Environment California Highlights 2013 Environmental Accomplishments.

Environment California

As 2013 draws to a close Environment California has compiled a list of the most important environmental victories for the past year.

“We all want clean air, clean water and beautiful places, but with special interest groups in Sacramento and Washington DC, we need to organize and fight”, said Nathan Weaver, Preservation Advocate for Environment California. “While we still have a LOT to do in 2014, we need to take a few minutes and reflect on some key victories in 2013”.

Top 10 Environmental Victories in 2013

Clean Energy

• California cities made strong commitments to solar power. Lancaster and Sebastopol made headlines for their groundbreaking mandates that new buildings include solar panels. Richmond leaders slashed permit prices for residential solar. And Los Angeles started the largest urban solar power program in the country, empowering rooftop solar on commercial properties throughout the city. These efforts have opened the door for more Californians to play important roles in building a clean energy future.
• The Legislature established a shared renewable energy program, enabling Californians to invest in solar projects and receive credits on their electricity bills. This innovative program extends the economic and environmental benefits of solar power to Californians who currently are not able to site solar power on their own property, including renters and those with shaded roofs. Senator Lois Wolk, of Davis, authored this bill. For more info on the bill click here SB 43.
• California enacted six laws to support a growing electric vehicle market, which is critical to achieving the state’s clean air, clean vehicle and global warming goals. Among other policies, the laws extend funding for the state’s rebate programs for the purchase of light, medium, and heavy duty electric vehicles, and create greater access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Solving Global Warming

• Governor Jerry Brown signed an agreement to combat climate change with Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The historic “Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy” enhances cooperation by harmonizing 2050 targets for greenhouse gas reductions, expanding the use of zero-emission vehicles to 10 percent of new public and private fleet purchases by 2016, and supporting research to combat ocean acidification.
• Over 200,000 Californians signed petitions calling on Governor Brown to ban fracking statewide. Fracking is controversial form of oil and gas drilling that could reverse California’s status as a trailblazer against climate change. Based on national figures from a recent Environment California Research & Policy Center report, a conservative 25,000 fracked wells in California would be the greenhouse gas equivalent of putting 6.25 million new cars on the road. At least 53 percent of Californians oppose fracking, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released last September.

Public Health and Safety

• Southern California Edison committed to permanently closing the ailing San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. An estimated 8 million people live within 50 miles of the nuclear power plant. The decision came after years of pressure from community, public health, and environmental organizations to retire the dangerous plant and replace it with clean alternatives. Diablo Canyon is now the last nuclear power plant left in California.
• California took toxic flame retardants out of new furniture. New state furniture standards end the requirement that foam cushions be treated with flame-retardant chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive defects. The Department of Consumer Affairs expects full compliance by the end of 2014.

Preservation

• Pinnacles became America’s newest National Park. This year, President Obama established Pinnacles National Park. Protecting over 26,000 acres of caves and coastal mountains, Pinnacles is also an important release site for California condors. Pinnacles is the ninth National Park in California, the most of any state. Visit Pinnacles to hike, bird watch, or rock climb an hour’s drive from Monterey.
• California enacted new laws to protect wildlife, including a ban on lead ammunition to protect condors AB 711 (Asm. Anthony Rendon) and protections for bobcats near national parks, state parks, and other protected areas  AB 1213(Asm. Richard Bloom).

Oceans

• Ninety cities banned plastic bag by years end, including Los Angeles. With the new local laws adopted in 2013, nearly 1 in 3 Californians now live somewhere with a plastic bag ban. This a major victory for sea turtles and other wildlife injured by plastic bags each year. Even more cities, including San Diego, Sacramento, and Ventura, began the process to phase out plastic bags this year.

Environment California is a statewide public interest organization. For more info go to www.environmentcalifornia.org

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