Petaluma's Climate Communism Brought to You by the Building Decarbonization Coalition
Petaluma Councilmember Barnacle and former Climate Action Commission Vice Chair Bartholomy are paid executives of the Building Decarbonization Coalition
For the past three years, incumbent Brian Barnacle has served as a Councilmember for the City of Petaluma, CA. While seeking re-election in 2024, Barnacle promises the following:
‘I will continue to champion issues like affordable and workforce housing, traffic relief, street safety, climate action, environmental protection, a vibrant downtown, supporting local businesses, parks and recreation, public safety, helping seniors age in place, and being an inclusive family-friendly community.’
In addition to serving on the City Council, Brian has served on the following bodies:
Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, Council Liaison, 2023-present
Petaluma Fairgrounds Ad Hoc Committee, Member, 2023-present
Sonoma Clean Power, Board Member, 2023-present
Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Board Member, 2023-present
Petaluma Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Board Member, 2023
Petaluma Music Parks and Recreation Commission, Council Liaison, 2021-2022
Petaluma Business & Tourism Improvement Districts, Council Laison, 2021-2022
North Bay Water Reuse Authority, Board Member, 2021-2022
Sonoma County Agriculture & Open Space District, Community Advisory Council Member, 2021-2022
Per Mr. Barnacle’s campaign website:
Brian’s career has zeroed in on clean energy, including electrification, energy efficiency, solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and microgrids. Brian has forged partnerships among public agencies, community groups, and private companies to help build a clean energy economy. Brian’s leadership, knowledge, and skills have earned him multiple awards for personal and team accomplishments.
Brian is currently Director of Strategy & Development for Building Decarbonization Coalition, a nonprofit focused on powering the nation’s buildings with emissions-free energy.
Director of Strategy & Development, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Founder, Outthink
Mr. Barnacle’s candidate statement of economic interest (Form 700) submitted to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) in 2020 included Outthink LLC as a source of income. The entity appears to be a consulting firm focused on two primary clients: Prospect Silicon Valley (ProspectSV) & Building Decarbonization Coalition.
A September 2020 article in the Petaluma Argus Courier stated the following:
“Barnacle went to Santa Rosa Junior College and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he studied city planning.
After living in Oakland and Portland, Oregon, he moved back to Petaluma two years ago. He has worked in the clean energy industry, including energy efficiency, solar, battery storage, electric vehicles and microgrids and has experience forging public-private partnerships.
At the end of 2019, he founded Outthink, the startup consultancy that helps companies and nonprofits reduce their carbon footprint.”
The Founder and Executive Director for the Building Decarbonization Coalition is Mr. Panama Bartholomy.
Mr. Bartholomy is currently a Senior Fellow for Architecture 2030, an organization which aims to rapidly transform the built environment from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central solution to the climate crisis.
His bio states:
“Panama Bartholomy is the Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a cross-sectoral initiative to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment. Previously he directed the Investor Confidence Project where he worked to unlock capital markets for energy efficiency project development.
Panama was the Advisor on Energy and Natural Resources to California Assembly Speaker John A. Perez. He has served as Deputy Director of the California Energy Commission’s Efficiency and Renewables Division and advisor for Chairwomen Douglas and Pfannenstiel. He has worked for the California Conservation Corps on vocational environmental education, and ran the Sustainable Schools program for the Division of the State Architect. Panama served on the City of Sacramento Planning Commission and the County of Sacramento Environmental Commission, and is a former board member on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and past president of the Northern California Chapter of the USGBC.”
Since passing a Climate Emergency Resolution in May 2019, the Petaluma Council has established a Climate Action Commission, lent support to legislation to cut carbon emissions, and adopted climate-friendly ordinances such as a ban on polystyrene products. Commissions advise the City Council on a wide variety of subjects by making recommendations on important policy matters.
Per Resolution 2019-163B N.C.S; it just so happens that Mr. Bartholomy was the Vice Chair of the City of Petaluma’s Climate Action Commission through June 30, 2023.
The City staff informed me that he joined the Commission in 2019, but only filed a statement of economic interest upon assuming office. He claimed that he held zero reportable interests on any schedule.
As cited from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s website:
“The Air District funded the creation of the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s Clean Building Compass, a comprehensive building decarbonization policy clearinghouse for local governments seeking guidance on a spectrum of different policy pathways. Resources found in the Clean Building Compass include guidance materials, policy reports, fact sheets, ordinances, and other related materials.”
“The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) introduced The Switch Is On campaign in 2019, aiming to inform, motivate, and facilitate the transition to electric appliances for communities, contractors, and anyone who lives or works in a building. The Air District collaborates as a partner in this endeavor.”
The funding of the Coalition’s initiatives presents a tremendous conflict of interest being that Mr. Barnacle has served as a Board Member for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District since 2023.
Per the District’s website, he has simultaneously served as a Member of the District’s Stationary Source and Climate Impacts Committee.
As Mr. Barnacle and Mr. Bartholomy advocate for decarbonization on behalf of the Democratic Party, they have made no mention of the utilization of modern-day slave labor.
I wrote an article in The California Globe which details the catastrophic effects of transitioning to zero emissions:
“Global demand for critical minerals lithium and cobalt is expected to spike between 400 and 600 percent in the coming years. These rare minerals are used to power electric vehicles.
The Council on Foreign Relations expresses grave concerns surrounding cobalt mining practices. This rare element is not only used to power electric vehicles, but computers and cell phones as well. Per the Council, “More than 70 percent of the world’s cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and 15 to 30 percent of the Congolese cobalt is produced by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). For years, human rights groups have documented severe human rights issues in mining operations. These human rights risks are particularly high in artisanal mines in the DRC, a country weakened by violent ethnic conflict, Ebola, and high levels of corruption. Child labor, fatal accidents, and violent clashes between artisanal miners and security personnel of large mining firms are recurrent.”
As enslaved children mine rare minerals in the Congo, Mr. Bartholomy enjoys the luxury of his recently purchased $1.3M Petaluma home.
Are Petaluma’s elected and appointed officials best serving their constituents, or rather paid puppets introducing communism under the guise of ‘climate action’?
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” -Timothy 6:9