By Rod Fujita

A tragedy is unfolding on the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living organism on the planet.  The non-Hollywood ending is a surprise to many, but it was clearly foreshadowed decades ago by a small group of scientists who were criticized as false prophets of doom and dismissed.

Large sections of the reef are dead.  The reef has been remarkably resilient over the last 8000 years, weathering devastating outbreaks of voracious crown-of-thorns starfish, pollution, fishing and coral bleaching.  The establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority no doubt contributed to that resilience, reducing impacts from some of these threats, especially land-based pollution and fishing pressure.  Recent research by EDF and others shows that managing fisheries is crucial for maintaining healthy coral reefs.

Plans for saving what’s left of the reef are being developed.  The Queensland government has agreed in principle to all of the recommendations of a task force, including measures to cut sediment runoff in half and nutrient pollution by 70%.  Sediments and nutrients are among the most damaging threats to coral reefs, which need clear water to soak up enough sun to feed the tiny symbiotic algae that power reef growth. It turns out that this will cost about 10 times what the government has been spending on such efforts.

The cost of saving coral reefs and the probability that the world will lose this unique and wonderful ecosystem increased dramatically because the warning signs were ignored.  A small group of scientists claimed over 30 years ago that coral reefs would die unless greenhouse gas concentrations decreased dramatically, but they were dismissed as alarmists.

While attention is now focused on the death of large swaths of the Great Barrier Reef, coral reefs have probably always bleached to some extent.  Bleaching is often associated with local events, like sudden flows of freshwater, silt or pollution.  But starting in the 1980’s, a different pattern started to emerge, in which many coral reefs would bleach at about the same time in disparate locations around the globe, even in locations relatively free of human influence.

In the early 1990’s, coral reef ecologist Thomas Goreau and his colleague Ray Hayes showed that  global warming was increasing the frequency and number of ocean hot spots, which — when they overlapped with coral reefs –were associated with coral bleaching.  They concluded that mass coral bleaching events, observed around the world, were probably caused by global warming.

I worked with several colleagues, including Dr. Goreau and Mark Epstein, then with Environmental Defense Fund, to sound this warning in the US, at the United Nations and at scientific conferences.  We pointed out that some corals had already died after bleaching events in the 1980’s and 1990’s but that most were able to recover.  However, we predicted that if global warming continued apace, more frequent bleaching events would allow less time for recovery and result in more coral death.  And since climate change would likely result in warmer ocean temperatures and more prolonged exposure to warm water, we predicted that coral mortality would be even more extensive.

This is exactly what appears to be happening to the Great Barrier Reef.  It was resilient enough to recover from bleaching events that occurred a few years apart, but apparently not resilient enough to recover from back-to-back bleaching events.

We were roundly criticized as “false Cassandras” by the scientific establishment at the time, many of whose members were convinced that bleaching was caused by local factors only.  Perhaps this facilitated the failure of policymakers to take strong actions to prevent mass coral bleaching and reef death.  There are always many reasons to stay the course in order to avoid short term costs.  And when scientific conventional wisdom is arrayed against a few scientists who are calling for preventive action, it makes inaction even easier.  And as we are seeing today, even when scientific conventional wisdom – indeed, near unanimous scientific consensus – swings toward a view that corrective action to reduce the pace and extent of climate change is imperative, forces upholding the status quo can continue to hold sway.

Clearly, this does not have to be the case.  Millions of people know that greenhouse gas concentrations must be dramatically reduced to prevent even more coral reef death and other massive changes in the very conditions that make this planet habitable.  Can billions of people take concerted actions to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations? Yes: the hallmark of civilization is the capacity to do great things together that none of us can do individually.  But will we choose to do so?

By Rod Fujita

A tragedy is unfolding on the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living organism on the planet.  The non-Hollywood ending is a surprise to many, but it was clearly foreshadowed decades ago by a small group of scientists who were criticized as false prophets of doom and dismissed.

