David Baird Goldstein
06/29/1951 - 10/18/2024
David B. Goldstein, 73, died October 18th at home after a valiant struggle with cancer. His life was defined by his closeness to family and friends and to his transformative work of protecting the environment from climate change and air pollution. His professional success was aided by his uncanny ability to explain complex and nuanced concepts to non-technical audiences of political decision-makers, his students, mentees, and family members.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he attended Cleveland Heights High School and UC Berkeley, earning a BA and a Ph.D. in physics. At Natural Resources Defense Council for 43 years, he was a tireless advocate for energy efficiency codes and standards for appliances, buildings, and industry. He was instrumental in improving building standards in China, India and Russia.
He was awarded a 2002 MacArthur Foundation fellowship and the 1998 Leo Szilard Award for Physics in the Public Interest. He authored Saving Energy Growing Jobs and Invisible Energy.
David had numerous interests, chief among them his family, travel, photography, classical and rock music, the arts, and Judaism. He met his wife, Julia Vetromile, on public transit. They became inseparable, marrying in 1980, and living in San Francisco. In addition to his wife, David is survived by his children Elianna Goldstein (Robert) and Abraham Goldstein (Alana), sister Joan Bendix (Jeff); and grandchildren Gabriel, Eli, Ariadne, Asher, and Judah.
David's funeral was held at Congregation Emanu-El, in San Francisco.
Continue his legacy by performing innovative and creative work, listening with intention, loving fully, and developing further ways to reduce carbon emissions and repair the world. Donations can be made to Institute for Market Transformation or NRDC.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Oct. 20, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for David Goldstein

Sponsored by Sinai Memorial Chapel Chevra Kadisha.

20 Entries

Dave Bauer

November 12, 2024

David was a blessing to his family, friends and to the world. We´ll miss him dearly. May his memory be a blessing

Susan Buller

Planted Trees

Kevin Bright

October 30, 2024

My deepest condolences to the Goldstein family. I had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Directors at the Consortium for Energy Efficiency with David and enjoyed many wonderful conversations with him. He was always an advocate for making the environment better for all living things, and married that passion with a sensibility rooted in getting things done. I always enjoyed meetings in San Francisco where David would share stories and insights about his hometown. He will be greatly missed.

Evelyn Arevalo

Planted Trees

Gil & Sharon Peach

Planted Trees

Paul Scheihing

October 24, 2024

I am so sorry to hear of David´s passing. He and I worked on ISO standards and as such interacted with people from many countries. David was a great listener and was a tremendous encourager to me in my work at DOE. He was brilliant and always thinking of innovative ways to advance energy efficiency. He loved his family greatly and always talked about them. He will be missed. The people he mentored live on to carry out his work.

Gil Peach

October 23, 2024

I first met David in 1982 as Pacific Power, BPA, NRDC, and others launched the Hood River Conservation Project in Oregon, a public/private project of about six years to test the limits of then current residential energy conservation at a community no cost to participants. During this time, David was also engaged in his initial work on refrigerators, and then other appliances which ultimately touched every home with electric appliances. David was bright, saw a good bit of humor in human interactions, and had very high discussion and debating skills, all of which he used creatively in interest intermediation, avoiding ideologies of left and right. He was quite modest, seriously following traditional science norms that make both academic and applied science work. At the time, this was called critical realism, accompanied by careful measurement and evaluation. Today it might be called experimentalist governance. We are told that choices today are between greater and lesser evils. Instead, David constructed a life of greater light showing the possibility of using science for humane goals. The consistency of his life is action to repair and improve the world. If there is a way forward through climate change, it is David's way.

Marilyn Brown

October 23, 2024

David was smart, articulate, and committed to making sure that energy efficiency was never overlooked. We had wonderful conversations at ACEEE Summer Studies and various Board meetings in DC. We have lost a gargantuan leader in the clean energy movement, but he seeded so many followers and colleagues, that his impact will live on forever.

Sophia Orchen

October 23, 2024

I have known David and his family since I was very young. His brilliance was acknowledged very early. He was always respectful and tender to all as he knew he was exceptional yet always stayed humble and available. His death is a great loss to society. Blessings to his family.

Valerie Richardson

October 23, 2024

Sending my deepest condolences to Julia and family. David did so much for our industry. I personally enjoyed our conversations about his travels and photography. He will be missed. Rest in PeacecDavid.

Jill Stauffer

October 23, 2024

I worked with David at NRDC for three years when I was a young person trying to find my way and he was instrumental in making me see my value and is one reason why I ended up as a college professor. We kept in touch over the years and I valued his friendship very highly. His intelligence was rare, as it was attached to an ability to explain difficult concepts to anyone willing to listen. I will miss him.

Susan Isakovitz Markowitz

October 23, 2024

So so very sorry May His Memory Always Be a Blessing

Paul Waide

October 22, 2024

What to say about David? I must have met him about 10-15 times in my life, always involving one of us crossing an ocean, but each time was meaningful and he was an inspiration, a touchstone and someone deeply respected in the global energy efficiency and climate change community as well as in a private capacity. A genuine humanitarian who saw the bigger picture and whose values transcended the here and now, as did his impact (which was truly immense). A wonderful person who´s life inspired and inspires - thank you David - it's hard to comprehend you've passed but you are deeply missed.

jane peters

October 22, 2024

i am so sorry to hear that David is gone, I saw him last a couple of years ago and he seemed as usual so vibrant and engaged. He will be sorely missed. His contributions to reducing out dependence of fossil fuels and promoting efficiency and renewables are significant.

Diana Grant

October 22, 2024

I am so sorry to hear this news. I worked with him on the Lighting Design Lab project. He was a dedicated, brilliant, kind, thoughtful advocate for energy efficiency. Diana Grant

Christopher Granda

October 22, 2024

I've had the honor and privilege of considering David a colleague for the last 30 years. He always stood out for the clarity of his thinking and his scientific insight. I learned a great deal from him and will miss him.

Barbara Yankie

October 22, 2024

I served with David on the RESNET Board of Directors for almost 10 years. He was an inspiration to all. I will always remember his kindness and the patience he showed me when explaining a concept/idea. He will be greatly missed.

Michael K Barcik

October 22, 2024

Always an inspiration for those of us battling climate change. -Mike Barcik, Southface

Rafael Friedmann

October 21, 2024

David--what a loss! he was a mensch, an amazing intellect, musician, photographer, amazing partner to Julia and someone I really really enjoyed talking to. We shared a deep passion for doing what we could to foster social change towards more sustainable lifestyles. Sending much love and condolences to his family. Rafael Friedmann

Bill Prindle

October 21, 2024

I worked with David several times on energy efficiency issues. He always had a unique, broader and deeper take on the issues; he had a brilliant mind and acted to bring that brilliance to bear with transformative effect. I had not seen David for a while when we met up in a New Delhi hotel in 2019 and shared a lovely Rogan Josh dinner. I will carry that memory.

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