At the end of August, we gathered 50+ climate activists in Sacramento for a ’Make Polluters Pay’ rally to highlight three critical bills pending before California lawmakers: Shortly after the rally, with thanks to your phone calls and letters to decision-makers, all three bills passed the legislature and now await the governor’s signature! A new … Read more
California should be a place where democracy and fairness rule. But after another round of record spending on lobbying by oil companies this year, the oil and gas industry has sabotaged key bills designed to protect public health and the climate. Big Oil lobbying expenditures for the first half of 2024 came in at a … Read more
Learn why The Climate Center is mobilizing support for Prop 4 in this Sacramento Bee op-ed. Thanks to climate activism across the state, including over 1,000 of The Climate Center’s supporters, a $10-billion climate resilience bond will be on the November ballot. The climate bond, known as Prop 4, includes urgently needed protections against extreme … Read more
With an anti-science, climate-denying, far-right extremist officially the Republican nominee for president, it might feel like public support for climate action is dwindling. But recent polling tells a much more encouraging story. For the first time, a majority of American voters across party lines say they want the country to do more to address the … Read more
At the end of June, the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) withdrew its referendum to repeal SB 1137, a law requiring a 3,200-foot health and safety setback zone between toxic oil drilling and homes, schools, and other sensitive sites. California has more than 100,000 unplugged oil and gas wells and nearly one-third of them are … Read more
On July 3, 2024, the California legislature passed SB 867 to put a $10 billion bond to fund climate solutions before voters on the November ballot. To counter massive funding cuts to state climate programs, the bond will provide sustained investment in clean drinking water, wildfire preparedness, sustainable agriculture, and more. The following expert testimony … Read more
Californians face growing risks from extreme heat thanks to the climate crisis. Worldwide, we’ve experienced record-breaking temperatures for 12 consecutive months — a trend that comes with grave consequences. In June of 2021, a heat wave killed nearly 900 people in the Pacific Northwest. In the summer of 2022, more than 60,000 people died in … Read more
SACRAMENTO — Moments ago, the California legislature passed AB 107, the Budget Act of 2024. As expected following Governor Newsom’s May revise, this budget includes billions in cuts and deferrals to climate spending, impacting programs for wildfire resilience, distributed clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and more. In response, The Climate Center’s Chief Operating Officer Barry Vesser … Read more
Recent legislative progress in the “Make Polluters Pay” movement shows how powerful we can be when we organize strategically. In mid-May, along with a strong coalition of partners, we lobbied in Sacramento in support of several key bills to Make Polluters Pay for the damage they cause to California communities and our climate. The bills … Read more
SACRAMENTO — Lobbying disclosures for quarter one show that the oil industry spent over $7.2 million to kill California legislation that would make corporate polluters pay their fair share. The top five oil industry spenders alone spent over $6.1 million to influence California state leaders, led by Chevron at over $3 million. The Western States … Read more
