Posts Tagged: global

News

An idealist’s heart: Brown on poverty, politics and the budget

Gov. Brown on Jan. 9 in the state Capitol as he unveiled his 2015-16 draft budget. Brown's budget includes the newly approved "rainy day fund."(Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)

During his press conference outlining his new $164.7 billion state spending plan, Gov. Jerry Brown made extensive remarks about Californians living in poverty, and the challenges the state faces in dealing with those who continue to struggle economically. As California’s economy has recovered, statistics show nearly 25% of the state still lives in serious economic stress.

News

Poll: Curb greenhouse gases — but watch the wallet

The San Ardo oil field, Monterey. Photo: Loco Steve, Wikimedia

Most Californians support the state’s landmark law mandating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statewide survey released today. More specifically, strong majorities support two aspects of the state’s efforts to address global warming: a requirement that oil companies produce cleaner transportation fuels and the goal that a third of California’s electricity come from renewable energy sources. But residents’ support declines significantly if these two efforts lead to higher gas prices or electricity bills.

Opinion

Arts under siege, starved of funding

Street art in Santa Barbara., August 2011. Philip Bird

OPINION: Since 2003, California’s Governors and the Legislature have allocated $1.1 million annually to the Arts Council, the bare minimum necessary to qualify for a $1 million National Endowment for the Arts grant. This lack of foresight has put California dead last among all 50 states in per capita funding for its arts agency.

Opinion

Time for creative policy changes to cut dependence on oil

Recent warnings about the dangers of overreliance on petroleum have come from an unlikely cast of characters, including former presidential candidate Ron Paul, business magnate T. Boone Pickensand even a Saudi prince (who warned against his nation’s over dependence on oil exports). If Californians want to disentangle our economy from oil and from the world events that can impact oil prices while cutting our greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020—a goal given the force of law by AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act—we need to consider the surprising connections that drive our state’s dependence on petroleum.

Opinion

Cap-and-trade cost increases on hold

Many large employers in California were scheduled for massive greenhouse gas (GHG) “cap-and-trade” cost increases starting in 2015.  Now state regulators propose to delay any increase until 2018 at the earliest.   This is good news for manufacturers and thousands of California workers with high wage manufacturing jobs.  Food processors, consumer products firms, aerospace, chemical and

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