The Catholic Church was a player in two of the biggest bills California lawmakers grappled with this year, working to push politicians to the left in one case, and to the right in another. Many religious groups lobby the Legislature on a host of issues. But it was unusual for one to be so visible […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
What’s left of California’s Climate Change policy? A lot.
The Legislature may have scuttled the centerpiece of Gov. Jerry Brown’s climate change plans, but it still approved ambitious new environmental policies that will impact the economy and life of Californians. In coming years, the new legislation means California’s homes and buildings are expected to use dramatically less electricity and the power grid will increase […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Democrats torn between shiny new ventures and old-school allies
Sharing. It sounds so simple, but as an economic trend, sharing is a divisive issue for Democrats. Tension over the so-called “sharing economy” has been on full display in Sacramento, with Democrats who control the Legislature facing mounting pressure. On one side are trendy tech ventures that are gearing up their political lobbies. On the […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
California considers sweeping proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Some of the world’s most ambitious climate change legislation is currently under consideration in America. But the lawmakers in question aren’t in D.C. — they’re in Sacramento. California lawmakers are intensely debating far-reaching goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The bill contains three proposals: one to double energy efficiency in buildings, one to derive 50 […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
Ad blitz heats up climate change fight
The oil industry helped Democrat Jim Cooper win his first election to the Legislature last year. Now it’s seeking his help fighting Democratic leaders in the state Capitol. Cooper is one of a handful of potential swing votes the oil industry is targeting as it tries to kill a controversial proposal to cut in half […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
California pushes forward on renewable power
At a Pacific Gas and Electric power plant east of San Francisco, greenhouse gases flow from a stack as the air shimmers from heat, with no dirty cloud of pollution in sight. In the distance, wind turbines spin slowly under a cloudy sky. And nearby in the city of Antioch, local schools are celebrating the […]
Posted inAwards and Announcements, Inside the Newsroom
Welcome good news for state coverage
On the Left Coast, CALmatters issued its package on California climate change policies July 19. The material was published in four dozen newspapers, from the Los Angles Times to the Times-Standard in Euerka, and the audio version was aired by numerous public radio outlets throughout the state.
Posted inEnvironment
Manure for some, dollars for others
Not far from the Amish farms of Central Pennsylvania, in the rolling hills southwest of coal mining country, Dennis Brubaker raises 30,000 pigs a year for slaughter. In four enclosed barns, the hogs gain two pounds a day away from predators. That is, until they are shipped away to be processed for supermarkets. Methane Digesters on California Dairy […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
Can California cut gasoline use in half in 15 years? Probably not
One sunny Saturday in Stockton, Mary Serrano climbed into the driver’s seat of a bright-red, all-electric Chevrolet Spark. A retiree who normally drives a 20-year-old Toyota Camry, she was curious about the new technology on display at the local fairground. “I feel like I’m going to outer space,” she said giddily, as a company representative […]
Posted inEnvironment
Cap and trade in two and a half minutes
California’s carbon marketplace is one of the tools the state is using to work toward its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions goal. Large industries under the cap have choices about how they comply, including paying for permissions to pollute. But how does it all work? We explain (in a little longer than two and a half […]