THOMPSON ANNOUNCES 2026 YOLO COUNTY CLIMATE CRISIS CHAMPION

St. Helena, CA – Sunday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that Dr. Ruihong Zhang was chosen as the 2026 Yolo County Climate Crisis Champion. Each year, Rep. Thompson recognizes community members across California’s Fourth Congressional District to honor for their outstanding efforts to address our ongoing climate crisis.

“Dr. Zhang has helped transform the ecological health of Yolo County through her research,” said Thompson. “Dr. Zhang led the charge to develop the UC Davis Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester (READ) which converts 20 to 50 tons of waste into renewable energy and biofertilizers every day, diverting 20,000 tons of waste from local landfills each year. Through her work developing READ, Dr. Zhang has helped to both protect our climate by disposing of waste sustainably and benefit our economy by providing cheap electricity, fuel, and fertilizer. I am honored to name Dr. Ruihong Zhang a Climate Crisis Champion.”

Rep. Thompson was honored to award this year’s Climate Crisis Champions across each of our five counties in the 4th District: Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo. Champions are selected for their significant efforts to combat our continuing climate crisis and protect our environment at home in our communities. Through their advocacy, Climate Crisis Champions are helping to build a more sustainable future for all.

This year’s venue, Crocker & Starr, is an industry leader in environmental awareness and winery sustainability. Being a Napa Certified Green Winery is at the core of Crocker & Starr as they have always strived to be good stewards of the land.

A complete list of 2026 Climate Crisis Champions include:

• Luis Santana – Lake County Climate Crisis Champion
• Christina Benz – Napa County Climate Crisis Champion
• Sean McNamara – Solano County Climate Crisis Champion
• Richard Dale – Sonoma County Climate Crisis Champion
• Dr. Ruihong Zhang – Yolo County Climate Crisis Champion