When Jerry Brown became governor of California in 1975, it was, for many of us, a relatively green nirvana. He created the Office of Appropriate Technology. He established a state sustainable energy agency called SolarCal.They were heady times, and much good was accomplished.

Now, he’s coming  back to Sacramento as governor, older and maybe wiser, and old hands are looking to see if the same progressive ideas will be showing up. We’ll see. When he was mayor of  Oakland, Brown hired the founder of the Rainforest Action Network, Randy Hayes, to make Oakland a sustainable city. Will there be a return act?

California, of course, is in a gigantic mess, budget-wise. Programs will be cut. Taxes will be raised. No fun. But maybe this is an opportunity to put lean, mean and green policies and programs to work