Posts Tagged: goals

Opinion

Building our way out of the climate crisis takes planning

Clean energy, image by ideadesign

OPINION – Even as California has made great strides and raised the bar on climate action, it has not adequately planned for our long-term energy needs. Now we are at a turning point. We need a plan to reach the state’s new clean energy targets of 90 percent by 2035 and 95 percent by 2040 on the road to 100 percent by 2045.  

Opinion

Offshore wind energy critical to reach clean power goals

An array of offshore wind turbines at sunset. (Photo: TebNad, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: Offshore wind energy in California would create quality jobs. Legislators should put the state on a path to development. In California, we know that building a clean energy economy means high-quality blue-collar jobs.

Opinion

Solar power, like the sun, should belong to us all

Solar panels arranged in California's Mojave Desert. (Photo: Andfrei Orlov, via Shuttertstock)

OPINION: Local solar power — on our roofs and in our neighborhoods — has always been a more nimble and resilient form of clean energy, but now we know that consumer solar is also cost-effective leaving little doubt that it should  be a key element of the state’s energy transition.

Opinion

Robust economy and climate goals can go hand in hand

An aerial, panoramic view of downtown Los Angeles. (Photo: Sai Chan, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: We do not have to sacrifice our prosperity to achieve California’s climate goals. Quite the opposite is true. To put California on an equitable and prosperous path to a carbon neutral economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a $750 million Community Economic Resilience Fund.

News

Daybreak PAC hopes to push Legislature leftward

The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Cassionhabib, via Shutterstock)

On March 23, about 80 people gathered on a Zoom call to launch Daybreak PAC, a political action committee aimed at moving the California Legislature to the left by supporting progressive candidates and policies. The PAC is headed by activist Jackie Fielder, an unsuccessful state Senate candidate who challenged incumbent Democrat Scott Wiener last year in San Francisco.

News

California’s winding road ahead to ‘carbon neutrality’

A photo illustration of carbon-neutral wind power, and fossil-fuel power generation. (Photo: satit_srihin, via Shutterstock)

California is known across the country as a trendsetter in climate regulations, with tough emissions standards and sweeping environmental protections. Freshman state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), however, is pushing for more ambitious carbon-neutral rules that could move California further ahead of the rest of the nation. The effort, praised by environmentalists,  has drawn fire from utility workers and gas companies.

Opinion

CA tech crucial in reaching national greenhouse gas goals

A California power plant at sunset. (Photo: David Crockett, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: President Biden campaigned on a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But this goal will not be achievable without deploying technologies and practices that can pull greenhouse gases from the atmosphere – or from smokestacks of industrial facilities that have few viable alternatives – and securely store it underground or use it in long-lived products like concrete.

Opinion

State’s rigid funding rules hurt community colleges

College students working jointly on a project. (Photo: Prostock-studio, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: Earlier this month, the nation’s largest system of higher education, the California Community Colleges, reported that it had met a key goal of increasing by 20 percent the number of students who earn college credentials. While this is impressive, there is more work ahead to meet the remaining goals that are focused on closing achievement gaps for students of color and for students living in poorer regions of the state.

Opinion

Path to 100% clean energy may be shorter than you think

Wind-driven electricity generators in Baja California. (Photo: VG Photo, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: It’s no secret that the road to a 100% clean energy future could be bumpy. Reaching our state’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045 through wind, solar and other renewable sources while using utility-scale batteries to smooth out peaks and valleys in generation is possible, but it could prove prohibitively expensive.

Analysis

Californians, economics and environmental protection

View of downtown San Diego and central rail yards. (Photo: welcomia, via Shutterstock)

ANALYSIS: Something that isn’t too surprising for legislators or Gov. Brown as California continues to be on the forefront of environmental policies: A major survey shows strong majority (62 percent) of Californians believe air pollution is a problem in their part of California. Two-thirds (66 percent) believe the effects of global warming have already begun, while 58 percent believe it is a serious threat to California’s economy and quality of life.

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