Reduce Global Warming
Global
warming is one of California’s greatest and
most urgent environmental problems, with depleted snow pack in the Sierra Nevada impacting our drinking water supplies,
rising sea levels threatening our cities along the coast, and increased smog
pollution harming our health.
The threat of global warming is cause for immediate action and the pathway to
solving global warming is straightforward: cut the amount of global warming
pollution emitted by automobiles, power plants and the other major sources in
half. We support:
1. Make
Polluters Pay: Ensure the state auctions 100% of carbon emissions
allowances in any cap-and-trade program and invests at least $1 billion-a-year
in efficiency and clean energy solutions.
2. Pass a Nationwide Pollution Cap: Build support
for a science-based nationwide cap on global warming pollution to reduce
emissions 80 percent by 2050.
3. Promote Clean Cars: Defend California’s
vehicle tailpipe emission standards from attacks by automakers and the Bush
administration.
Promote Clean Energy
As California grows, the need to continue to pursue energy efficiency and renewable energy aggressively is paramount to protecting our environment and economy. We support:
1. Encourage Solar Rebates: Provide solar system owners’ fair compensation
for surplus power sent back to the grid (AB 1920 Assemblymember
Jared Huffman).bill language and status
2. Promote Green Collar Jobs: Ensure California has enough trained workers to meet the growing demand for solar power (AB 2224 Assemblymember Hector De La Torre). bill langauge and status
3. Increase Use of Renewables: Increase
4.
bill language and status
Curb Toxics
There are currently over 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States. We lack even basic information on the potential adverse health effects regarding the vast majority of these chemicals. We do know that at least 1,400 chemicals have known or probable links to cancer, birth defects, reproductive impacts, and other health problems such as learning disabilities. We support:
1. Provide the Public Information on Toxics: Require data from large facilities that use chemicals (AB 558 Assemblymember Mike Feuer).
2. Phase Out Dangerous Chemicals: Give the state the authority to regulate certain dangerous toxic chemicals (AB 1879 Assemblymember Mike Feuer). Ensure the Governor’s Green Chemistry Initiative phases out the use of dangerous chemicals contaminating wildlife and our bodies. Bill language and status
3. Protect Children’s Health: Minimize the use of dangerous lead in toys (AB 2694 Assemblymember Fiona Ma). Bill status and language
4. Promote
Product Labeling: Require manufacturers to disclose the chemicals used in
consumer products (SB 509 Senator Joe Simitian).
Protect Our Ocean Environments
California’s coastal and ocean environments are invaluable assets to our state. California has an impressive record of taking bold and innovative actions to protect our coastal natural resources, yet recent studies have shown that our ocean environments need more protection. We support:
1. Defend Marine Life: Establish more Marine Protected Areas.
2. Safeguard our Coasts: Require ships carrying hazardous material to have a tug escort (AB 2441 Assemblymember Sally Lieber). Ban additional offshore oil and gas drilling Bill Language and status
3.
Reduce Ocean Pollution: Make all
fast-food restaurant packaging biodegradable (AB 904- Assemblymember Mike Feuer). Remove abandoned fishing gear and driftnets
in our oceans (Senator Joe Simitian).
Encourage Clean Air
Millions of Californians live in places with unsafe levels of air pollution. Air pollution triggers millions of asthma attacks each year and contributes to serious health problems, particularly among children, senior citizens, and other sensitive groups. We support:
1. Reduce Air Pollution:
Reduce air pollution from
Preservation
California is home to some of the country's most beautiful places, with 8 national parks, hundreds of state parks and over 4 million acres of wild forests. Unfortunately, too many of our beautiful places have been lost to logging, mining, oil drilling, and overdevelopment. That’s why we are working to protect California's parks and critical wildlife habitat, and the laws that protect them.
1. Protect
2. Preserve State Parks: Ensure that