California Climate Solutions
- Due No due date
- Points 7
- Questions 7
- Time Limit None
- Allowed Attempts 3
Instructions
We tend to follow the national news more closely than what happens at the state and local level. I think this is a big mistake. What happens in our own town, county and state will affect just as much (if not more) that what happens with the federal government. And crucially, we each can affect the decisions of our local government. In contrast, my email will barely make a dent in what the President of the U.S.A. decides to do or not do!
So, what climate solutions have been happening or need support in California, Sonoma County or at SRJC?
A lot happened in California last year to help fight the climate crisis, both legislation and regulation. Legislation are laws passed by the legislators and signed by the Governor. Laws need to be implemented, interpreted and enforced by government agencies. This is called regulation.
I've selected the most important actions, but there were many others. For example there were bills passed regarding carbon capture and removal of carbon pollution. This is a complicated topic, with people arguing for and against the measures. I recommend this article if you want to learn more. There were also bills that couldn't get passed, that will be fights for next year!
The big picture is that MANY state senators and assembly members worked on A LOT of bills and that Governor Newsom not only signed these bills, but encouraged and advocated for them during the legislative process. This shows that there is a commitment to fighting climate change in our state government. For more information, here is an article California Climate Commitment
Legislation: 2022
Here are the bills that passed in the California State Senate (SB= Senate Bill) and Assembly (AB= Assembly Bill)
Protect Communities From Oil Drilling : SB 1137
This bill requires at least a 3,200-feet setback between new oil and gas wells and people’s homes and schools. California was the only oil-producing state without any kind of setback requirement.; by comparison, Colorado has a 2000-foot setback for oil and gas operations. The setback was determined by public health experts because living closer than 3,200 ft from an oil well is connected to higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, asthma, and heart disease. This is an example of protecting frontline communities that are experiencing the worst impacts of climate change. They are always lower income and usually communities of color.
More information:
Carbon Neutrality: AB 1279
The goal is to make California carbon neutral by 2045. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to this effect in 2018. But executive orders can be undone by a later governor. Passing this law makes it a strong requirement that can’t be reversed later. Carbon neutral means that the state will reduce its GHG emissions to the point that we can compensate for the remaining emissions with carbon offsets (something that sucks up carbon- like trees etc)
More information at A Beginners Guide to Carbon Neutrality
100% Clean Electrical Grid: SB 1020
In 2018 California passed a law that required all electricity to be 100% clean by 2045. This bill strengthens that law by establishing benchmarks: 90% clean energy by 2035; 95% by 2040. In addition all state agencies will use renewable energy by 2035
More information:
Nature Based Solutions: AB1757
This focuses on nature based carbon sequestration such as planting trees, doing wetland restoration and urban forestry.
More information:
Trade offs:
These bills were part of a bargain with the Governor Newsom. He wanted the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to be kept open and in return signed these bills after they were passed by legislators. While I am uncomfortable with nuclear power, keeping existing plants running is probably needed for achieving climate goals. Global climate objectives fall short without nuclear power in the mix: UNECE
Regulations: 2022
Ban on natural gas heaters and furnaces: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) took the first step to phase out these type of heaters. Burning natural gas to heat homes generates GHG. If we use electricity instead, then the electricity can be generated by solar, wind, etc. They are also very polluting (indoor air pollution is a huge health hazard linked to cancer, asthma more). California first state to ban natural gas heaters and furnaces – The Hill
100% Zero Emission Vehicles by 2035. method of achieving this is by requiring that automakers to sell at first 35% ZEV and then ramp that up year by year. This will be matched with vehicle incentives and financial assistance. California Adopts Roadmap for Reaching 100% Zero-Emission Vehicles
What about 2023?
Those of you who went to Climate Action Night learned about the legislation that is being proposed this year. The legislative season begins in spring and the bills are being voted on right now- through until August/September. At that point bills that have passed through both the California Senate and Assembly will need to be signed by the Governor in order to become law. Here is a list of the bills that were presented in Climate Action Night.
SB= Senate Bill
AB = Assembly Bill
You can view the student presentations from Climate Action Night
SB 2: Penalize windfall profits for oil refinersCreates an independent watchdog to eliminate price gouging by oil companies, and authorizes the California Energy Commission (CEC) to create a penalty to hold the industry accountable.
SB 4: Affordable Housing on Faith LandsWould provide a streamlined process for religious organizations and nonprofit colleges to develop affordable housing on their property regardless of local zoning restrictions.
SB 233: Vehicle-to-grid requirements for EVsWould require most new electric vehicles and EV supply equipment sold in California to have bidirectional charging capability by 2027.
SB 252: Fossil Fuel DivestmentWould prohibit the CA Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the CA State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) from investing in fossil fuel companies
SB 529: Electric Vehicles for AllWould expand electric vehicle access for low-income Californians by creating a grant program to deploy electric vehicle car-sharing programs at 100 public and low-income housing facilities in California.
SB 253: Climate Corporate Data AccountabilityWould require US-based corporations with annual revenue above $1 billion who dbusiness in CA to publicly disclose their annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
SB 560: Gas Cylinder Stewardship ProgramWould require compressed gas cylinder manufacturers for cylinders propane, butane, iso-butane, helium, and other like gasses to establish a convenient no cost to the consumer take-back program.
SB 675: Ecological Grazing for Fire PreventionWould expand the use of for ecological grazing as a wildfire solution by integrating outreach,infrastructure, and local and regional planning within existing wildfire prevention grant programs.
SB 707: Textile RecyclingProducers of clothing and other textiles would be responsible for implementing and funding programs that would facilitate the repair and reuse of clothing and the recycling of textile fibers.
AB 45: Blue Carbon Projects in Coastal DevelopmentsWould require applicants for coastal developments to build or contribute to “Blue Carbon” projects that sequester carbon.
AB 2 & AB 1238: Recycling of Solar PanelsRequires a manufacturer of solar PV panels sold in the state to develop a plan for safe, convenient and environmentally sound recycling of panels/materials. AB 1238 creates minimum standards for processing/recycling panels/materials in-state without sacrificing safety for the environment and communities.