On the one hand, California Governor Jerry Brown talks a good game on climate. Today, he
joined 500 scientists to send a unified message about the changing climate. A couple of weeks ago, he was
lamenting that "It doesn't look like the people who are in charge are going to do what it takes to really slow down this climate change."
On the other hand, he's rushing to embrace the anticipated fracking boom of California's Monterey Shale - an estimated 2/3 of all of the untapped oil in the United States. We're not talking fracking for natural gas, which arguably has half the carbon emissions of coal. Instead, Brown wants to frack California for oil. Not just any oil, but dirty heavy sour crude oil as carbon-intensive as the Canadian tarsands. I've previously done the math and found that California's fracked up oil will emit 6.45 gigatons of carbon, or over 1% of the total carbon budget of the planet; which means that California's fracked-up oil is roughly comparable to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Today, Gov. Brown approved 500 scientists' consensus statement (PDF) calling for:
rapid scaling-up of carbon-neutral energy production (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, hydrogen fuel-cells, nuclear, microbe-based biofuels) to replace energy production from fossil fuels.
Note the obvious: carbon-neutral energy needs to replace - not supplement - fossil fuels.
And here's what Gov. Brown has to say about California's fracked up fossil fuels:
they're a fabulous economic opportunity. He wants to balance his concern about climate change with "what could be a fabulous opportunity." And he's not at all interested in joining the fight for an oil severance tax.
"The fossil fuel deposits in California are incredible, the potential is extraordinary," Brown has said in calling for California to look at fracking.
Capitol insiders are openly speculating that Gov. Brown has cut a deal with fossil fuel companies. There's no other explanation for why he's so anxious to open up California's largest untapped source of carbon pollution. No wonder that
environmentalists question whether his actions match his rhetoric.
Governor Brown, those people who are in charge who won't act to slow down climate change? Look in the mirror. Say no to the fabulous economic opportunity Faustian bargain of fracking up the Golden State.
Take Action:
Sign this petition by a nine year old girl asking Gov. Brown to ban fracking in California. Sign here.
Click to sign up for a rally against fracking on May 30: Gov. Brown's office at 300 S. Spring St. in Los Angeles or the State of California building at 455 Golden Gate Ave. in San Francisco.