An owner of a small business is ready for customers. (Photo: SaiArLawKa2, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As the fifth largest economy in the world, California is home to heavyweight economic industries: Silicon Valley, the entertainment industry, agriculture, tourism, and more. But anyone who lives here knows that there’s also a boom in the number of people who are starting their own microbusinesses.
Metal and plastic household appliances, including electronic gear, ready for recycling. (Photo: akiyoka, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The term “environmental justice” — or EJ, for short — has recently gained widespread usage among the general public. Do you know what it means? At the heart of it is that our most disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods have historically been disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution, toxic waste and air emissions that adversely affect the health and well-being of residents in those areas.
A woman linking her tablet to the Internet via a service provider. (Photo: Daniel Krason, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With a historic investment in broadband on the horizon, Gov. Newsom and the California Legislature have an unprecedented opportunity to bring chronically unserved California households online with high-speed Internet.
Homes in Los Angeles with a refinery and oil storage tanks nearby. (Photo: trekandshoot, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The science is clear. There is no way to effectively protect the health of vulnerable and unserved communities without confronting how factors like race and income impact exposure to the air quality threats created by fossil fuels.
Health care workers in a hospital corridor. (Photo: Pixel-Shot, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California has a healthcare workforce crisis. Over the next decade, this state’s 39 million residents face a health worker shortfall of 4,100 primary care physicians and 600,000 home care workers, and we will have only two-thirds of the psychiatrists and mental health providers needed.
Downtown Los Angeles in the distance. (Photo: EvijaF, via Shutterstock) OPINION: When it comes to climate action, it will be hard for California to top 2018. Last year legislators passed a law committing our state to 100% emission-free electricity by 2045, and our governor issued an executive order setting the goal of a carbon-neutral economy by the same year. Now the architects of those initiatives have moved on, and a new crop of leaders faces the enormous task of meeting these goals.