Sunday was HUGE! While hundreds of thousands marched in New York for climate action, I spoke to a climate rally at the State Capitol in Sacramento and Governor Jerry Brown signed all three of Coalition for Clean Air’s top-priority bills!
Cleaning up our air will require a transformation in the vehicle fleet, which is why California urgently needs to put advanced clean cars, trucks, and buses on our roads.
SB 1275, the Charge Ahead California initiative, authored by Senator Kevin de León and sponsored by Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) and four allies, aims to bring one million electric vehicles to California over the next decade and ensure that low-income Californians, who are disproportionately impacted by air pollution, benefit from the transition to clean transportation.
SB 1204, authored by Senators Ricardo Lara and Fran Pavley, will provide money for development, demonstration, pre-commercial pilot, and early commercial deployment of zero-emission and near-zero-emission truck, bus, and off-road vehicle and equipment technologies. The funds come from the charges oil companies and other big polluters pay for their allowances under the state’s cap-and-trade program. Priority funding will go to projects benefitting disadvantaged communities.
“That’s my kind of policy — take from Chevron to give to Compton, Fresno, and West Oakland.”
SB 605, also by Lara and Pavley, gives the California Air Resources Board a deadline and a mandate to formulate a comprehensive strategy for reducing emissions of black carbon, methane, and other greenhouse pollutants that have much shorter lives than carbon. Reducing these contaminants can have a quick beneficial impact on climate change while also helping to reduce smog and improve public health by eliminating diesel exhaust.
CCA played a key role in shaping each of these bills, and I was a lead witness for all three during policy hearings in the Legislature. More information at ccair.org.
Our progress preventing climate change, improving air quality, and protecting public health is made by possible by supporters like you. Please consider donating to become part of this effort.
Sincerely,
Bill Magavern
Policy Director
