WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030 as he convenes a virtual climate summit with 40 world leaders, according to three people with knowledge of the White House plans. The 50% target would nearly double America's previous commitment...
Audit Criticizes State Air Board for ‘Overstating’ Greenhouse Gas Cuts
An audit of California’s climate change program released Wednesday criticizes state officials for overestimating the benefits of its efforts to encourage Californians to drive cleaner vehicles. The state auditor warned that California may not meet its goal to cut greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030 if it doesn’t pick up...
Last Year’s Hottest Housing Fight Just Got Resurrected — Here’s What to Know
For the third year in a row, California lawmakers will consider a controversial housing proposal that would force neighborhoods to allow taller, denser housing near public transportation and job centers. San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener — whose Senate Bill 50 has twice been beaten back, in different forms, by an assortment of...
UN: ‘Quick Wins’ Needed to Keep Climate Goals Within Reach
GENEVA — Countries need to begin making steep cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions immediately or risk missing the targets they’ve agreed for limiting global warming, with potentially dire consequences, senior United Nations officials said Tuesday. A report by the U.N. Environment Program, published days before governments gather in Madrid...
Sailing to America: Teen to Bring Her Climate Activism to US
STOCKHOLM — Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager whose social media-savvy brand of eco-activism has inspired tens of thousands of students in Europe to skip classes and protest for faster action against climate change, said Monday she plans to take her message to America the old-fashioned way: by boat. The 16-year-old...
Governor and Legislature: Stop Raiding California’s Cap-and-Trade Funding
When I was California Assembly Speaker in 2006, I proudly negotiated with Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to lay down a marker in the fight against climate change by placing strict reductions on greenhouse gas emissions through Assembly Bill 32. We knew we had to do something, especially after the U.S....
‘Clean’ Freight Elusive as California Rolls To Zero Emissions
Work used to be much simpler for the California Department of Transportation: widen highways, fill potholes, build new freeways. Alas, those quaint days are gone. To get an idea of what planners must prepare for, state officials recently hosted a demonstration of a drone air taxi that will require devising...
Commutes, Jobs at Stake in California’s Clean Air Battle With Trump
Unrelenting commutes. Lost construction jobs. A statewide economic shudder. Prepare for all three if California loses its clean air battle with the Trump administration. That’s the warning from state transportation planning agency officials, who say the ongoing fight over passenger vehicle standards might cause collateral damage to road and public...
Don’t Leave California’s Climate Goals Stuck in Traffic
Remember the last time you were stuck in traffic, and you were late for something really important? Well, that’s where California’s climate goals are without the completion of our high-speed rail project designed to alleviate California’s traffic congestion and the resulting air quality effects. Having built most of California’s utility-scale...
Will Seaweed Feed Make Cow Burps Better for Environment?
DAVIS — University of California researchers are feeding seaweed to dairy cows in an attempt to make cattle more climate-friendly. UC Davis is studying whether adding small amounts of seaweed to cattle feed can help reduce their emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that's released when cattle burp, pass...