(1) Last month, @CAGovernor @GavinNewsom broke his silence on the state climate blueprint with a letter to his own climate regulator @AirResources.
The Governor’s letter urged CARB to go further, faster. Here’s our analysis:🧵
The Governor’s letter urged CARB to go further, faster. Here’s our analysis:🧵
(2) As the McKinney Fire rages red-hot and a megadrought continues, all eyes are on the 2022 Climate Scoping Plan process.
The draft plan has been universally criticized. The Governor’s recommendations, while not legally binding, are important political signals.
The draft plan has been universally criticized. The Governor’s recommendations, while not legally binding, are important political signals.
(3) Newsom’s notes on the plan:
🥳No new gas plants + funds for offshore wind
🥳 Significant investments in building decarbonization + healthy homes
🚩Likely extend the life of oil refineries with so-called “clean” fuels
🚩Mythic, oversized targets for engineered carbon removal
🥳No new gas plants + funds for offshore wind
🥳 Significant investments in building decarbonization + healthy homes
🚩Likely extend the life of oil refineries with so-called “clean” fuels
🚩Mythic, oversized targets for engineered carbon removal
(4) Starting with the good: the Governor’s letter recommends no new gas power plants and increased planning for offshore wind. 🥳🥳
We celebrate these commitments, and urge @AirResources to go bolder with plans for a phaseout of polluting gas.
We celebrate these commitments, and urge @AirResources to go bolder with plans for a phaseout of polluting gas.
(5) We applaud the commitment to fund 3 million “climate ready and friendly homes” by 2030 with electric heat-pumps. 🥳🥳
As working class Californians battle extreme heat, decarbonization must start with low income residents.
As working class Californians battle extreme heat, decarbonization must start with low income residents.
(6) Tenant protections and extreme heat protections are also crucial. Funding for healthy homes should concentrate on holistic home upgrades and max indoor air temperatures.
🍃These funds could be paired with investments in community resilience centers to battle extreme heat.🏠
🍃These funds could be paired with investments in community resilience centers to battle extreme heat.🏠
(7) After months of organizing by San Joaquin Valley residents and the @VOICESCA coalition, the Governor acknowledged the ongoing methane poisoning of Valley residents with the creation of a new taskforce.
(8) We can only hope this methane taskforce is more effective than CalGEM has been so far - and that the leaking oil and gas infrastructure is taken as an example of the risks of expanding pipeline infrastructure.
(9) Missing from the Governor’s letter are concrete details of a supply-side fossil fuel phaseout for heavy refining or extraction. While the Governor alludes to “moving away” from fossil fuels in last week’s letter, the details that *are* there are troubling.
(10) Reading between the lines, the Governor’s letter might inadvertently throw the oil and gas industry a lifeline to continue polluting in our communities with dirty hydrogen & biofuels. 🚩
(11) It will be physically and financially impossible for California refineries to “transition to clean fuels.”🚩
The devil is in the details. CA's aging refineries—many over a century old—are only capable of being retrofitted with old, first-generation biofuel technology...
The devil is in the details. CA's aging refineries—many over a century old—are only capable of being retrofitted with old, first-generation biofuel technology...
(12) ...which will mean bio-refining conversion projects that could extend California’s ancient petroleum and dirty hydrogen infrastructure. 🏭☁️ @CAgovernor @GavinNewsom
(13) We do applaud the Gov’s call to increase the stringency of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which MUST correct the harmful inclusion & overvaluation of dairy biogas. It incentivizes methane production, perpetuates viability of fossil fuels & pollutes communities' water & air.
(14) Lastly, the letter includes hair-raisingly large targets for engineered carbon capture, utilization & sequestration. 🚩
The targets, which do not differentiate among the many kinds of carbon “removal” technology available, are surely being celebrated by oil & gas lobbyists.
The targets, which do not differentiate among the many kinds of carbon “removal” technology available, are surely being celebrated by oil & gas lobbyists.
(15) The *actual* IPCC report is clear that engineered carbon removal is a last resort - first, we must phaseout fossil fuels to avoid the worst climate scenarios.
The IPCC warns that #CarbonCapture is risky, costly, & prolongs fossil fuel infrastructure caleja.us/ipcc
The IPCC warns that #CarbonCapture is risky, costly, & prolongs fossil fuel infrastructure caleja.us/ipcc
(16) A recent @LATimes article exposed the risks of carbon sequestration policy – including more drilling.
latimes.com/environment/st…
latimes.com/environment/st…
(17) We're encouraged by parts of @CAGovernor @GavinNewsom’s climate letter and deeply concerned with others. Our families need healthy and heat-resilient homes, clean wind energy, and no new gas plants.
But California risks everything if we don't plan for a fossil-free future.
But California risks everything if we don't plan for a fossil-free future.
(18) As CARB holds listening sessions this month we urge @AirResources @CAGovernor:
🛑Stop pursuing climate dead ends like #CarbonCapture and #CapAndTrade
🏭 Lead a real phaseout of fossil fuels by 2045
🌱 Invest in mass transit and clean renewable power for all
🛑Stop pursuing climate dead ends like #CarbonCapture and #CapAndTrade
🏭 Lead a real phaseout of fossil fuels by 2045
🌱 Invest in mass transit and clean renewable power for all
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