Joshua Green’s involvement with California’s water issues dates back more than forty years. It’s part of a family tradition: his mother, the late Dorothy Green, was a co-founder of the California Water Impact Network.
“My mother was an activist by nature,” Joshua recalls, “and she instinctively opposed any policy she found unfair or corrupt. And water distribution in California fits that bill – it’s incredibly inequitable. She used me as a foil to talk through her thoughts and positions, and my own interest and commitment grew out of our conversations.”
Joshua enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, initially majoring in engineering and later switching to economics. Prior to getting his degree in 1981, he served as an intern in the California State Senate.
“I was there in 1980 when [Senator] Ruben Ayala pushed legislation for the Peripheral Canal,” recalled Joshua. “At that point I was already pretty well versed in water issues, and it was obvious it was a horrible project that would serve corporate agriculture at the expense of average ratepayers and the environment. I knew we had to stop it.”
But Joshua also knew the fight would be tough—especially when the enabling legislation for the canal passed in the Assembly Resources Committee.
“At that point it was clear that it probably was going to go all the way,” Joshua said. “But then the Los Angeles Times came out with an exposé that showed the cost of the canal would run about $23 billion – four times the original stated cost.” -Bio from C-WIN.org
