Cleaner Cars in Our Future, Thanks to California and Obama

Statement of Bill Magavern, Director of Sierra Club California

The Environmental Protection Agency today reversed one of the most controversial decisions of the previous administration and granted California the Clean Air Act "waiver" that it and more than a dozen other states need to move forward with their landmark global warming emissions standards for vehicles. Today's announcement will be followed by a rulemaking process for the Obama administration's comprehensive national plan for clean cars.

Granting the waiver will allow California and the other states to move forward with standards for the model years 2009-2016. President Obama recently announced a national standard mirroring California's effort to cut global warming emissions from tailpipes 30 percent by 2016. That standard will be in effect for the model years 2012-2016, during which time California and the other states shall defer to the national standard.

This is a huge win for Sierra Club California and the national effort to reduce the pollution that causes global warming! We were a sponsor of the first-ever law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles (AB 1493, Pavley, 2002), and continued to back it through implementation at the Air Resources Board. We have joined Governor Schwarzenegger many times in calling on USEPA to get out of the way and grant CA the necessary waiver to allow our standards to go into effect, and now President Obama has kept his promise to do exactly that. In fact, he's done even better, by establishing a national GHG standard that is based on the California rules. Later this year, ARB will begin the process of setting tighter standards to continue ratcheting down emissions during the 2017-2025 period.

Obama EPA Paves the Way for Clean Cars

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 30, 2009CONTACT:
Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384

Obama EPA Paves the Way for Clean Cars

Long-Sought Decision on Waiver Allows California,

Other States to Slash Oil Dependence, Tackle Warming

Washington, D.C.--The Environmental Protection Agency today reversed one ofthe most controversial decisions of the previous administration and grantedCalifornia the Clean Air Act "waiver" that it and more than a dozen otherstates need to move forward with their landmark global warming emissionsstandards for vehicles. Today's announcement will be followed by arulemaking process for the Obama administration's comprehensive nationalplan for clean cars.

Granting the waiver will allow California and the other states to moveforward with standards for the model years 2009-2016. President Obamarecently announced a national standard mirroring California's effort to cutglobal warming emissions from tailpipes 30 percent by 2016. That standardwill be in effect for the model years 2012-2016, during which timeCalifornia and the other states shall defer to the national standard.

The Sierra Club plans to present Administrator Jackson with a signed thankyou card from citizens across the country who submitted their photos aspart of testimony urging EPA to approve the waiver. That image can be seenhere: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=94781.0

Victory Agaisnt Offshore Oil Drilling

As the statement below from Assemblymember Pedro Nava explains, we have prevailed (for now) in keeping out of the budget the Governor’s proposal to allow new drilling off the Santa Barbara Coast.

Assemblymember Nava worked this issue like I have rarely ever seen a legislator work, tirelessly lobbying his colleagues to reject the PXP drilling proposal.

Sierra Club California’s advocate, Michael Endicott, took the lead for the environmental community inside the Capitol, doing a great job of pointing out the flaws in the proposal.

Bill Magavern

Director

Assemblymember's Pedro Nava's statement

From the Capitol Weekly: Offshore oil drilling, once abhorred, gains in the Capitol

No Budget Hostages

Environmental, consumer and labor leaders came together this week to call on legislative leaders to resist efforts to use California’s budget crisis to roll back vital safeguards:

June 1, 2009

Assemblywoman Karen Bass
Speaker, California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 219
Sacramento, CA 95814
Senator Darrell Steinberg

President pro Tempore, California State Senate
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814


Dear Speaker Bass and President pro Tempore Steinberg:

In addressing this year’s budget crisis, you will be faced with heart wrenching decisions that will impact the lives of every Californian. The budget solutions that have been proposed balance the budget entirely on the backs of the most vulnerable in our state. We understand the magnitude and difficulty of the task you face. As you struggle to craft a budget solution, we urge you to reject any attempts to leverage fundamental policy protections.

In every legislative session, business groups sponsor bills to take away the eight-hour day and weaken basic environmental standards. These bills do not make it through the Legislature because they are bad for workers and bad for California. But some are not satisfied by the results of the democratic process and seek to use the urgency of the budget process to leverage policy changes they cannot otherwise win. Rolling back the eight-hour day, taking away meal periods, scaling back environmental protections, or contracting out services without any standards do nothing to balance our budget. Instead, they cut worker pay, jeopardize health and safety, and cause irreparable harm to our communities. We cannot allow our core values as a state to be used as bargaining chips.

Proposals to strip away basic labor and environmental standards hurt the very people who are already being harmed most by the budget. Working people and the poor face drastic cuts to healthcare and social services. These are the same workers who will see their wages cut from an overtime takeaway, will lose their lunch breaks in the face of employer coercion, and will see their neighborhoods polluted if environmental regulations are reversed. In the midst of record unemployment, reckless contracting out simply means more layoffs with less oversight for our tax dollars. These layoffs will hit low-wage workers the hardest and will exacerbate the problem by trapping more families in poverty.

