In a state that takes pride in claiming to be a world leader in technology and reducing carbon emissions, state and local government decision-makers in California have taken a giant step backward in funding diesel back-up generators to mitigate for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). In recent years, power shutoffs have cost California billions of … Read more
On Monday, March 8th, the Kern County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass a revised ordinance supported by oil industry interests to approve over 2,700 new oil wells per year. This amounts to 40,000 new wells by 2036. Hundreds of constituents and community leaders spoke out against the ordinance in a daylong board meeting. … Read more
by J.D. Morris, The San Francisco Chronicle Highlights State Senators Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Sen. Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, introduced a bill that would halt the issuance of permits for fracking and phase out the practice by 2027 Sen. Wiener explains why this bill is so important: “The world is being strangled right now … Read more
from The United Nations Environment Programme Highlights The United Nations Environment Programme has released their Emissions Gap Report for 2020, highlighting where greenhouse gas predictions for 2030 are and how the world can avoid climate disaster Currently, the world is headed for temperature rise in excess of 3°C this century and 2020 has likely to … Read more
by Brian Kahn, Gizmodo Highlights According to Nature Sustainability, the 2018 wildfires resulted in a $148.5 billion economic loss for the United States At the peak of the Camp Fire in November, nearly 40% of the state’s population was breathing air deemed unhealthy or worse and an estimated 3,652 people died from air pollution About … Read more
by Sammy Roth, The Los Angeles Times Highlights Fossil fuel companies claim to be working in favor of communities of color, including indigenous and tribal groups, by pushing their natural gas agenda Gas industry groups and organizations that accept fossil fuel money promote the idea that a transition away from natural gas will disproportionately affect … Read more
I live in an area where big polluting trucks are far more common than electric vehicles (EVs), but public support for policies to shift away from polluting vehicles is not. The transportation sector is responsible for roughly 40% of California’s carbon pollution and for much of the air pollution in the region where I live. … Read more
After several weeks of record-breaking heat, fires, and smoke, Governor Newsom today reiterated that we are in a climate emergency and announced Executive Order N-79-20 requiring 100% of all new in-state sales of cars and light trucks to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035. This makes California the first state in the nation to ban new … Read more
By Venise Curry, MD, and Ellie Cohen, Special to CalMatters September 14, 2020 https://calmatters.org/commentary/my-turn/2020/09/lawmakers-let-oil-and-gas-interests-sicken-us-gov-newsom-can-put-us-on-the-path-to-recovery/ Make no mistake about it. Climate change is powering California’s perfect storm of record heat, lightning, drought, wildfire and smoke amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and electricity blackouts. In his video message to the Democratic National Convention in August, Governor Gavin Newsom … Read more
by Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press Highlights California issued 2,691 permits to drill new wells or rework existing ones the first half of this year and the issued 48 new permits for hydraulic fracturing Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker have partnered on a “Newsom Well Watch” website and say that California has issued 190% more oil and … Read more
