California Governor, Jerry Brown, spoke this week at the California Climate Leadership Forum in Oakland, the city he governed before returning to state office as Attorney General and Governor. The forum was organized by billionaire environmental activist, and founder of NEXTGEN
CLIMATE, Tom Steyer. Perhaps the biggest, most actionable idea of the conference was for the state to divest pension investments in coal which Brown said, along with other actions the state is taking, will face strong opposition from very powerful people.
With Republicans threatening to shove climate change to the back seat as they take control of the U.S. Senate, state officials including Gov. Jerry Brown huddled with one of the nation’s leading Democratic donors Monday to talk up ways to keep it on California’s agenda — including legislation that could send a shiver through the coal industry. http://www.sfgate.com/...
Other efforts include "bringing gasoline sellers and distributors under the state’s landmark cap-and-trade climate law as of Jan. 1, requiring them to purchase credits to emit greenhouse gas pollutants." The Western States Petroleum Association has targeted this as a “hidden gas tax” and is lobbying to delay its implementation.
Brown, Steyer, and other California leaders like Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León recognize the significance of climate actions taken in California in light of the giant step backwards the country as a whole will be making when the GOP takes control of the Senate in January. “Coal is a dirty fossil fuel, and we generate very little electricity in California from coal,” de León said. “And I think our values should shift in California.”
De León left no question where he stands on the subject of climate change:
"As the new senate leader, I want to make it clear that climate change is the top priority for the California State Senate." California is one of the world's largest economies, and it is proving that policies aimed at curbing climate change not only don't hurt the economy — they actually boost it in significant ways. In short, green energy = good jobs, a stronger economy and healthier citizens. https://nextgenclimate.org/...
De Leon is introducing legislation that would require CALPERS, which manages public employees’ pensions and health benefits, and the California State Teachers Retirement System, to divest millions of dollars in coal-related investments. The California Public Employees Retirement System (CALPERS) is the largest retirement system in the nation, and California recently surpassed Italy and Russia to become the world's eighth largest economy. When the eighth largest economy in the world divests from coal people pay attention.
Follow below the fold for more on the ways California is taking the lead on climate change.
Several ways California leads in Climate Change:
1. The California solar industry currently employs more people than the movie industry and is hiring more that the three investor owned utility companies combined.
2. Governor Brown said that ten years ago the energy companies claimed California's goal of getting 20% of its energy from renewables by 2020 was impossible, but at 22%in 2014 California has already passed its renewable energy goal.
3. California's investments have created the nation's largest advanced energy economy: #1 installed solar capacity, total advanced energy investment and electric vehicle sales.
4. California is addressing the huge health disparities created by environmental injustice and is actively recruiting the input and participation of young, minority and disenfranchised communities in the climate movement.
5. AB 32 began Jan 1, 2013 uses Cap and Trade as a crucial tool for ensuring that the state reaches its climate goals.
Cap-and-trade is a market based regulation that is designed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) from multiple sources. Cap-and-trade sets a firm limit or cap on GHGs and minimize the compliance costs of achieving AB 32 goals. The cap will decline approximately 3 percent each year beginning in 2013. Trading creates incentives to reduce GHGs below allowable levels through investments in clean technologies. With a carbon market, a price on carbon is established for GHGs. Market forces spur technological innovation and investments in clean energy. Cap-and-trade is an environmentally effective and economically efficient response to climate change. http://www.arb.ca.gov/...
Opponents are pushing for a delay in implementation and are calling it a hidden tax that will raise the price of gas for consumers.
6. Carbon neutral buildings can be made without subsidies under existing California policies. A carbon neutral building is one with significantly reduced energy consumption combined with the increased use of low carbon energy sources.
http://www.bloomberg.com/...
http://www.kpbs.org/...
http://www.sfgate.com/...
http://peoplesworld.org/...
https://nextgenclimate.org/...
http://www.arb.ca.gov/...
http://www.edf.org/...
http://www.dailybulletin.com/...