mike Hart

Climate Solutions: Mutual Housing Yolo, Davis Bicycles!, UC Davis Aggie Reuse Store

Each year Cool Davis recognizes individual Davis residents as Eco-Heroes. The winners are residents who model how to incorporate sustainable practices into their work, civic, and everyday lives. Acting out of personal conviction, they do “the right thing” for themselves, our community, and our planet.

The Cool Davis Climate Solution Awards go to local businesses, groups, or organizations for exemplary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  As they model ways to reduce their environmental impact, they become leaders in creating options to conserve resources, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and stabilize the climate.

In its efforts to work with our community on carbon reduction and sustainability, Cool Davis awards focus on Energy, Transportation, and Consumption.