Sierra Club California played a vital role in passing the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act of 2008, which requires manufacturers to create . . . → Read More]]> With the economy still dwelling in the dirt, the last thing we need to worry about is something else that can poison us and our children.  Mercury is one of those things and it is a very toxic metal that can affect brain and nerve function that can potentially impair the way we see, hear, walk and talk.

Sierra Club California played a vital role in passing the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act of 2008, which requires manufacturers to create and maintain recycling and collection programs for old mercury thermostats.  Since then, little progress has been made and manufacturers continue to perform at a minimum level to comply.  The first year collection rate came back at a dismal 3.9% in California.

Without a viable collection and recycling program, mercury thermostats will end up in trash bins and ultimately find their way to waterways and into the environment.  Mercury can contaminate our food chain and there are many fish species that wildlife and humans should not consume due to the amount of mercury present.  About two-thirds of mercury in the atmosphere derives from man-made sources, therefore it is important to have effective recycling programs for items commonly present in households.

Sierra Club California and our allies have been working closely with the California Department of Toxic and Substance Control (DTSC) to make sure we set strong standards and regulations for industry to follow.  We recently submitted a joint comment letter to DTSC voicing our concerns and calling for better performance from manufacturers.  Even though we are very disappointed with the collection rate in California, we will not stop pushing manufacturers to do what is right and necessary to protect our precious environment and loved ones.

You can learn more about mercury and potential exposures by visiting http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/pollutionprevention/upload/mercury-brochure.pdf.  Household items containing toxic substances should be handled carefully and recycled properly.  Please visit http://earth911.com/recycling/household/ to find nearest recycling sites.

The event was a five-panel hearing about key environmental issues and the need to protect California. Panelists ranged from a Stanford scientist who testified about disturbing new research on the effects of air pollution on children’s immune systems, to a labor leader who . . . → Read More]]> Environmental and environmental justice activists, the general public, legislators, legislative staff, and even a few industry lobbyists packed a hearing room at the Capitol to witness the launch event of the Protect California Campaign on February 1.

The event was a five-panel hearing about key environmental issues and the need to protect California. Panelists ranged from a Stanford scientist who testified about disturbing new research on the effects of air pollution on children’s immune systems, to a labor leader who made an impassioned plea for protecting forests from clear cutting and sustaining jobs through better logging practices.

More than 15 legislators attended the hearing. I say “more than 15” because one legislator took time to poke his head into the room and survey the crowd, but decided not to stay.

The legislators who did stay, and deserve kudos for their efforts to protect California’s environment, are senators Ellen Corbett, Mark Leno, Christine Kehoe, Alan Lowenthal, Fran Pavley and Lois Wolk, and assembly members Bob Blumenfield, Betsy Butler, Roger Dickinson, Mike Feuer, Paul Fong, Warren Furutani, Rich Gordon, Jared Huffman, Jose Solorio.  Assemblymember Huffman and his staff helped in many ways to launch the campaign, including ensuring we had a place to meet within the Capitol.

The Protect California Campaign is an educational campaign developed by Sierra Club California and allies at environmental and environmental justice organizations. Its purpose is to push back on attacks on environmental protection by helping government officials and others understand the work that remains to be done to eliminate pollution and protect our natural legacy.

Over the next several months, we’ll be continuing the educational effort at the Capitol through a series of legislative and other staff briefings. We’ll also be working with Sierra Club members around the state to make sure opinion leaders and legislators hear from them about their concerns about the environment and the need to protect California. If you would like to be more involved in this effort in your local area, sign up on the Protect California website: http://protectcalifornia.org/contact-us/. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter (@ProtectCA) and FaceBook (Protect California).

   And the last six weeks have been an especially busy and interesting time for us.

   The very good news is that in January, the California Air Resources Board adopted a package of new rules that . . . → Read More]]>    Greening California’s transportation system is essential to cut the state’s infamous air pollution, reduce climate change pollution, and dampen sprawl. So it’s no wonder that transportation has been a key focus for Sierra Club California for most of its 25-year history.

