Industrial polluters, image by TR STOKOPINION – It has long been an open secret that Cap-and-Trade, California’s so-called “landmark climate policy,” is failing to drive significant pollution reductions more than a decade after it was launched. Under the current framework, industrial polluters in our state have grown accustomed to getting special treatment and emissions in some sectors are up.
ROADMAP 2035, Panel 2 – What Now: Timelines and Implementation. Panelists: Dr. Jen Gress, California Air Resources Board; Kip Lipper, Policy Advisor to the Sen. Pro Tem; Michael Pimentel, California Transit Association; Scott Wetch, Carter, Wetch and Associates. Moderated by Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee. Photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at Capitol Weekly’s conference examining California’s climate goals: ROADMAP 2035: Cars, Carbon and Climate Change – How Do We Meet California’s Zero Emissions Goals? which was held in Sacramento at the California Endowment Conference Center on Thursday, May 25, 2023. This is Panel 2 – What Now: Timelines and Implementation.
OPINION: The domestic maritime industry must continue to play a leading role in helping California and the U.S. reach net-zero emissions. American companies and government partners are already making strides to reach this goal by advancing low and zero emission harbor vessels and efficient port infrastructure. Together, we can do more to clean our air without risking our economy or energy supply.
Liane Randolph of CARB. Liane Randolph helms the state’s lead agency for climate change programs, putting her center stage on one of the hottest issues of the day. It puts her in a delicate position. “With climate change, you want to move fast,” she said. “But if you want to do it in a way where people have a say and where it is affordable, you need to be more patient and deliberative.”
An Uber car in traffic. (Photo: Cristi Croitoru, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With the pandemic finally abating, people are moving around more, and business is picking up for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. So the timing is right for the California Air Resources Board to curb the pollution coming from those fleets. Fortunately, CARB’s agenda for its Board Hearing on Thursday includes a well-crafted measure called the Clean Miles Standard which will do just that.
An electric vehicle takes in juice at a charging station. (Photo: Tim Siegert-batcam, via Shutterstock)OPINION: In order to stave off the worst impacts of climate change we need to electrify our transportation system. According to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) latest greenhouse gas inventory, transportation makes up over 41% of the state’s GHG pollution and cars make up a staggering 29%!
Longtime Clean Air activist Bill Magavern joins us to chat, and brings some welcome good news: with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping people out of their cars, many areas of California have seen a decrease in air pollution.
Unhealthy smoke covering San Jose in 2018, the result of wildfires. (Photo: 1000Photography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The impact of California’s wildfires have left residents across the state with unhealthy air that residents in the Central and Inland Valley breathe throughout the year. The American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report shows that 11 California cities rank within the highest ozone levels or worst particulate contamination in the nation.
A natural gas power plant near Ventura. (Photo: Richard Fitzer, via Shutterstock)OPINION: When California’s signature climate change program was nearing its expiration date, there was serious debate about whether to extend it. This program, called Cap-and-Trade, reduces carbon emissions but it also increases the costs of gas, electricity, and numerous other necessities. That’s a significant problem in a state known for high taxes, onerous regulations, and the worst small business climate in the country.
A powerplant at sunset. (Photo: David Crockett)OPINION: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently released the latest quarterly allowance auction results for California’s cap-and-trade program. While demand rose compared to the previous auction in May, a majority of allowances still went unsold due to uncertainty over the program’s future past 2020 – suggesting policymakers should take action, not solace, from better August auction results.