Large sections of the reef are dead.  The reef has been remarkably resilient over the last 8000 years, weathering devastating outbreaks of voracious crown-of-thorns starfish, pollution, fishing and coral bleaching.  The establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority no doubt contributed to that resilience, reducing impacts from some of these threats, especially land-based pollution and fishing pressure.  Recent research by EDF and others shows that managing fisheries is crucial for maintaining healthy coral reefs.

Plans for saving what’s left of the reef are being developed.  The Queensland government has agreed in principle to all of the recommendations of a task force, including measures to cut sediment runoff in half and nutrient pollution by 70%.  Sediments and nutrients are among the most damaging threats to coral reefs, which need clear water to soak up enough sun to feed the tiny symbiotic algae that power reef growth. It turns out that this will cost about 10 times what the government has been spending on such efforts.

The cost of saving coral reefs and the probability that the world will lose this unique and wonderful ecosystem increased dramatically because the warning signs were ignored.  A small group of scientists claimed over 30 years ago that coral reefs would die unless greenhouse gas concentrations decreased dramatically, but they were dismissed as alarmists.

While attention is now focused on the death of large swaths of the Great Barrier Reef, coral reefs have probably always bleached to some extent.  Bleaching is often associated with local events, like sudden flows of freshwater, silt or pollution.  But starting in the 1980’s, a different pattern started to emerge, in which many coral reefs would bleach at about the same time in disparate locations around the globe, even in locations relatively free of human influence.

In the early 1990’s, coral reef ecologist Thomas Goreau and his colleague Ray Hayes showed that  global warming was increasing the frequency and number of ocean hot spots, which — when they overlapped with coral reefs –were associated with coral bleaching.  They concluded that mass coral bleaching events, observed around the world, were probably caused by global warming.

I worked with several colleagues, including Dr. Goreau and Mark Epstein, then with Environmental Defense Fund, to sound this warning in the US, at the United Nations and at scientific conferences.  We pointed out that some corals had already died after bleaching events in the 1980’s and 1990’s but that most were able to recover.  However, we predicted that if global warming continued apace, more frequent bleaching events would allow less time for recovery and result in more coral death.  And since climate change would likely result in warmer ocean temperatures and more prolonged exposure to warm water, we predicted that coral mortality would be even more extensive.

This is exactly what appears to be happening to the Great Barrier Reef.  It was resilient enough to recover from bleaching events that occurred a few years apart, but apparently not resilient enough to recover from back-to-back bleaching events.

We were roundly criticized as “false Cassandras” by the scientific establishment at the time, many of whose members were convinced that bleaching was caused by local factors only.  Perhaps this facilitated the failure of policymakers to take strong actions to prevent mass coral bleaching and reef death.  There are always many reasons to stay the course in order to avoid short term costs.  And when scientific conventional wisdom is arrayed against a few scientists who are calling for preventive action, it makes inaction even easier.  And as we are seeing today, even when scientific conventional wisdom – indeed, near unanimous scientific consensus – swings toward a view that corrective action to reduce the pace and extent of climate change is imperative, forces upholding the status quo can continue to hold sway.

Clearly, this does not have to be the case.  Millions of people know that greenhouse gas concentrations must be dramatically reduced to prevent even more coral reef death and other massive changes in the very conditions that make this planet habitable.  Can billions of people take concerted actions to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations? Yes: the hallmark of civilization is the capacity to do great things together that none of us can do individually.  But will we choose to do so?

Industry is fighting back against bans that protect Americans from the dangerous consequences of certain chemicals. Don't let them win.

Industry is fighting back against bans that protect Americans from the dangerous consequences of certain chemicals. Don't let them win.

Written by Lisa Sharp

Oklahoma may not be the most environmentally friendly state, Scott Pruitt was our Attorney General before President Trump appointed him head of the EPA. But in the past, federal regulations have been a saving grace for Oklahoma. While Scott Pruitt often fought against these environmental regulations, he kept losing, which was a win for Oklahoma families.

