June 21 Update:

June 7 Update:

Legislative Update
The Foundation continues to support critical U.S. congressional legislation as well as important California environmental bills that are moving through their respective legislative processes:

• U.S. Senate Bill 2439, co-sponsored by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) to prohibit reproductive cloning and allow therapeutic cloning, will most likely be heard after the congressional Memorial Day recess.
  
  
• California Assembly Bill 1058, authored by Assemblymember Fran Pavley (D-41st District) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in vehicles, is currently in the Assembly awaiting a concurrence vote. Though the bill already passed the Assembly in January, the opposition campaign has been successful at removing enough votes to stall its passage at least temporarily.
  
  
• California Assembly Bill 2677, authored by Assemblymember Joe Nation (D-6th District), would provide parking incentives for clean vehicles. On May 13, AB 2667 passed out of the Assembly on a vote of 54-31 and is currently in the Senate.
  
  
• Assembly Bill 2461 by State Assemblymember Fred Keeley (D-27th District) would renew an expiring California law that keeps vehicle license fees for alternative-fuel vehicles competitive with those of traditional vehicles. Without AB 2461, owners of clean vehicles would be subject to a financial barrier of ownership in the form of higher registration fees. The bill passed out of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee on May 16 with a vote of 6-0 and now resides in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  

Grant Programs: Deadlines
Our Environmental Grants Program has a deadline of June 28, 2002 for submission of complete proposals. For more information about that program, review Environmental Grants.

Recent Publicity
"Portfolio: Steve Kirsch"
Writer John Boudreau highlights Steve Kirsch's personal approach to investing. Steve reveals his strategies, blunders and tips for success.
San Jose Mercury News – John Boudreau, May 19, 2002
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/

"The Power 100 of Silicon Valley"
Co-founder Steve Kirsch is recognized for his philanthropic efforts in a San Jose Magazine article. Other public figures who "Get and Give a Piece of the Philanthropic Pie" are Peter Hero, Community Foundation of Silicon Valley President; Laura Arrillaga, Arrillaga Foundation Director; David Packard, Packard Humanities Institute Founder; and Lisa Sobrato, President and Trustee of the Sobrato Family Foundation.
San Jose Magazine – Heather Wax, May 2002
www.sanjosemagazine.com

"A Deeply Flawed Review"
Joseph Cirincione, the Director of the Carnegie Non-Proliferation Project, reveals the major defects of the 2002 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). He comments that the suggested policies of the report further entrench U.S. military policy in a Cold War mindset. Also, the NPR might be in direct opposition to the United States' obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and actually encourage other countries to further develop weapons of mass destruction.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – May 16, 2002
www.ceip.org

"Treaty Offers Pentagon New Flexibility"
The New York Times reviews the details of the new U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty. The treaty's main constraint is that neither country has more than 2,200 warheads active at the end of 2012, the date the agreement automatically expires. Lacking in the treaty are provisions relating to permanently dismantling nuclear weapons as opposed to simply storing them, as well as timelines for any such actions.
New York Times – Michael R. Gordon, May 15, 2002
www.nytimes.com

"Report: Pollution kills 9,300 in state annually"
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy organization, released a report today detailing how floating particles, especially those from car exhaust and factories, cause more than 9,300 deaths in the state each year. This report was funded in part by a Kirsch Foundation grant. To read the press release, see the Environmental Working Group's website.
San Jose Mercury News – May 15, 2002
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/

"Larry Ellison's Final Frontier"
As the largest private funder of aging research, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison hopes to unlock the key to prolonging one's life span. With support from the Ellison Medical Foundation researchers delve into areas that the federal government may avoid and are breaking ground at a fast pace.
Worth Magazine – John Sedgwick, May 2002
www.worth.com

California Legislative Update
The Foundation continues to support several important bills that are moving through the legislative process:

• California Assembly Bill 1058, authored by Assemblymember Fran Pavley (D-41st District) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in vehicles, passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee (8-3 vote) on April 30. The full Senate then passed the bill (22-13 vote) on May 2. The Assembly will soon hold a concurrence vote, which could send the legislation to Governor Davis for signing, veto or no action.
  
  
• California Assembly Bill 2677, authored by Assemblymember Joe Nation (D-6th District), would provide parking incentives for clean vehicles. The legislation passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on a 16-5 vote on May 1 and is scheduled to be heard on the Assembly floor.
  
  
• California Senate Bill 1230, authored by Senator Dede Alpert (D-San Diego), would outlaw human reproductive cloning. The bill passed out of the Senate on a vote of 22-5 and currently resides in the Assembly.
  
  
• California Senate Bill 1272, authored by Senator Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), would formally safeguard embryonic stem cell research. SB 1272 passed out of the Senate on a vote of 21-10 and is now in the Assembly.
  
  

Recent Publicity
"Car Makers' Vintage Whine"
In this editorial, the Los Angeles Times reflects on the automotive industry's historical tendency to steadfastly oppose legislation in the public interest. In the past, automobile manufacturers tried to defeat the regulations that mandated seat belts, airbags, and catalytic converters on the basis that technical limitations and cost would make them completely unfeasible. Similarly, these manufacturers are now making the same arguments opposing Assembly Bill 1058 (Pavley), which would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California vehicles.
Los Angeles Times, Editorial- April 26, 2002
www.latimes.com

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April 2002 Archives

April 26 Update:

Detailed Information about Near Earth Objects (NEOs)
We are committed to ensuring world safety and one significant threat is that a large Near Earth Object (NEO) could impact the Earth and change or destroy our environment. In addition to funding research to identify NEOs, we have added information about asteroids and the threat they present.

