As an engineer, mom, and 12-year high school science teacher, Silja Paymer sees every day how deeply climate change impacts our youth and working families. Recognizing that the city is at a pivotal moment in planning for its future, her decision to run for city council is rooted in the vision of Mountain View as “a vibrant model of ecological resilience, climate justice, and car-free multimodal transit.” 

Silja brings a wealth of experience advocating, organizing, and making progress toward that vision. Among her proudest achievements are:

• Co-founding and leading GreenSpacesMV, an organization that advocates for environmental policy and design;
• Spearheading the creation of a community pollinator native-plant habitat in Cuesta Park that conserves water, sequesters carbon, and restores biodiversity; and
• Organizing neighborhood “bike buses” to empower kids and parents to swap car trips for safe pedal power.

As a member of the Mountain View City Council, Silja would work to accelerate 100% building electrification, expand the urban native tree canopy, and transform municipal spaces into pesticide-free, biodiverse native sanctuaries. She believes that electrifying the city’s vehicle fleet only goes so far. “I would actually like to work to incorporate e-bikes to our city’s fleet. If it is not safe for city staff to bike around our city, then it is not safe for our children to bike around the city, and that needs to be addressed.” She does not categorically oppose the construction of data centers in Mountain View, but she would insist on strict economic and environmental safety measures as a condition for moving forward. “I believe in a Mountain View where we all live in a healthy, thriving ecosystem that supports our well-being.”

Campaign website: https://siljapaymer.com/

Volunteer some time: https://siljapaymer.com/#involved