With Pruitt overseeing the EPA, environmental regulations have already been stripped away. This makes Oklahoma more vulnerable than ever. President Trump even talked about the possibly of abolishing the EPA, saying, “We’ll be fine with the environment. We can leave a little bit, but you can’t destroy businesses.” Of course, we don’t want to destroy businesses, but what about our health? Lost work to repertory illnesses like asthma, and shorter life spans, are awful for business.

Now Oklahoma faces new problems, as some of our top environmental issues are exasperated…

Record Wildfires

When I go outside now, I usually smell smoke. This is personal for me because my father is a volunteer firefighter. He recently responded to a fire almost two hours away. Normally, my dad doesn’t fight fires so far away, but state resources were so low due to so many wildfires burning around the state. The fire burned about a square mile, injuring two people and destroying nine homes.

Droughts and wildfires are common in Oklahoma, and both are breaking records. This is a fierce reminder of how climate change wrecks havoc, and will continue to do so in Oklahoma, as a record 900,000 acres have burned in Oklahoma already this year. Buildings have been destroyed, seven people have been killed, and hundreds of cattle, a big industry for the state, have been killed.

The Trump administration’s cuts are also felt in the area of wildfires emergency aid. The Department of Agriculture is cutting 21% of emergency aid under Trump’s proposed budget. This would likely mean a lot less aid to farmers and ranchers who already are impacted by the wildfires.

Record warm temperatures and lack of rain fuel fires and climate change impacts these factors.

Fracking and Earthquakes

The oil and gas industry is linked to one of the bigger environmental issues in the state. We’ve had record increases in earthquakes. The quakes are linked to disposal wells used by the industry.

Finally, after denying the link for years, some oil and gas companies are making an effort to slow the quakes by shutting down some wells. However, scientists have said the quakes will likely continue and increase in magnitude.

With Trump favoring industry’s financial concerns over the health of Americans, I worry Oklahoma’s earthquakes will get even worse. The administration is already rolling back the rule requiring companies to disclose the chemicals used in drilling on federal lands, which makes it hard to even know what your family is breathing or ingesting. Trump says he will continue to lift environmental regulations.

The homes in Oklahoma are not built to withstand earthquakes. How can Oklahoma residents feel safe?

Keystone XL

The Keystone XL pipeline is back in the news after the Trump administration approved the northern leg. While the southern leg was built years ago and is already running in Oklahoma, the northern leg will also impact the state.

In a press statement, Oklahoma’s U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe praised Pres. Trump for this approval. Sen. Inhofe claimed it would bring thousands of jobs to Oklahoma. He offered no proof of this. Since the pipeline is already built in Oklahoma, it’s hard to figure out where these jobs would come from, especially considering that the pipeline is slated to bring only 35 permanent jobs.

With regulation rollbacks and budget cuts, President Trump, Scott Pruitt, and this administration of climate liars will make Oklahoma dirtier than it’s ever been. That is not only concerning for my family, it should be for families across the nation, as global warming is getting a free pass to destroy the planet.

TELL CONGRESS: PROTECT EPA

Coastal Louisiana is facing a crisis: Every hour, a football field of land disappears into open water. There's a solution, but it needs to be approved by the state legislature. Regional. C4.

Written by Judith A. Ross

Portland Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler, along with city and Multnomah County officials, has pledged to transition the city and county’s energy needs to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Wheeler and several local leaders revealed the new 16-item 2017-2018 Climate Action Agenda at a meeting on April 1oth.

Noting that the Trump Administration wants to “…take us back to the 1950s in terms of climate policies,” Mayor Wheeler told climate activists, concerned citizens, and members of the media attending the meeting that,

“No matter what’s going on in Washington [D.C.], Portland will continue to stay the course.”

A winner of the C-40 Cities Award  in 2016, Portland’s 2015 climate action plan  is already “the strongest in the world,” said Wheeler, explaining that the new climate agenda will build on that framework, and take the city “further and faster.”