California Legislative Update
The Foundation supports several bills that are continuing to move through the legislative process:

• California Senate Bill 1230, authored by Senator Dede Alpert (D-San Diego), which would outlaw reproductive cloning, passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 9-0 vote and is currently scheduled to be heard on the Senate Floor in May.
  
  
• Identical bills California Senate Bill 1994 and Assembly Bill 2682, which create monetary incentives for cleaner commercial engines, are also progressing. SB 1994, from Senator Nell Soto (D-Ontario), passed out of the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality on a 4-2 vote and currently resides in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Meanwhile, AB 2682, authored by Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-49th District), successfully passed the Assembly's Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and is now in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  
  
• The Foundation recently added its support to Assembly Bill 2677, authored by State Assemblymember Joe Nation (D-6th District). The bill would generate model ordinances that local governments could use to create parking incentives for clean vehicles. On April 22, 2002, the bill passed through the Assembly Transportation Committee on an 11-5 vote. It currently resides in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
  
  

Kirsch Investigator Updates
Dr. Susan Wente will be joining Vanderbilt University Medical Center effective July 1 as Professor and Chair of the Cell and Developmental Biology Department. She had been a faculty member in the department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, since 1993.

For more information about the Kirsch Investigators, see Current Investigators.

Discretionary Grants:

• Conservation International

Recent Publicity
"California cool cars: Any auto entrepreneurs left?"
In this guest commentary, Foundation Chairman Steve Kirsch and Sybase Founder Bob Epstein write about the automotive industry's lack of an entrepreneurial approach to resolving environmental issues. They point out that California has a tremendous opportunity to innovate with Assembly Bill 1058 (Pavley), currently before the legislature. If passed, the bill would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles by encouraging automakers to be innovative in addressing the global warming problem.
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, Steve Kirsch and Bob Epstein- April 12, 2002
www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/

"Working Better Together"
Seven organizations in the nonprofit, business and government sector formed a partnership and recently published a report detailing the importance of collaboration to effectively address challenging public issues. View the executive summary.
www.independentsector.org

Award for Foundation's Public Policy Work in California
The Kirsch Foundation received the Public Policy Excellence Award from the California Association of Nonprofits' Nonprofit Policy Council on Tuesday, April 2, at a reception in Sacramento. State Senator Byron Sher (D-Stanford) and Assemblymember S. Joseph Simitian (D-21st District) presented the award to Susan Frank, the Foundation's Director, Public Policy. This award recognizes individual or group efforts to develop and/or implement public policy initiatives and practices that significantly improve California communities. The Foundation was recognized for its overall public policy activities in California, and specifically for its role in the ZEV (Zero-Emission Vehicle) Alliance and its successes in pursuing clean air legislation and regulations.

Silicon Valley Urgency Fund Distributes Final Grants
The Urgency Fund announced its second and final round of grants on April 2. Forty-seven agencies received a total of $970,575. We contributed $200,000 toward the total $3 million fund established in October 2001 by the Skoll Community Fund at Community Foundation Silicon Valley. The fund supported local organizations that provide the safety net for the community. For a complete listing of recipients, read the press release.

California Assembly Bill 1058 Update
The landmark bill to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles continues to progress through the legislature. On April 1, Assembly Bill 1058 passed out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on a 5-2 vote. Currently, the bill resides in the Senate Appropriations Committee where it is undergoing amendments and will most likely be heard later this month. We are actively lobbying in support of AB 1058 as part of a broader coalition that includes dozens of environmental and public health groups.

Foundation Supports Pro-Environment Legislation
The Foundation supports two bills in the legislature that would help clean up California's air.

• Assembly Bill 2461 by State Assemblymember Fred Keeley (D-27th District) would renew an expiring California law that keeps vehicle license fees for alternative-fuel vehicles competitive with those of traditional vehicles. Without AB 2461, owners of clean vehicles would be subject to a financial barrier of ownership in the form of higher registration fees.
  
  
• CA Senate Bill 1994 and Assembly Bill 2682, coauthored by State Senator Nell Soto (D-Ontario) and State Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-49th District), would create $200 million annually in state programs fighting petroleum-related pollution of air and water. By imposing a $.30 fee on each barrel of oil refined in California, this legislation would establish a stable funding source for the successful Carl Moyer Program as well as create a new incentive program dedicated to cleaner school buses.
  
  

CAMR Launches Nationwide Advertising Campaign to Support SCNT
The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) has initiated an advertising campaign to educate Americans on the issue of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also known as therapeutic cloning. Print advertising and radio spots have been running in key states in order to inform voters about the issues related to SCNT. In addition, 40 Nobel Laureates have added their support for therapeutic cloning, saying that a total ban on cloning would have a "chilling effect on scientific research."

Kirsch Investigator Updates
Dr. Ronald DePinho received the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) Award for 2002. Started in 1997, this annual award was established to recognize an outstanding member of ASCI, an honor society of physician-scientists. Dr. DePinho is the fifth recipient to receive this $20,000 award.

Dr. Ben Barres was promoted to professor of neurobiology and developmental biology as of March 1, 2002. He joined Stanford in 1993 and received tenure as an associate professor in 1997.

For more information about the Kirsch Investigators, see Current Investigators.

Recent Foundation Grants
The Kirsch Foundation announces the following grants: