Sierra Club California’s 2011 Policy Achievements and Challenges
Sierra Club California is one clear expression of Californian’s environmental conscience. Our work at the state capitol in the last year, on behalf of our 150,000 members and activists, has been more important than ever. Thanks to the support of members and allies, Californians can count on a future with cleaner energy, better air quality, and a brighter future. Here are some highlights.
The Wins and Achievements
Cleaner Energy
On the last day of this year’s legislative session in September, the legislature passed a bill (SB 790) that will foster fair competition with investor owned utilities. It allows local governments to use existing laws, without undue barriers, to procure electricity for their communities and increase use of renewable energy through a mechanism called community aggregation. Sierra Club California staff worked tirelessly for months to help move this proposal. Now we are working to make sure the governor signs the bill into law.
Last spring, Sierra Club California staff worked with a broad coalition to ensure passage of legislation that raises to 33% the proportion of renewable energy that public and private electricity utilities are required to carry within their energy portfolio by 2020. The two bills combined will help reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while creating and supporting green jobs in California.
A Path to Better Transit
California’s transit users have watched the down economy erode transit funding and cut transit service. A good transit system is essential to reduce pollution, manage land use, relieve urban congestion, meet greenhouse gas reduction goals, and simply get people to work and school. Sierra Club California led the push for legislation to find solutions to the transit funding crisis. Assembly Bill 650, which creates a short-term task force to identify transit needs, costs, and funding options, is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Oil Spill Prevention
Oil spill cleanup, and perhaps more importantly, oil spill prevention training and monitoring are funded in large part by a modest fee of five cents on each barrel of oil. That fee hasn’t risen in many years even though costs have risen, threatening the effectiveness of oil spill prevention and cleanup programs. Sierra Club California staff lobbied successfully for legislation (AB 1112) to raise the fee by one-and-a-half cents per barrel until 2015. The bill is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Protected Wildlife
Sierra Club California staff worked in a coalition to end California’s contribution to rapid declines in shark populations around the world. Each year, millions of sharks are caught, their fins removed, and then the sharks are cast live back into the ocean.. Our staff , backed by our tremendous activists who responded to alerts with letters, calls and emails, helped pass AB 376, which prohibits the shark fin trade in California. The bill sits on the governor’s desk awaiting signature.
Resilient Habitats
Our policy specialists and organizers are working to raise awareness of sea-level rise and its impacts to spur proactive planning at the State and local level. The greatest threat to the coast, including coastal wildlife habitat, is sea level rise and the flooding it will create. We are also advocating at state and regional agencies that can influence California’s preparation and response to sea level rise.
Cleaning up Car Emissions
This January, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation and California Air Resources Board announced that they would work together to create a national clean cars standard for the years 2018-2025. Since then, Sierra Club California staff transportation experts have worked with national staff and others to push for the strongest possible national and California standards, including a zero-emissions vehicle standard in California. Federal and California rulemaking will proceed this fall.
Challenges this Year and Ahead
CEQA Rollbacks
This legislative year began with a barrage of bills intended to weaken environmental regulations and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the key tool for ensuring communities have adequate information about the environmental and community impacts of large construction projects. We were able to block many of these.
However, in the final few days of the legislative session, leadership in the Assembly and Senate jammed through bills that weaken CEQA and accommodate special interests. Sierra Club California staff are regrouping and working with our allies to develop a positive plan for protecting California’s environment and quality of life when the legislature returns in January.
Timber Harvest Plans
Legislation is in the works to address ways to reduce clear cutting and improve timber harvest plans. Sierra Club staff have been at the table to protect the environment’s interests as bill proposals move forward in January.
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The California Legislative Committee Leads Team Effort
April 2011 Priority Legislation
Assembly Bill 376 (Fong/Huffman) Factsheet: Promote healthy shark populations and oceans