With the goal “…to meet all of Portland and Multnomah County’s community-wide energy needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050” at the top of the agenda, City officials plan to lay the groundwork for reaching that goal by first transitioning all of the city and county’s electricity needs to renewable sources by 2035.

In a recent phone interview, Nathan Howard, the Mayor’s Senior Policy Advisor & Community Relations Lead told me that this goal does not include any exceptions. “We are excluding no sector, including natural gas,” he said.

Speakers at the event, including the Mayor, also focused on issues of climate justice, pledging to ensure that the benefits of climate action are shared equitably by all. Indeed, item number four on the agenda promises to

“Prioritize minimizing risks for communities most vulnerable to climate change impacts like heat waves and flooding, with a particular focus on communities of color and low-income populations.”

Other agenda items include:

• “Equitably implement the actions in the Climate Action Plan in ways that address health, safety and livability, access, prosperity and inclusive engagement.”
• “Work with utilities to accelerate the transition to zero-carbon electricity and minimize dependence on fossil fuels. Participate in the Public Utility Commission processes to determine how future power needs will be met.”
• “Urge the State of Oregon to strengthen its energy code to target net-zero energy buildings by 2030.”
• “Lead by example in City and County operations.” For example, supplying 100 percent of electricity for City and County operations from renewable resources, and establishing an EV (electric vehicle) first purchasing policy for the City of Portland.

Pledging to resist federal policy changes that will increase carbon emissions, Wheeler also noted during the meeting that,

“Leadership has swung to the local level to show that investing renewable energy is a fiscally rewarding strategy.”

Indeed, according to a recent press release from the Mayor’s office about the event, the region has reaped numerous benefits from its efforts to cut carbon emissions.

“Portland has been working on climate change since it became the first city in the United States to adopt a carbon reduction strategy in 1993. Since then, per capita carbon emissions have dropped 40 percent and overall emissions 21 percent below 1990 levels. The far-sighted policies of prioritizing climate change have paid off economically. According to a new analysis by the Portland Development Commission, the region has added 47,0000 clean tech jobs. The expanding urban tree canopy and natural areas, and major public works project like the car-free Tillikum Crossing, boost health and livability and make Portland a global destination.”

Citizens also have a part to play in helping Portland and Multnomah County provide a model for the rest of the country. Citizen actions run the gamut from participating in the city’s recycling and composting programs, to using public transportation and taking advantage of the City’s excellent system of bike lanes, to making low carbon choices for their homes.

As Mayor Wheeler pointed out,

“We don’t succeed addressing climate change by government action alone. We need our whole community: government, businesses, organizations and households to work together to make a just transition to a 100% renewable future.’’

And, in case anyone at the meeting needed reminding, the consequences of not following through on the new agenda were expressed by 7th grader, climate activist, and local YouTube celebrity Jeremy Clark. As a “proud native Portlander,” Clark described how much he loves skiing down Mount Hood or running through the trees at Reed College, expressing his fear “…. that the things I love in Portland will be gone in my lifetime.” After reminding the adults in the room that his future lies in our hands, he said,

“It gives me a lot of hope that the leaders of my community are promising today to drastically reduce our community’s carbon emissions. Keeping our climate sustainable is the most important issue for the success of my generation. So, if you keep your promises made today, then in 20 – 30 years, you can say to your children and grandchildren, ‘Together, we kept your future bright.’”

TELL YOUR SENATOR: PROTECT OUR HEALTH FROM AIR AND CLIMATE POLLUTION

Today, May 2, is Coastal Day at the Louisiana Legislature. This annual event, organized by the Coast Builders Coalition, is designed to educate legislators about the vital work being done to protect and restore our coast. With the 2017 Coastal Master Plan being introduced early in the legislative session, Coastal Day is an important opportunity to educate representatives and legislators from across the state about the master plan. You can follow along with updates throughout the day by following the ...

