UPDATES ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS IN CALIFORNIA

Elections 2008

"A new green energy for California... and America"

Here's what Sierra Club California advocates had to say about California's election results:

Proposition 7:  Would have limited California’s ability to generate renewable power.

“Once again, California voters have shown that they are able to see through the smokescreen of clever ads and deceptive ballot language to do what's best for our state. Now the real work begins: convincing the California Legislature to reform our state’s renewable power law and to set a far-reaching goal for clean power in our state that reaches beyond the current standard of 20 percent renewable energy by 2010."

- Jim Metropulos, Senior Advocate, Sierra Club California

Proposition 10: Would have unfairly subsidized underperforming alternative vehicles

“California voters saw this $5 billion boondoggle for what it really was: a waste of time and money on technologies that wouldn’t have addressed global warming or promoted clean air. Over the months to come, I see a real opportunity for the Schwarzenegger Administration to work with the Obama Administration in implementing California’s Clean Car Law nationwide, effectively shifting Americans into greener, more efficient cars.”

- Jim Metropulos, Senior Advocate, Sierra Club California

Proposition 1A: High Speed Rail

“I’m proud of California’s voters for believing in this new vision for our state. Working together, we will build a model transportation system that will reduce greenhouse gases and lessen our dependence on foreign oil.” 

- Bill Magavern, Director, Sierra Club California.

Proposition 2: Animal Cruelty

“The overwhelming victory of Prop 2 will lead to better farming practices with less pollution, and more humane treatment of animals.” 

- Paul Mason, Deputy Director, Sierra Club California.

Proposition 4: Unfair Family Planning Prohibition

"For the third time in four years, voters have rejected efforts to restrict access to family planning services.  Californians clearly want women to have unrestricted access to women’s health services, without fear of reprisal from abusive families.”

 - Paul Mason, Deputy Director, Sierra Club California.

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GLOBAL WARMING: The Next 30 Years

California’s Air Resources Board just came out with their REVISED draft plan for taking on the pollution that causes global warming. It’s designed to set a course of action for the next 30 years – or more.

Here’s what Sierra Club California has to say about the new plan, and about the challenges the measure faces:

Climate Plan Will Stimulate Economy, Environment
Still – some aspects need strengthening

SACRAMENTO -- The California Air Resources Board’s newly revised plan for addressing global warming over the next 40 years packs a powerful punch, but still needs strengthening before its final adoption in November.

Released today, ARB’s proposed plan promises to boost California’s economy as it reduces the pollution that causes global warming and improves air quality. Curbing greenhouse gas pollution will stimulate the creation of green jobs in industries like clean power and energy efficiency.

Notably, the new plan promises to cut more emissions than previous drafts did, and proposes the auctioning of emission allowances to polluters.

ARB is right to acknowledge that polluters should have to pay for their emissions. Now we urge ARB to work with the Legislature to realize that goal.

While the draft plan does limit emission offsets more than the draft did, it still allows almost half of emission reductions to come from offsets, from anywhere in the world – not just from California. This would allow pollution to continue in low-income communities that already carry a heavier burden of polluting industries. ARB still must put in place safeguards to assure that pollution trading and offsets do not harm air quality in those communities.

That said , Sierra Club California supports ARB’s newly proposed measures to reduce pollution from oil refineries. These new measures will help Californians in polluted communities breathe easier.

 We also applaud the Air and Waste Boards for recognizing the great potential of recycling measures, even as he called on the state to enhance its emissions reductions target for land use. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Climate Action Team proposed reducing land-use-related greenhouse gas emissions by 18 million metric tons, but ARB’s current plan falls far short.

ARB just increased the emission reductions expected from recycling from one million metric tons to 10 million metric tons – that’s like getting 1.5 million more cars off the road. If ARB followed the Climate Action Team’s advice, it would be like getting rid of 3 million more cars by 2020.

Many ideas brought up by Sierra Club California activists made it into the plan. Read their May 2008 comments to CARB.

California environmentalists urge caution, accountability in approach to greenhouse gas trading.

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News on Global Warming Scoping Plan

From LA Times: California issues plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions (Oct 16, 2008)

U.S. News and World Report: California Maps a Plan to Slow Down Global Warming (Oct. 16, 2008)

AP: California releases plan to cut greenhouse gases (Oct. 16, 2008)

From the San Francisco Chronicle: State presents bold plan to clean up air (Oct 16, 2008)

San Jose Mercury News: California's landmark greenhouse-gas plan a step closer to reality (Oct 16, 2008)

From the San Francisco Chronicle: State presents bold plan to clean up air (Oct 16, 2008)