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Bren, Irvine Smith named as OC “eco barons”

March 3rd, 2009, 6:56 am · 5 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor

Two Orange Couny icons who use their wealth to help shape the local environment appear on a Times of London list of the world’s top “eco barons” — big-time investors in green projects.

 Donald Bren, chairman of the Irvine Co., appears ninth on the list of 100 that begins with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

“Irvine Company takes its commitment to the environment very seriously, and it is always an honor to have that commitment recognized,” Bren said through a spokesman. 

And Joan Irvine Smith, an environmental activist, philanthropist and granddaughter of James Harvey Irvine, the founder of the Irvine Co., comes in at number 89.

“I love it,” Smith said Monday. “I think it’s great. That’s been my great passion for as long as I can remember.”

But, she said, “I don’t really look at myself as an eco baron. I simply am one small voice in the wilderness.”

Bren, 76, earned a spot on the list by pledging a total of $20 million to the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. Bren is also known locally for committing $50 million to preserve and protect Irvine Co. wild lands.

 Smith, 75, who is also great graunddaughter of James Irvine I, founder of the Irvine Ranch, gained her place on the list by starting the National Water Research Institute with her late mother, Athalie R. Clarke. The institute researches ways to create new water sources and to protect water bodies. She’s also credited with funding global warming research at UC Irvine.

Bren’s worth is put at $12 billion on the Times’ list, Smith’s at more than $280 million.

 

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     5 Comments

    • Richard says:
      March 3, 2009 at 9:01 am

      Joan Irvine Smith is a *real* woman of OC.

    • ms wendy gardner says:
      March 3, 2009 at 9:45 am

      Ok, fine, all ‘good’. But, these are people who both sold OUT (Ms Irvine to Mr Bren) and watched as $ ruled and the land around Laguna Canyon is lost for ever. Yeah, all and good that a token bit was ’saved’ for the ‘name of the enviornment and to make them look good’. But it’s so pathetic that these people can both buy their ranking on the London Times list as “Eco Savers’> Please…get a life on glorifying both Bren and Irvine!

    • RandyBalboa says:
      March 3, 2009 at 10:12 am

      To bad these two “Eco-Barons” won’t take credit for ruining Newport Bay, and helped turn the bay into a County flood control system! Bren has profited Billions from the San Diego Creek watershed dumping tons of sediment and toxins daily into Newport’s upper bay. His foundations of urban developments all drain into and through Newport Bay daily. Joan Irvine Smiths side of the family destroyed natural water features in Tustin that caused more runoff to go into Newport bay instead of the Santa Ana River. What was a two mile watershed is now a 153 square mile watershed! The agriculture monopoly on Irvine Ranch eroded tons of sediment via irrigation ditches that ate they’re way to the bay.
      Com-on you two “Eco Barons” cough up 5o million each and be real hero’s and fix the one big booboo your legacy is tied too, and we’ll call it even.
      Stop your urban soup into our bay!!!

    • John Pelley says:
      March 3, 2009 at 12:46 pm

      Thank you Donald for your environmental concern.

    • Mic Shrimpton says:
      March 3, 2009 at 1:05 pm

      Both Bren and Smith have contributed to the environmental changes that have occurred in Orange County but they have also contributed significantly to preserving the remaining natural areas. I think it is easy to bad mouth them but we should be thankful that they have saved some land for natural areas. It could have been even worse if other people were in charge - all the remaining natural areas could be gone.

      Also those of you that are bad mouthing about this, I sure hope you don’t live in a development here in Orange County - becuase you are part of the problem too!