Read The Full Story

The post Today is #CoastalDay, Here’s Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Today, May 2, is Coastal Day at the Louisiana Legislature. This annual event, organized by the Coast Builders Coalition, is designed to educate legislators about the vital work being done to protect and restore our coast. With the 2017 Coastal Master Plan being introduced early in the legislative session, Coastal Day is an important opportunity to educate representatives and legislators from across the state about the master plan. You can follow along with updates throughout the day by following the ...

Read The Full Story

The post Today is #CoastalDay, Here’s Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Today, May 2, is Coastal Day at the Louisiana Legislature. This annual event, organized by the Coast Builders Coalition, is designed to educate legislators about the vital work being done to protect and restore our coast. With the 2017 Coastal Master Plan being introduced early in the legislative session, Coastal Day is an important opportunity to educate representatives and legislators from across the state about the master plan. You can follow along with updates throughout the day by following the ...

Read The Full Story

The post Today is #CoastalDay, Here’s Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

As legislature considers plan, 109 businesses and other groups urge passage in statewide ads (Baton Rouge, LA—May 2, 2017) As Coastal Day is celebrated at the legislature this week, ads signed by more than 100 Louisiana businesses, chambers of commerce, associations and non-profit organizations in support of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan will be running in newspapers across the state. The master plan, the state’s 50-year blueprint for coastal restoration and protection efforts, is updated every five years with the ...

Read The Full Story

The post More than 100 Leading Businesses and Organizations Voice Support for Coastal Master Plan appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

As legislature considers plan, 109 businesses and other groups urge passage in statewide ads (Baton Rouge, LA—May 2, 2017) As Coastal Day is celebrated at the legislature this week, ads signed by more than 100 Louisiana businesses, chambers of commerce, associations and non-profit organizations in support of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan will be running in newspapers across the state. The master plan, the state’s 50-year blueprint for coastal restoration and protection efforts, is updated every five years with the ...

Read The Full Story

The post More than 100 Leading Businesses and Organizations Voice Support for Coastal Master Plan appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

As legislature considers plan, 109 businesses and other groups urge passage in statewide ads (Baton Rouge, LA—May 2, 2017) As Coastal Day is celebrated at the legislature this week, ads signed by more than 100 Louisiana businesses, chambers of commerce, associations and non-profit organizations in support of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan will be running in newspapers across the state. The master plan, the state’s 50-year blueprint for coastal restoration and protection efforts, is updated every five years with the ...

Read The Full Story

The post More than 100 Leading Businesses and Organizations Voice Support for Coastal Master Plan appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

By Erica Morehouse

(Source: cropped photo from Flickr/ Zoe-Rochelle)

Today Senator Bob Wieckowski, supported by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, proposed what amounts to a complete overhaul of California’s cap-and-trade program after 2020 in amendments to SB 775.

Pro Tem de Leon in particular has been a tireless champion of effective climate policies that are benefiting California’s communities and making the state a global leader on climate action. California would not be where it is today without his leadership especially on investments in disadvantaged communities and strong renewable and energy efficiency targets. This particular proposal, however, contains provisions that risk undermining the enormous progress the state has made.

Rather than scrapping the current system and starting over with an unproven approach, the state should build on success, keeping what is working well while strengthening the program by doing more to address local air pollution and environmental justice.

With President Trump seeking to take the country in reverse, California’s leadership is needed now more than ever. We can – and must – forge a post-2020 program that benefits communities in the state while leveraging progress here at home to spur greater ambition globally.

What’s at risk in this bill?

