by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
Is this optics for a national audience, or does Gov. Gavin Newsom just care very deeply about the climate?
California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing even stricter climate and energy goals, claiming this will prevent the immutable impact of climate change. But now, the governor is ramping up this push, asking the Legislature to increasing the 2030 goal for greenhouse gas reductions to 55%, speed up greenhouse gas cuts, set new interim targets for reaching 100% clean electricity and codify safety zones around new oil and gas wells, according to Newsom’s memo sent to the Legislature last week, CalMatters reported.
“Newsom also is seeking regulations from the state Air Resources Board that would govern controversial projects that would remove carbon dioxide from the air and sequester it underground.”
Why is Gov. Newsom pushing stricter climate and energy goals when California has the cleanest air in the entire country?
As the Globe reported Wednesday, The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors just voted to appoint 13 members to the newly created Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force, following their declaration of a climate emergency.
Yet, when we drilled down on claims of “extreme weather,” “record hot temperatures,” and “climate disasters,” we found:
- Texas is having a heat wave. Parts of the East are experiencing hot weather. Notably, the hot spot closest to California is Carson City, Nevada with the “record heat” temperature of 79 degrees, up from a usual 76 degrees;
- California temperatures look really nice – and normal; and
- As for the “innumerable weather-related disasters,” the National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA) doesn’t list a single “weather and climate disaster” for California.
