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Joffe, M. (2025, February 1). To fight climate change, micromobility is a better option than overpriced transit projects. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/commentary/fight-climate-change-micromobility-better-option-overpriced-transit-projects

 

 

          Micro Mobility in California is becoming more popular. Bikes, scooter, and skateboards could be a climate safe alternative to driving gas powered vehicles. The San Francisco Bay Area has almost the same population as New York City, but only has about one-tenth as many public transport riders. This has caused California to spend more money on infrastructure which takes a large amount of energy to complete. A solution to this problem is micro mobility. California encourages residents to use electric bikes or scooters, which use less space and energy than a Tesla Cyber Truck would. Also the convenience of these vehicles allow users to bring them on trains and take paths that cars wouldn’t be able to. In busy cities, scooters and bikes can get people to their destination quicker than cars, while emitting no carbon dioxide and taking up less space on the roads.

 

         I completely agree with the introduction of micro mobility. The difference in energy usage between gas powered cars and electric bikes/scooters is significant. I think California should provide incentives for people to switch to alternative transportation in order to increase the amount of bike and scooter users. More bikes on the road means more space in the cities, reducing congestion and road accidents. Overall I really support this movement in promoting micro mobility because it will reduce carbon emissions, increase public safety, and clear congestion on city streets.

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California, S. O. (2024, September 20). Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) | CALSTA. https://calsta.ca.gov/subject-areas/climate-action-plan

 

         California adopted the Climate Action Plan for Transportation infrastructure. They aim to improve public transportation by using energy efficient vehicles and infrastructure, while also improving public health and safety. By building off of executive orders signed by governor newsom in 2020, they created CAPTI 2.0 in February of 2025. This includes 14 new actions that are set to be completed, furthering the success of CAPTI’s climate change plan. The program will invest in sustainable infrastructure projects to maintain highways, roads, and bridges.

 

        Considering the success of CAPTI from 2020 to present day, I believe that this success will continue to help California become less carbon heavy. Transportation emissions are over 40% off all greenhouse gas emissions in California, and by July 2024, all 34 original actions were completed, resulting in significant changes to carbon emissions via transportation. Implementing new steps towards a cleaner climate isn’t just regulating exhaust emissions, it’s also changing the way we build roads and highways, using less greenhouse gases and water during construction.

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Reyes-Velarde, A. (2024, December 11). Polluted communities hold their breath as companies struggle with California’s diesel truck ban. CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/environment/2024/12/california-diesel-truck-ban-zero-emission/

 

 

          A recent California mandate has been established to ban diesel trucks because of emissions and health concerns. A man named Jose Ulloa has asthma and lung issues because of the amount of diesel trucks that drive in his neighborhood. Trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells were implemented but are no longer in action because of the high maintenance costs. The ban on diesel trucks will harm the trucking companies became alternative trucks are much more expensive. In 2036, no diesel or gas-powered trucks will be sold, and by 2042, all of them will be entirely taken off of the road. This brings hope to communities such as Jose’s, which have been suffering the effects of diesel trucks and will reduce carbon emissions significantly.

 

          Carbon-emitting vehicles don’t just have an effect on the environment but on human health too. I agree with the ban on diesel trucks, hearing Jose’s story made me feel sorry for him. His lung health being compromised by big trucking companies is unfair. Along with the health benefits of this ban, the amount of carbon emitted will significantly decrease once trucking companies go electric. The amount of gas it takes to power a heavy truck is a lot more than what it takes to power a car, and these trucks are constantly driving long distances every day. Because the trucking companies will suffer economic losses from this ban, the government should provide an incentive or reward these companies for going electric.

 

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Southwest Airlines. (January, 2025). Southwest Airlines climate Advocacy. https://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/~/media/Files/S/Southwest-IR/2025-climate-advocacy.pdf

Southwest Airlines. (January, 2025). Southwest Airlines climate Advocacy. https://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/~/media/Files/S/Southwest-IR/2025-climate-advocacy.pdf

 

         Southwest Airlines at SFO is trying to become carbon neutral by 2050. They are currently requesting government funding in order to improve technology for more efficient planes. The planes aren’t the only carbon emitting problems at the airport; the vehicles moving luggage, maintenance vehicles, and other gas-powered machines are contributing to carbon emissions. Southwestern is actively replacing these ground vehicles with electric alternatives. They are also reducing single-use plastics during flights, replacing them with eco-friendly materials, and giving out fewer products with waste.

 

          I find it surprising that a huge airline company cares about carbon emissions. I would think they only care about making money, but that is most likely the reason for wanting government aid to switch to these carbon-neutral alternatives. Airplanes emit massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Making planes more efficient would greatly impact the rate of climate change. I think the government should offer all airlines an incentive to switch like southwestern is doing. Or, instead of paying them, the government should implement new policies that limit the amount of carbon emissions from planes, such as a carbon cap, that would prohibit a single airline from emitting a certain amount of carbon dioxide each year.

