[Source: CalChamber] With strong support from the California Chamber of Commerce and the business community, the Legislature yesterday approved AB 398 (E. Garcia; D-Coachella), which will extend the cap-and-trade program, which provides the least costly path to achieving the state’s ambitious climate goals. “The Legislature achieved a bipartisan solution that will reduce the cost of Read More…
Newsroom
Gov. Brown and Democratic leaders offer plan to extend cap and trade, with aim for approval this week
[Source: Los Angeles Times] After weeks of back-and-forth between environmentalists and business interests, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders introduced a proposal Monday evening to reauthorize California’s cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state’s efforts to battle climate change. The plan consists of two bills: Assembly Bill 398, which would extend the life of the Read More…
When will electric cars go mainstream? It may be sooner than you think
[Source: The New York Times] As the world’s automakers place larger bets on electric vehicle technology, many industry analysts are debating a key question: How quickly can plug-in cars become mainstream? The conventional view holds that electric cars will remain a niche product for many years, plagued by high sticker prices and heavily dependent on Read More…
D.C. federal appeals court blocks EPA’s effort to suspend Obama-era methane pollution rule
[Source: POWERSOURCE–The Washington Post and The New York Times contributed] A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Monday that the head of the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped his authority in trying to delay implementation of a new rule requiring oil and gas companies to monitor and reduce methane leaks. In a split decision — the Read More…
Latinos key to U.S. economic growth, study finds
[Source: FOX2NOW.com] Latinos are becoming an increasingly critical engine for America’s economic growth, a new report finds. In 2015, the 55 million Latinos living and working in the U.S. were responsible for $2.13 trillion — or 11.8% — of America’s $18.04 trillion gross domestic product, according to a study released Thursday by the Latino Donors Read More…
A clean energy’s dirty little secret
[Source: National Review] Discarded solar panels are piling up all over the world, and they represent a major threat to the environment. Clean energy may not be so clean after all. A new study by Environmental Progress (EP) warns that toxic waste from used solar panels now poses a global environmental threat. The Berkeley-based group Read More…
The health care issue in California and beyond
[Source: Fox & Hounds] Good move, Mr. Speaker. The single payer health care measure incorporated in Senate Bill 562 was “woefully incomplete” as Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon declared. Rendon’s move to bury the bill in the Assembly Rules Committee was driven by both policy and political concerns. The health care improvements cannot be fixed by Read More…
Supreme Court will review Trump travel ban, allows it to take effect in most instances
[Source: ABC News] The Supreme Court is letting the Trump administration mostly enforce its 90-day ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries, overturning lower court orders that blocked it. The action Monday is a victory for President Donald Trump in the biggest legal controversy of his young presidency. The court did leave one category Read More…
Single-payer healthcare for California is, in fact, very doable
[Source: Los Angeles Times Op-Ed] The California Senate recently voted to pass a bill that would establish a single-payer healthcare system for the entire state. The proposal, called the Healthy California Act, will now be taken up by the state Assembly. The plan enjoys widespread support — a recent poll commissioned by the California Nurses Read More…