[Source: KQED] Though it may have been eclipsed in headlines and worrying by the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis has not gone away. As new President Joe Biden tries to implement policies with the goal of redirecting economic development toward greenhouse gas reduction, he’ll have to contend with pressure not only from groups on the Read More…
Tag: cap-and-trade
Environmental justice groups block Mary Nichols’ path to EPA
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Through four governors, two Obama terms and the Trump administration, Mary Nichols has led the charge to clean up California’s smog and fight climate change. In the process, she has earned herself a reputation as one of the most influential environmental regulators in the country. So with Joe Biden headed to Read More…
Biden picks Michael Regan to head Environmental Protection Agency
[Source: FOX News] President-elect Joe Biden tapped Michael Regan to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, Fox News has confirmed. Regan has served as head of North Carolina’s environmental agency since 2017. A longtime air quality specialist at the EPA, Regan has served under both the Clinton and George W. Bush Read More…
California environmental groups tell Biden not to pick Mary Nichols for EPA
[Source: KQED] A coalition of some 70 California environmental justice groups, national environmentalists and other organizations sent a letter to Joe Biden’s transition team Thursday asking the incoming president to avoid picking Mary Nichols as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Nichols has been reported to be Biden’s top candidate to lead the EPA. The outgoing Read More…
California’s clean-air programs take a hit in new funding squeeze
[Source: CalMATTERS] Some of California’s key environmental programs for battling smog and climate change have lost nearly $105 million as the state grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter shared with CalMatters, the state’s Department of Finance notified lawmakers of reductions to funds from the proceeds of California’s landmark cap Read More…
Judge rejects Trump administration challenge to California cap-and-trade program
[Source: The Hill] A federal judge on Friday upheld a California program that caps carbon emissions from the transportation sector after the Trump administration sued the state over it. The Justice Department last year challenged the cap-and-trade program, which aims to improve air quality and allows companies in the state to trade emissions credits with Read More…
California re-evaluating its landmark climate strategy
[Source: CalMatters] California EPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld laid out plans for re-examining whether the program is likely to meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gases. It signals a shift in the administration’s attitude and reflects problems posed by the pandemic-caused recession. As the coronavirus pandemic and recession hits California, the governor’s top environmental official has Read More…
AQMD considers seeking a one-half cent sales tax in four counties for clean-air programs
[Source: Orange County Register] The South Coast Air Quality Management District is pursuing a one-half cent sales tax measure that would raise about $1.4 billion each year to pay for clean-air projects such as zero-emission cars, trucks, trains and cargo equipment. Some compare the proposal to ballot measures recently passed by voters benefitting transportation districts Read More…
Lawmakers already killed measure supporting transparency at the pump
[Source: Ronald Stein, P.E.] California lawmakers are at it again. A 2018 bill, SB 1074, sponsored by State Senator John Moorlach (R) from Costa Mesa and championed by the minority party in the State was effectively bottom drawered by the ruling party, the Democrats. They are now fueling the idea, pun intended, that the oil Read More…