We still need to do a full assessment on the language of the bill, which was amended today on the senate floor, but we know certain key policies are at risk:

• Setting a hard ceiling on allowance prices, without any provision to ensure that California would meet its climate targets if that price ceiling were exceeded, opens a loophole that could undermine the program’s environmental integrity and California’s climate leadership. While the specific price ceiling envisioned in the bill is high enough that it may not be triggered, it represents an approach that is counter to the signature feature of the cap-and-trade program: the guarantee that California will meet its emission target.
• This price ceiling also supplants a carefully designed cost-containment system that has operated effectively and works in harmony with California’s environmental goals. For example, this bill would prohibit firms from banking allowances, denying them a key source of flexibility that allows them to reduce emissions at the lowest possible cost over time. The bill would also ban the use of offsets, which help California achieve high integrity, hard-to-reach reductions outside the cap while keeping costs under the cap in-check and extending California’s climate diplomacy.
• This bill could put California’s existing and future partnerships and linkages at risk by overhauling California’s approach to cap-and-trade and then asking partners to quickly fall in line. International linkages strengthen California’s leadership position and allow the state to leverage its program to spur greater ambition globally. Turning inward now would cede global leadership just when the world needs it most.

Today’s proposal is just one step in the complex legislative process, not a final bill proposal. Decision makers must balance many policy priorities as they navigate how to extend California’s cap-and-trade program. We believe there is plenty of room to adapt and strengthen California’s policy package while hewing to the framework that has served California well in reducing carbon pollution so far.

How California can chart a path to a strong cap-and-trade extension

California’s cap-and-trade program is working to bring carbon pollution down while the economy thrives. Even with this success, we recognize California needs to be doing more to address the very serious air pollution issues in local, environmental justice communities. EDF is committing to working on this with legislative leadership and our partners to ensure that the air is safe for all Californians to breathe wherever they live, while recognizing that climate policy – which affects issues as serious as our access to water – is critical to our continued future.

California needs policies that – in addition to improving local air quality – will continue to build on the successful reductions of GHG emissions; secure national and international partnerships vital to the state’s progress as a climate leader; and continue to support strong economic growth.

Rather than a wholesale change of a program that is meeting its goals, we should preserve what’s working and strengthen the parts that aren’t doing enough by designing and implementing policies that will directly improve air quality, especially in environmental justice communities.

This Senate bill comes as Governor Brown is urging the Legislature to pass an extension through the budget process with a two-thirds vote, and after two proposals introduced into the Assembly on how to extend the cap-and-trade program.

It is important that the Senate has now entered this debate and is recognizing the importance of passing a cap-and-trade extension with a supermajority vote. EDF looks forward to working with Senator Wieckowski, President Pro Tem de Leon, Assembly leaders, the Governor, and other stakeholders as California charts a path to a strong post-2020 climate policy.

With the Trump Administration abandoning its leadership role on climate at home and on the international stage, it is more important than ever that California continues to model successful climate policy that ensures that the state will meet its ambitious carbon pollution reduction targets, while promoting better local air quality and supporting a thriving economy.

Today Senator Bob Wieckowski, supported by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, proposed what amounts to a complete overhaul of California’s cap-and-trade program after 2020 in amendments to SB 775. Pro Tem de Leon in particular has been a tireless champion of effective climate policies that are benefiting California’s communities and making the state […]

Today Senator Bob Wieckowski, supported by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, proposed what amounts to a complete overhaul of California’s cap-and-trade program after 2020 in amendments to SB 775. Pro Tem de Leon in particular has been a tireless champion of effective climate policies that are benefiting California’s communities and making the state […]

By Erica Morehouse

(Source: cropped photo from Flickr/ Zoe-Rochelle)

Today Senator Bob Wieckowski, supported by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, proposed what amounts to a complete overhaul of California’s cap-and-trade program after 2020 in amendments to SB 775.

Pro Tem de Leon in particular has been a tireless champion of effective climate policies that are benefiting California’s communities and making the state a global leader on climate action. California would not be where it is today without his leadership especially on investments in disadvantaged communities and strong renewable and energy efficiency targets. This particular proposal, however, contains provisions that risk undermining the enormous progress the state has made.

Rather than scrapping the current system and starting over with an unproven approach, the state should build on success, keeping what is working well while strengthening the program by doing more to address local air pollution and environmental justice.

With President Trump seeking to take the country in reverse, California’s leadership is needed now more than ever. We can – and must – forge a post-2020 program that benefits communities in the state while leveraging progress here at home to spur greater ambition globally.

