California, at Forefront of Climate Fight, Won’t Back Down to Trump

New York Times ^ | December 26, 2016 | Henry Fountain

[KingofZion]

Foreign governments concerned about climate change may soon be spending more time dealing with Sacramento than Washington.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has packed his cabinet with nominees who dispute the science of global warming. He has signaled he will withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. He has belittled the notion of global warming and attacked policies intended to combat it.

But California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step unto the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders said they would work directly with other nations and states to defend and strengthen what were already far and away the most aggressive policies to fight climate change in the nation. That includes a legislatively mandated target of reducing carbon emissions in California to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

“California can make a significant contribution to advancing the cause of dealing with climate change, irrespective of what goes on in Washington,” Mr. Brown said in an interview.

*** The environmental effort poses decided risks for this state. For one thing, Mr. Trump and Republicans have the power to undercut California’s climate policies. The Trump administration could reduce funds for the state’s vast research community — including two national laboratories — which has contributed a great deal to climate science and energy innovation, or effectively nullify state regulations on clean air emissions and automobile fuel standards.

“They could basically stop enforcement of the Clean Air Act and CO2 emissions,” said Hal Harvey, president of Energy Innovation, a policy research group in San Francisco. “That would affect California because it would constrain markets. It would make them fight political and legal battles rather than scientific and technological ones.”

[kearnyirish2]

As I understand it (from friends/family that have lived there), California’s environmental focus is not so much feel-good BS but real problems with pollution/smog. Having never been there, I can guess it must be pretty bad if they are more restrictive than my home state of NJ (with our garbage dumps & incinerators, oil refineries, etc.).

[CIB-173RDABN]

Except for the LA basin SMOG is not as big a problem as people may think.

SMOG = GLOBAL WARMING in that it is something the government can point to so they can control your life.

Like clockwork, every year before Christmas they announce a “spare the air” day and you are not allowed to have a fire in your fireplace.

[polymuser]

They just can’t see that it’s not Trump — it’s Trump talking for half of Americans, likely more. They really believe that everybody east of them thinks like them. Ignorant and foolish they are, and karma will visit them.

[CottonBall]

The power plant my husband worked at before we escaped Mexifornia is declaring bankruptcy because it can’t afford the $30 million a year in carbon credits. It’s the largest non-nuclear power plant California has. It’s a gas turbine plant. But it can’t compete when the state gives vast amounts of money to solar and wind plants.

[CottonBall]

Spot on.

And you should see the trash the illegals leave in the desert.

[politicianslie]

I doubt that Trump is going to interfere with California’s suicide.

If they violate Federal Law as they continue on their suicide path, then expect them to be prosecuted.

Trump means a return to the rule of law.

[MasterGunner01]

You can only raise taxes so high before those paying them leave. When they do, your tax base shrinks. Raise them again to replace lost revenue, more taxpayers leave and the tax base shrinks even more. It becomes a vicious cycle as California tries to tax its way to prosperity.

[eyedigress]

I will never understand California.

Their money and prosperity came from the Military Industrial Complex and Hollywood.

To replace that growth with peasants is odd.

[MasterGunner01]

It just proves that California is the home of the fruits and the nuts.

[DungeonMaster]

We really don’t need a California sized Detroit in the USA. We need some adults in charge of the left coast.

[kearnyirish2]

You’re probably right - I’ve only heard it in reference to LA (the smog), but I understand it is BAD (and I live in northeastern NJ). I also believe the global warming BS is pushed to get Americans to voluntarily accept a lower standard of living (and the regulations are there to deal with those who don’t voluntarily accept that lower standard). That’s a shame that they prevent people from using their fireplaces; I’ve only heard of the goals for alternative fuel requirements for cars.