   And the last six weeks have been an especially busy and interesting time for us.

   The very good news is that in January, the California Air Resources Board adopted a package of new rules that will strengthen existing emissions standards for new cars. One of those rules in particular, commonly called the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) rule, will push automakers to bring more cars that produce zero or near-zero tailpipe pollution to market. Thanks to the new rule package, by 2025 about 15% of the cars sold in this state will be zero or near-zero emitters, including full battery-electric vehicles, plug-ins hybrids or hybrid-electrics.

  Nearly every Sierra Club California staffer in the last several years has played a part in pushing for these important vehicle clean-up rules, including former director Bill Magavern, former staffer Megan Norris, current staffers Annie Pham and Amanda Wallner, and yours truly. We’ve worked side-by-side with advocates for other environmental organizations and with some of Sierra Club California’s most active volunteers.

   Darrell Clarke, the chair of the Angeles Chapter’s Transportation Committee, testified in support of the new rules on behalf of Sierra Club California when they were adopted in late January.  Our general membership has been involved at critical times to make sure rule makers knew there was support for cleaner car rules.

  The effect will be that in the not-too-distant future, car buyers won’t have to search high and low for a new auto that will emit almost no tailpipe pollution. And we’ll get cleaner air in the bargain. These results tangibly demonstrate what Sierra Club’s terrific members, supporter and allies can accomplish together.

   But the car rules weren’t the only new things happening in transportation in California. Two other key issues have drawn our attention and involvement in the last several weeks.

   Sierra Club, representing Sierra Club California, became one of the plaintiffs in the legal effort to push the San Diego regional transportation agency to do a better job on its latest regional transportation plan. The plan was the first in the state to be completed under the new greenhouse gas reduction targets established under the SB 375 law passed a few years ago. Unfortunately, the San Diego plan relies heavily on near-term freeway expansion, late-term transit development, adding up to a plan that doesn’t adequately protect local communities from air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

  The suit challenging the plan’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act was originally filed in November by the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity. Sierra Club amended into the suit on January 23, the same day that Attorney General Kamala Harris announced that her office would also challenge the San Diego plan.

  Meanwhile, in Sacramento, the state of the high-speed rail project has been topsy-turvy since late last year, when the High-Speed Rail Authority released its business plan that established that the rail line would cost nearly $100 billion. The plan was riddled with problems and a range of entities, including a peer-review group, submitted comments expressing dismay about the business plan.  Sierra Club California also submitted a comment letter that reflected some careful analysis and review by a range of volunteers and the staff.

   Since then, the executive director of the agency resigned, the governor replaced the chairman of the agency board, and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary LaHood has visited the governor and others to discuss the project. Sierra Club California staff hosted one meeting with U.S. DOT’s assistant secretary for policy, Polly Trottenberg, and other DOT staff and environmental advocates to discuss environmental concerns about the project. We have also sent a letter to the governor outlining briefly the environmental issues we hope get more attention and resolution as his administration tackles ways to improve and keep the rail project on track.

  Later this year, the legislature must decide whether to allow bonds to be floated to help fund the first construction of the high-speed rail tracks that will run between Fresno and Bakersfield. The federal government has directed about $3 billion to that project through the Recovery Act. You can expect to hear a lot about this issue in the press and elsewhere over the next few months as the administration tries to make the project more acceptable to a public that polling shows has grown skeptical about the project’s value.

To find out more, visit the new website here.

Sacramento, CA –State, regional and local environmental, environmental justice, and public health groups joined forces today to push back on the strong anti-environment rhetoric of heavily funded special interests in the State Capitol.