What’s at risk in this bill?

We still need to do a full assessment on the language of the bill, which was amended today on the senate floor, but we know certain key policies are at risk:

• Setting a hard ceiling on allowance prices, without any provision to ensure that California would meet its climate targets if that price ceiling were exceeded, opens a loophole that could undermine the program’s environmental integrity and California’s climate leadership. While the specific price ceiling envisioned in the bill is high enough that it may not be triggered, it represents an approach that is counter to the signature feature of the cap-and-trade program: the guarantee that California will meet its emission target.
• This price ceiling also supplants a carefully designed cost-containment system that has operated effectively and works in harmony with California’s environmental goals. For example, this bill would prohibit firms from banking allowances, denying them a key source of flexibility that allows them to reduce emissions at the lowest possible cost over time. The bill would also ban the use of offsets, which help California achieve high integrity, hard-to-reach reductions outside the cap while keeping costs under the cap in-check and extending California’s climate diplomacy.
• This bill could put California’s existing and future partnerships and linkages at risk by overhauling California’s approach to cap-and-trade and then asking partners to quickly fall in line. International linkages strengthen California’s leadership position and allow the state to leverage its program to spur greater ambition globally. Turning inward now would cede global leadership just when the world needs it most.

Today’s proposal is just one step in the complex legislative process, not a final bill proposal. Decision makers must balance many policy priorities as they navigate how to extend California’s cap-and-trade program. We believe there is plenty of room to adapt and strengthen California’s policy package while hewing to the framework that has served California well in reducing carbon pollution so far.

How California can chart a path to a strong cap-and-trade extension

California’s cap-and-trade program is working to bring carbon pollution down while the economy thrives. Even with this success, we recognize California needs to be doing more to address the very serious air pollution issues in local, environmental justice communities. EDF is committing to working on this with legislative leadership and our partners to ensure that the air is safe for all Californians to breathe wherever they live, while recognizing that climate policy – which affects issues as serious as our access to water – is critical to our continued future.

California needs policies that – in addition to improving local air quality – will continue to build on the successful reductions of GHG emissions; secure national and international partnerships vital to the state’s progress as a climate leader; and continue to support strong economic growth.

Rather than a wholesale change of a program that is meeting its goals, we should preserve what’s working and strengthen the parts that aren’t doing enough by designing and implementing policies that will directly improve air quality, especially in environmental justice communities.

This Senate bill comes as Governor Brown is urging the Legislature to pass an extension through the budget process with a two-thirds vote, and after two proposals introduced into the Assembly on how to extend the cap-and-trade program.

It is important that the Senate has now entered this debate and is recognizing the importance of passing a cap-and-trade extension with a supermajority vote. EDF looks forward to working with Senator Wieckowski, President Pro Tem de Leon, Assembly leaders, the Governor, and other stakeholders as California charts a path to a strong post-2020 climate policy.

With the Trump Administration abandoning its leadership role on climate at home and on the international stage, it is more important than ever that California continues to model successful climate policy that ensures that the state will meet its ambitious carbon pollution reduction targets, while promoting better local air quality and supporting a thriving economy.

Written by Diane MacEachern

The Moms Clean Air Force message was delivered loud and clear at the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C., on a day when temperatures unnaturally soared into the 90’s and the Trump Administration decided to thumb its nose at people’s concerns by replacing EPA’s science-based climate change website with an arbitrary ‘being updated’ notice.

Signs at the March indicated exactly how people felt about this state of the world:

“DON’T BE A FOSSIL FOOL” “SAVE THE BEES” “THE SEAS ARE RISING. SO ARE WE!”

