Sunset and silhouette of a joshua tree in Joshua Tree National Park. (Photo: Sean Lema, via Shutterstock)OPINION: This month is a pivotal moment in the fight against the climate crisis. On the table is the single largest government investment in U.S. history to support our transition to clean energy, improve our drinking water systems, mitigate the impacts of wildfire on our state, and much more.
An electric vehicle getting power at a street charging station. (Photo: guteksk7, via Shuttertstock)California lawmakers have approved a dramatic expansion of the state’s commitments to all-electric vehicles, with the goal of ultimately increasing the number of electric and zero-emission cars on the road. The $2.7 billion piece of the 2021-22 state budget was sent to the Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk on June 28. Newsom has not yet acted on it.
Regional Recycled Water Advanced Purification Center Grand Opening 10, Oct 2019In this episode John Howard and Tim Foster welcomed the longtime but soon-to-be-retired Metropolitan Water District of Southern California head honcho Jeff Kightlinger for a wide-ranging discussion that covered the status of the Delta Tunnel Project, climate change and the snow survey, the drought, working from home, jukeboxes and his punk rock roots.
Satellite dishes overlooking San Diego. (Photo: Jimmy W, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Fortunately, there is an agenda California can pursue that will benefit these people and will help to ensure a thriving economy for years to come. Three priority areas in on which we have the chance to make a major difference this year are broadband for all, housing affordability, and climate adaptation.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. Photo: Feoktistoff, via Shutterstock)It’s a time-honored habit around the Capitol: Fevered speculation about who may be appointed to fill an empty and important statewide office. Sometimes, the speculation even extends to who is going to be appointed to fill the vacancy left by the first appointment. This time around, it’s all about whom Gov. Gavin Newsom will name as California’s attorney general to fill the vacancy to be left by presumably departing Xavier Becerra.
Out for a spin on a California coastal road. (Photo: oneinchpunch, via Shutterstock)OPINION Rather than imposing climate austerity measures that perpetuate poverty, there are wiser investments we can make today that will have a greater impact on reducing wildfires and creating healthier forests without adversely impacting disadvantaged communities, people of color, and the struggling middle class in our state.
California's state Capitol in Sacramento, home of the goverrnor's office and Legislature (Photo: Shutterstock)IGS Poll: As Gov. Gavin Newsom approached the mid-point of his term as governor, the Berkeley IGS Poll asked California registered voters for their opinions of the job Newsom has been doing both overall and across a wide range of issues that voters feel are important for the state to be addressing. The results indicate that Californians offer a very positive overall assessment of the Governor’s performance, but give him lower marks in a number of specific areas.
5.0.2Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order today to outlaw the sales of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and light trucks in California by 2035. California is the nation’s largest market for zero-emission vehicles: Half of all electric vehicles sold in the U.S. are sold in the state. We asked Dave Weiskopf, a senior policy adviser at NextGen, to chat about it.
Illustration of school children, education and the pandemic. (Photo: Felipe Sanchez, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California is dealing with cascading crises the likes of which have never been experienced before. Between February 2020 and today, California’s unemployment rate rose from a record low of 3.9% to 13.3%. Nearly two million Californians who were working then aren’t working now. And California’s clean energy economy — which employed 3% of the state’s workforce before COVID-19 — has also taken a hit.
The power plant in El Segundo, Calif. (Photo: Don Solomon, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As temperatures soared and wildfires burned across the Southland, California electricity customers recently experienced rolling blackouts for the first time since 2001. Although investigations continue, it appears that there just weren’t enough energy resources available to meet customer demand.