“The radical right and big polluters, and their representatives, people who have never supported efforts to clean up the air and water in this state, have taken advantage of . . . → Read More]]> Local, State Groups Lead Half-Day Hearing on the State of California’s Environment

Sacramento, CA –State, regional and local environmental, environmental justice, and public health groups joined forces today to push back on the strong anti-environment rhetoric of heavily funded special interests in the State Capitol.

“The radical right and big polluters, and their representatives, people who have never supported efforts to clean up the air and water in this state, have taken advantage of a down economy. They have used that as a hammer to force regulators and others to retreat from the business of protecting California,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. “They’ve kept a constant drumbeat of demands to roll back environmental protections.

“Today we begin our organized response. Our goal is to give voice to the majority of Californians who are tired of waiting for clean air, clean water and a toxics free environment. Our goal is to give voice to the majority of Californians who want their children to have parks and open space and a state still rich in natural beauty and healthy forests.”

The groups’ effort, called the Protect California Campaign, launches with a half-day update on the environment for legislators and staff at the Capitol. The update includes panels of experts focused on air pollution, water pollution, toxics exposure, state parks closures, and forest clear cutting.

“Environmental issues are like motherhood and apple pie. Everybody loves clean air, clean water and open space–except for polluters,” said Dan Jacobson, legislative director of Environment California. “The special interests that would profit by destroying California’s environment have been using the power of disinformation to run roughshod over some of our strongest allies. Now we’re here to help push back.”

During the day’s first panel on air pollution, Kevin Hall, Executive Director of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition will draw attention to an issue which Californians consistently rank as one of their greatest health concerns. “More than 90 percent of Californians live in areas that suffer from health threatening air pollution. Children in this state have among the highest asthma rate in the country, and recent research has linked air pollution to heart disease, brain tumors, and low birth weight,” Hall said. “Health costs in this state could be dramatically cut just by finishing the job of cleaning up our air.”

The Protect California Campaign groups will build on today’s hearing with a series of events and briefings at the Capitol and around the state to educate government officials and staff about environmental problems and the need for solutions.

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You can enjoy an incredible 5-day bicycle ride in Northern California while supporting Sierra Club California.   

Climate Ride is a fully supported bicycle ride from Fortuna to San Francisco under towering redwoods, through the Russian River Wine Country, and along the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.

Climate Ride is more than a bike trip. It’s an inspiring journey with 150 like-minded people who . . . → Read More]]>

You can enjoy an incredible 5-day bicycle ride in Northern California while supporting Sierra Club California.   

Climate Ride is a fully supported bicycle ride from Fortuna to San Francisco under towering redwoods, through the Russian River Wine Country, and along the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.

Climate Ride is more than a bike trip. It’s an inspiring journey with 150 like-minded people who are united by their passion for sustainability, renewable energy, and bicycles—the ultimate carbon-free form of transportation. Climate Ride also features an acclaimed nightly speakers series, known as the ‘green conference on wheels,’ where we hear from bright minds in policy, advocacy and innovation.

Please Sign Up for Climate Ride 2012

and Support Sierra Club California

 Registration for Climate Ride  is $75 (which includes a beautiful jersey and more), and then you raise at least $2400 to participate in the five-day, all-inclusive event. The ride is fully-supported by a team of talented leader-hosts, bike mechanics, medics, and massage therapists.

When you sign up, you’ll be joining many other people who want to do something to help create a better future for us all. Climate Ride is a great way to get involved and experience an amazing adventure, powered by your own energy. The best bet is to sign up early not only so you have time to fundraise and train, but also because spots fill up!

Visit www.climateride.org to find out about the route, tips for getting in shape, and finding sponsors for your trip.

Everyone who registers for the ride gets to choose which organization they will be raising money for – and we hope you will choose Sierra Club California!

Please visit www.SierraClubCalifornia.org to learn about the work the Sacramento advocates do at the Capitol and state agencies. If you would like to learn more about the event or other ways to support Sierra Club California, please contact Vicki Lee at 510-741-1201.