Climate activism was on display at this day-long demonstration of people power. Moms Clean Air Force co-sponsored the March and led the “Guardians of the Future” contingent, with founder Dominique Browning, Ronnie Citron-Fink, Molly Rauch, and many more Moms carrying the signature banner down Pennsylvania Avenue as Karen Quimby directed us and the thousands behind us to speed up or slow down. Our “team” included two towering puppets. One, of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, inspired the chant, “Hey, hey, ho ho, Scott Pruitt has got to go!” The second, of Mother Nature, overshadowed Pruitt (as she should), her turquoise blue hair sparkling in the sunlight. When word spread that 375 other marches were happening across the U.S., and more around the world, again the crowd cheered.

Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump, Mother Nature puppets

 

Moms Clean Air Force’s Molly Rauch, Dominique Browning and Ronnie Citron-Fink

The weather offered up a fitting example of why we needed to march. Symbolically, the day’s temperature tied a sweltering heat record for April 29 set in 1974. In fact, the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency issued a hyperthermia alert, citing a heat index of 96 degrees. If this had been August, we’d have shrugged, “No big deal.” But in April? Yes, it’s a big deal.

Bubbles!

Moms Clean Air Force’s Alyson Lee and her mom.

Moms Clean Air Force massed for the March early, gathering in full view of the Capitol to hand out our signature red “Listen to Your Mother” t-shirts and fill the space with festive bubbles. We were all ages, from newborn babies to high school kids, from young moms and dads to grandmothers. Never ones to let a good organizing opportunity go by, the Moms team asked marchers to sign “Lunch Box Notes” to their members of Congress to remind Senators and Representatives that “Every day, 77,000 kids miss school because of asthma,” “Air pollution makes asthma worse,” and most importantly, “Our children have the right to breathe clean air.”

Actress Diane Lane marching with Moms Clean Air Force!

Long-time climate change activist Leo De Caprio was ahead of us, marching with Indigenous people. Actress, Diane Lane, of “Under the Tuscan Sun” fame, asked if she could march with Moms. When I asked her why, she gushed about how effective Moms Clean Air Force is, and how important our work is to build a broad coalition of parents to stop climate change.

Senator Tom Carper of Delaware dropped by, too. Using a bullhorn to make himself heard, he wasn’t shy in doling out praise for the parents assembled before him. “I love Moms Clean Air Force! Thank you for all you do!” He urged anyone within hearing distance to make the kind of noise their elected officials can’t ignore and remind them “There is no Planet B.”

Delaware’s Senator Tom Carper gave a heartfelt speech to Mom Clean Air Force marchers – with Moms Clean Air Force’s Karin Quimby.

As the march began rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, tens of thousands of people moved as if one. “Tell me what democracy looks like” urged someone. “This is what democracy looks like!” we roared back.

There was singing, too. “We shall Overcome” and “This Land is Your Land” made their way from one end of the march to the other, accompanied by drum circles, brass bands, and, yes, a kazoo here and there.

When waves of activists passed the Trump International Hotel, a collective roar swelled up from the crowd. “Shame, shame, shame, shame,” scolded these citizens, who find it appalling that the new president is trying to open up huge swaths of public lands to climate changing-fossil fuel development rather than advance clean energy like solar and wind.

After the march, Dominique sent out a heartfelt note of gratitude to those who shared in the massive success that was the People’s Climate March.

“Huge thanks – For making our presence felt, in D.C. And elsewhere…All the hard work and careful preparations paid off.

“Some day the need for these will stop. I’m not sure I can be an 80 year old marcher. But wow. Hats off to everyone who braved hot streets, or snowy streets–to let Trump know that moms and dads did not vote to make America dirty again!”

TELL CONGRESS: PROTECT EPA

 

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatchers with hosts Simone Maloz & Jacques Hebert. On this week's episode of Delta Dispatches, Simone and Jacques discuss how the 2017 Coastal Master Plan becomes law and the economic case for recovery.  In the first two segments Simone has Rep. Jerome "Zee" Zeringue (R – District 52) about his time as the chairman and executive director of the CPRA. Zee provides insights into the Louisiana legislature and the next steps for the master ...

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The post Delta Dispatches: The Louisiana Legislature & the Economic Case for Restoration appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.