Thanks to you who contacted your legislators about SB 775. This remarkable bill would have overhauled California’s cap and trade system in a very favorable way. SB 775 got lost when the Governor’s bill emerged. Here’s Mercury News’ take on what happened. After the dust settles we’ll send you our view of the Governor’s bill. … Read more
Wieckowski’s SB 775 would create a post-2020 framework to meet California’s strict 2030 limits Sacramento – A growing number of statewide and regional organizations in California, representing thousands of members, are lining up in support of SB 775, the Cap and Trade bill unveiled last month by Senator Bob Wieckowski and Senate President Pro Tem … Read more
The following article by Chris Megerian and Melanie Mason of the LA Times sheds light on what’s happening in California climate policy right now. The current legislation, which the governor is trying to extend, is plagued with industry giveaways and other problems. SB 775, which we support, could make a clean break with that and … Read more
The below article by Bill McKibben was recently featured in RollingStone. He expresses cynicism over the claims of CEOs and politicians that they support climate action. How to tell if your reps are serious about climate change Perhaps no president in recent times has unified the country, and the globe, as effectively as Donald Trump. … Read more
Last Friday, May 5, about 400 people including elected officials and energy professionals gathered in Long Beach for The Climate Center’s third annual Business of Local Energy symposium. Deputy Director Barry Vesser was the symposium’s architect. Co-organizers were the Local Government Commission and the Local Government Sustainability and Energy Coalition. Attendees heard 56 speakers and … Read more
California Energy Commission “Local Government Challenge Grant” project receives highest score in its category On April 11th the Center received news that it had been awarded, along with its Project partners, $1.7M in funding for a project that will help the state achieve its greenhouse gas reduction goals and that aims to develop a replicable model … Read more
It is hard to have the imagination for what the world will look like when my four-year-old son is my age (39). That will be the year 2051 – one year after scientists tell us we must lower our emissions by 80 percent. Multiple outcomes are possible. The world may have collectively embarked upon a … Read more
by Jane Bender, The Climate Center Jane Bender is president of The Climate Center. Powering the Bottom Line (nbbj.news/powering) is a recurring column from that Santa Rosa-based organization. In 1978, Jennifer Bice took over her parents’ small goat dairy. Today, her award-winning goat milk yogurt, kefir and artisan cheese are sold nationwide, and she has expanded … Read more
The article below, published in the Los Angeles Times, demonstrates the need for a shift in our current energy system to better align the needs of California residents and businesses with the goals of energy providers. Currently, the main objective of private California utilities is to maximize shareholder profits. In the Community Choice Energy model, … Read more
In 2010 I invited Hans-Josef Fell, at the time a German Parliamentarian, to visit Sonoma County to talk about the policies he successfully advocated for, which helped lead Germany in the transition to renewable energy. I caught up with him again in 2012 at the annual InterSolar conference in San Francisco shortly after he had … Read more
