California, at Forefront of Climate Fight, Wont Back Down to Trump

[EricMaundry]

Source: New York Times

Foreign governments concerned about climate change may soon be spending more time dealing with Sacramento than Washington.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has packed his cabinet with nominees who dispute the science of global warming. He has signaled he will withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. He has belittled the notion of global warming and attacked policies intended to combat it.

But California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step unto the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders said they would work directly with other nations and states to defend and strengthen what were already far and away the most aggressive policies to fight climate change in the nation. That includes a legislatively mandated target of reducing carbon emissions in California to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

“California can make a significant contribution to advancing the cause of dealing with climate change, irrespective of what goes on in Washington,” Mr. Brown said in an interview. “I wouldn’t underestimate California’s resolve if everything moves in this extreme climate denial direction. Yes, we will take action.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/26/us/california-climate-change-jerry-brown-donald-trump.html

[Lithos]

1. Got to love California

Thought leaders in technology, culture, beer, wine, food (except BBQ), business and now the environment.

[Initech]

2. Right now, I am embarrassed to be American, but proud to be Californian!

[Lithos]

6. I'm an Austinite

So, live in a blue oasis. However, so we are accused often of being a mini-California. Before i used to take the statement as an insult, now I'm thinking it is a compliment.

L-

[C Moon]

18. :) Austin a Mini-California. That's great!

[yuiyoshida]

12. Wait a minute... California has

Korean BBQ, if you haven't tried it, you are missing out!

[Chipper Chat]

21. So true!

We had a Korean restaurant in our local mall (run by a real Korean woman) for 5 years . Wonderful barbeque and fresh salads. I ate there frequently. Sadly they closed probably because mall rent went up. Only negative was they had Fox News on all the time . But of course this is Indiana - what did you expect?

[stopwastingmymoney]

3. KnR

I'm proud to be a native Californian, we have the power to move the nation

[Stargleamer]

4. As pointed out by other DUers today

the Republicans might try to once again sabotage California's economy, like they did once before--that's how we got stuck with Schwarzenegger. Things could get really bad here once again if they do

[azureblue]

7. But the GOP

doesn't have the power to do that any more. Bigger Dem legislative majority, a strong and popular Dem governor, and a strong economy. And a lot more Democratic voters, too.

[kimbutgar]

8. And no voter suppression. It is so easy to vote!

Rethugs only win when voting is hard to do.

[diane in sf]

23. We got rid of republican gerrymandering in CA, that ended the unnatural grip of

The Republican Party on our state.

[47of74]

11. I hope California would then say to the GOP to go fuck themselves

[azureblue]

5. what can Trump do to CA?

Nothing. Ca is a huge giver state. Threats of withholding federal money will be laughed at. Threats of shutting down military bases will be laughed at. CA can do quite nicely without having to support red states. CA would be happy to stop sending money to DC. Trump thinks he's all powerful but Jerry Brown is in command of the 6th largest economy in the world, and other countries would be happy to avoid Trump and deal directly with California.

If Trump tries to lean on CA, i will bet that NY state will jump in to support CA. And Oregon and Washington State will too.

Jerry to Donald: "Bring it On"....

[40degreesflaps]

10. A Nice Thought...

Last edited Tue Dec 27, 2016, 02:30 PM - Edit history (1)

...but not really true. This state's job market (especially down around Los Angeles) has still not recovered from the base closings in the early nineties. The former Alameda NAS still sits there like a white elephant all these years later. I hear the old Castle AFB is a hell of a nice place to take a primary student although I don't know what you do with a Cessna 172 on a runway that's 10000 ft long and 150 ft wide. I did get a call for a gig at Fort Ord but they wanted someone with a TS/SCI and mine isn't current.

[Stonepounder]

14. Ummm...you could probably do three touch and go's without using all the runway. :-)

[Chipper Chat]

22. Is "Pacifica" just a dream?

California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Nevada would make a great country. (+ Guam too?)

[JudyM]

9. Great! Leadership worth celebrating.

[Tikki]

13. "Sometimes you gotta trust yourself, sometimes you gotta save yourself"....

...it ain't like anywhere else...."
Tikki

[JudyM]

15. Sometimes you gotta save the country from itself, too, apparently.

[OnlinePoker]

16. Happy if they do it but will be surprised.

From the 2000-2014 emissions trend report, it looks like the reductions in emissions have started to flatline. Net emissions in 1990 were 427 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. In 2014, they were at 441 mmtCO2e. a 40% reduction of 1990 levels would take it to 256.2 mmtCO2e or 185.3 mmtCO2e below the 2014 level which means they have to reduce the emissions by 11.6 mmtCO2e per year for the period 2015 to 2030. I don't see it happening. On a positive note, however, emissions per capita have dropped from about 14 Tonnes CO2e to about 11.5 Tonnes CO2e between 2000 and 2014, so people are getting the message. The problem is, more people every year call California home which puts a strain on the overall CO2 target.

Here's California's CO2 data site:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/data/data.htm

[not fooled]

17. But can there be Federal preemption?

Heard Norm Goldman speculating about this recently--that if CA tries to maintain or enact consumer protections, maybe environmental matters too, that the 'pukes could start preempting such actions at the Federal level?? Sounds like something the shitheads would do, "States' Rights" be dammed if they buck imposition of the new feudalism.

[C Moon]

19. The GOP is probably going to dump a lot of money in the 2018 California Gubernatorial election.

A lot of that will probably go toward making Newsom look bad.
Here's a list of possible candidates (from November 2016, L.A. Times—not a fan of that paper anymore):
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-governor-list-2018-htmlstory.html

[Blue Idaho]

20. Republicans are big proponents of state's rights...

It's time we turn that against them. Let progressive states like California, Oregon, and Washington State set standards that other states will have to follow to stay economically competitive.

Texas has fucked up the nation's school textbooks - we can do the same thing for progressive causes.

[yuiyoshida]

24. Love this state!

With a taco truck on every corner!