In the letter, she explains that while “in general, Sierra Club California supports transportation projects and systems that will help Californians reduce environmental impacts as we achieve mobility and access to work, school and services,” Sierra Club CA urges the HSRA to reconsider the Draft 2012 Business Plan because “as currently proposed, the . . . → Read More]]> SCCA Director Kathryn Phillips has sent a letter to the HSRA outlining our concerns with the California High-Speed Rail Program Draft 2012 Business Plan, released November 1, 2011.

In the letter, she explains that while “in general, Sierra Club California supports transportation projects and systems that will help Californians reduce environmental impacts as we achieve mobility and access to work, school and services,” Sierra Club CA urges the HSRA to reconsider the Draft 2012 Business Plan because “as currently proposed, the rail project will either not be completed, will be completed in a way that would create substantial, unmitigated environmental damage, or will be completed at the expense of other pressing transit needs.”

Read the entire letter here.

San Francisco – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously today to strengthen a key clean energy policy in California called the Loading Order. The Loading Order sets a priority list for electricity sources.  California’s utilities must first employ energy efficiency and conservation to meet customer demand; then energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal.  Only after all . . . → Read More]]>  Public Utilities Commission orders utilities to use renewable sources before electricity from fossil fuels

San Francisco – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously today to strengthen a key clean energy policy in California called the Loading Order. The Loading Order sets a priority list for electricity sources.  California’s utilities must first employ energy efficiency and conservation to meet customer demand; then energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal.  Only after all those supplies are exhausted may the utilities purchase power from fossil fuel plants.
 
The CPUC already requires the state’s three investor-owned utilities—Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison–to obtain certain minimum amounts of electricity through energy efficiency, demand response resources and renewables.  Before today, the big energy companies ignored the Loading Order once they had met these other state-required targets.  The Commissioners ordered a halt to that practice, writing in their decision, “While hitting a target for energy efficiency or demand response may satisfy other obligations of the utility, that does not constitute a ceiling on those resources for purposes of procurement.”
 
“The Public Utilities Commission has confirmed what Californians have already come to understand; burning oil and gas to make electricity is bad for our health and bad for our environment,” said Earthjustice attorney Will Rostov.  “It should be a last resort instead of business as usual.”
 
Environmental groups who made the case for this clarification applauded the decision. Rory Cox, Senior Energy Consultant for Pacific Environment said, “The Loading Order could be a powerful tool to put thousands of Californians to work building the power grid of the future while reducing pollution. This decision makes it crystal clear to the utilities that clean energy should always come first.”
 
Pacific Environment is represented at the CPUC by the Golden Gate University School of Law, Environmental Law and Justice Clinic. Sierra Club California is represented by the public interest law firm Earthjustice.
 
“Saving energy and using it efficiently is a priority for most of us, and it should be for the power companies as well,” said Jim Metropulos, Senior Advocate with Sierra Club California. “Common sense tells us that we should use all energy efficiency, wind and solar power we can get, and California is well-suited to provide these renewable resources.”
 
“Today’s decision should check the utilities’ routine response – to deploy massive new power plants and transmission,” said Shana Lazerow, an attorney for Communities for a Better Environment. “If correctly implemented, the loading order can help our efforts to bring about an energy system that looks first to the most sustainable, least harmful sources to power all of California’ communities.”
 
In spite of the orders to shift reliance to energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and other clean energy strategies, the utilities have built or are building numerous large, natural gas power plants while falling behind on their clean energy mandates. According to the California Energy Commission, the state has about 30 percent more power than needed on peak energy days, and the CPUC anticipates they will be 60 to 80 percent over-built by 2020, should current trends continue.
 
This clarification of the Loading Order was made as part of the CPUC’s Long Term Procurement Plan (Rulemaking 10-05-006). This proposed decision as adopted is here: http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/AGENDA_DECISION/155719.htm 

Contact:   Will Rostov, Earthjustice, 415-217-2000, wrostov@earthjustice.org