For these reasons, we urge you to reject policy rollbacks as part of any budget deal.

Sincerely,

Angie Wei
Legislative Director, California Labor Federation

Bill Magavern
Director, Sierra Club California

Warner Chabot
CEO, California League of Conservation Voters

Christine Spagnoli
President, Consumer Attorneys of California

Sierra Club Hails Obama Plan for Clean Cars Plan Mirrors Landmark California Effort to Slash Oil Dependence, Emissions

Washington, D.C.--President Obama will tomorrow announce a comprehensive national standard addressing fuel economy and global warming emissions from our cars, trucks, and SUVs. Media reports indicate that the new national standard roughly mirrors the proposed California clean car standards—cutting global warming emissions approximately 30 percent by 2016 and significantly increasing fuel economy This is the first national tailpipe standard for global warming emissions. The administration will also reportedly grant California the Clean Air Act waiver for its clean cars program that it has long been seeking and was unlawfully denied by the Bush administration.

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

"President Obama is putting the pedal to the floor when it comes to slashing our dependence on oil and confronting global warming. Last month the administration closed the books on the Bush era of climate denial once and for all by acknowledging the threat of global warming, and now today they moving forward with a plan that will give new life to the American auto industry and ensure that the next generation of clean, efficient autos will be made right here in the U.S.A

"In addition to dramatically reducing the global warming emissions from our vehicles, this move will slash our dependence on oil and make us more energy independent. Congress put us on the road toward more fuel efficient vehicles two years ago when it passed the first increase in fuel economy standards in more than 30 years. Now President Obama is dramatically accelerating our progress.

"In another clean break with the unlawful and irrational policies of its predecessor, the Obama administration will also reportedly grant California its longstanding request for a Clean Air Act waiver for its landmark clean cars program. This is yet another strong example of the new direction President Obama and EPA Administrator Jackson have taken—one based on the rule of law and sound science, not petty politics.

"Today's announcement is one of the most significant efforts undertaken by any president, ever, to end our addiction to oil and seriously slash our global warming emissions. The speed with which the Obama administration is moving to build the clean energy economy has been breathtaking. President Obama clearly sees the big picture when comes to rebuilding our economy, making the clean energy future a reality, and fighting global warming. "

Click here to read a related article from the LA Times.

Earth Day Community Fundraiser

Sierra Club California was one of the two non-profit organizations that participated in the Golden Bear's 1st Earth Day Community Fundraiser. The event was geared towards benefiting 2 local non-profit organizations that continue to make a positive impact on the community. Sierra Club California's staff and volunteers took turns tending our booth that was equipped with information about the organization and our cause. Golden Bear’s owner, Jonathan Modrow and his staff were the individuals responsible for the successful fundraiser that brought together people around the community; all the proceeds were donated to Sierra Club California and The Volunteers of America.

Close to 600 people attended the event and donated to the two charitable organizations. Sierra Club California would like to extend our appreciation to all the sponsors including Golden Bear, Full Sail Brewing, Burton Snowboard, Hot Italian and also everyone who donated and played a part in making the fundraiser a success.

Renewable Energy bill moves forward

California takes the first step in reforming the state’s renewable portfolio standards law.

On Tuesday March 3, 2009, the Senate’s Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee passed Senate Bill 14 by Senator Joe Simitian. If enacted, SB 14 would increase the required amount of renewable energy sources in California’s portfolio to 33 percent by 2020 and make other necessary reforms to our state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) law.

Current law requires the state to obtain 20 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2010. However, the California Public Utilities Commission reports that in 2007 only 12 percent of the state’s electricity came from renewable resources such as geothermal, solar and wind. The Commission and other interested parties agree that the state’s three investor owned utilities – PG&E, Southern California Edison and SDG&E – will not meet the 2010 deadline and won’t be in compliance with the law until 2013.

Sierra Club California believes that the RPS law needs to upgrade both the targets and the rules under which it operates. Other states have adopted RPS laws and made significant strides in building renewable energy. In 2007 Texas reached a total installed wind capacity of over 5000 megawatts. In that same year California only built about 60 megawatts of wind turbines, a dismal performance. California once led the world in renewable energy and we need to regain our leadership.

Sierra Club California supports many of the proposed reforms to the RPS law under SB 14, including: the adoption of an enforceable minimum 33% RPS for both investor-owned utilities and publicly owned utilities; improvements to the market price structure and program goals for renewables; and implementation of more democratic accountability at the Public Utilities Commission. This is one of our top bills of the year and will be following it closely as it proceeds through the California Legislature.

SB 14 was voted out of the committee with the bare minimum of 6 aye votes. Committee members voting for SB 14, were Senators Padilla, Corbett, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Simitian and Wiggens. Voting against the bill or not voting were Senators Benoit, Calderon, Cox, Strickland, and Wright. It was disappointing to see Senator Strickland voting against the bill since he is one of the bill’s co-authors and had campaigned in last November’s election as a promoter of clean renewable energy. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations committee.