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Lazo, A. (2025, February 8). California’s surge in EV sales has stalled — so what happens to its landmark mandate? CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2025/02/electric-car-sales-stall-california/

 

 

          In the past three years, electric vehicle sales in California have increased almost exponentially. In 2024, though, only 25.3% of vehicles sold were electric. A whole quarter of all sales being electric may seem like a good thing, but compared to 2023, it had only gone up by 0.3%. The stagnant sales of electric vehicles are worrying because, by 2035, the sale of gasoline vehicles will be prohibited. The reason for this stall is that car manufacturers have made electric cars extremely accessible, so the people who wanted to make the change already have. There are plenty of electric car models on the market that are reasonably priced, some being cheaper than a lot of gasoline-powered cars. Overall, this stall in sales is a threat to the 2035 promise of prohibiting all gasoline-powered vehicles. 

 

          This is surprising to me because electric car sales have been exponentially increasing these last few years, and I see more Teslas than ever. If sales continue to stay where they are, the amount of carbon emissions will continue to increase. Car manufacturers that haven’t come out with electric cars need to start releasing EV production lines. I think EV sales will increase in the coming years as car brands will have to comply with the 2035 promise. Because we are still early in the EV scene, this setback will not have a detrimental impact on the needed growth of EVs. In the meantime, we should be focusing on improving public transportation in order to transport and promote carpooling in order to be more energy efficient with our vehicles.

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A Massive Enterprise’: California’s Offshore Wind Farms Are on a Fast Track

Cart, Julie. “‘A Massive Enterprise’: California’s Offshore Wind Farms Are on a Fast Track.” Washington State Standard, 12 Aug. 2024, washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/08/12/a-massive-enterprise-californias-offshore-wind-farms-are-on-a-fast-track.

As California aims to reduce carbon emissions and encourage wind power, there are drawbacks to this effort. The estimated cost for the off-shore wind project near San Luis Obispo, in Humboldt Bay and Morro Bay, would need $11-12 billion to initially fund the development. After this initial funding, much more fund would be required to maintain these off-shore wind developments.

Other initiates may be better than off-shore wind in California because of the extreme costs. For normal wind power, it is relatively easier to build but still costs a hefty amount. For these off-shore wind developments, platforms are needed to be built for the off-shore wind farms to stand on, which costs more money and can be more dangerous. Because of this, I believe California should be aiming more towards nuclear energy instead of wind energy.

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Top 5 Wind Producing States in the US: A 2024 Update

OILMAN Magazine. “Top 5 Wind Producing States in the US: A 2024 Update.” OILMAN Magazine, 10 Nov. 2024, energiesmedia.com/top-5-wind-producing-states-in-the-us-a-2024-update.

As of the end of 2024, California was in the top 5 of wind producing states in the United States, along with Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Texas. California was the only state to not be located near the midwest, which is significant because they have large amounts of wind energy without the same amount of flat land as the others. California generates enough wind power for 2.3 million households, which is 11% of the state’s total power. The state’s largest wind farm is called the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm. California’s goal is to have 60% renewable energy by 2030 and to have 100% carbon-free electricity generation by 2045.

This article is relevant to environmental science because it discusses the various ways that states are using their unique environments to generate electricity without releasing carbon into the atmosphere. California’s diverse environment with many rivers and large flat areas allow it to be successful in both wind energy but also hydroelectric power. This article was particularly interesting because it showed 4 very similar states and California, very different than the rest.

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CEC Adopts Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Plan to Support California’s 100% Clean Electricity Future

California Energy Commission. “CEC Adopts Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Plan to Support California’s 100% Clean Electricity Future.” California Energy Commission, www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-07/cec-adopts-offshore-wind-energy-strategic-plan-support-californias-100-clean.

As of July, 2024, California, (the California Energy Commission), adopted its new strategic plan, one of the many developments that is attempting to achieve California’s 100% clean and renewable energy goal. The chairman of the CEC (California Energy Commission) stated that these developments for offshore wind will offer a consistent and steady method of wind energy that will be reliable for the long run while also creating jobs and improving the economy. Dee Dee Myers, the senior advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, also stated that this new increase in use of renewable energy resources will lower our carbon footprint and “secure a cleaner future for California.”

I think that this article is a little redundant to the previous two articles because it is also about the offshore wind developments but it provides more insight on this topic. It specifically references the CEC (California Energy Commission) and how they created their new plan and how they are working on new plans for the future of clean energy in California. This article relates to climate change because it ponders questions on our current energy sources and provides solutions to reduce carbon emissions.

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State Lands Commission, Ports of Long Beach and Humboldt Announce Offshore Wind Energy Partnership

State Lands Commission, Ports of Long Beach and Humboldt Announce Offshore Wind Energy Partnership. polb.com/port-info/news-and-press/state-lands-commission-ports-of-long-beach-and-humboldt-announce-offshore-wind-energy-partnership-12-18-2024.

This article is about more on the offshore wind energy in California, which is its main new development, but more about the partnership. A partnership was created by the California State Lands Commission and the Ports of Long Beach and Humboldt and is meant to advance floating offshore wind power. Humboldt is one of the areas where the new offshore wind power is being created. The partnership will mainly focus on creating the infrastructure for the wind power machinery to be rested on. By using the capabilities of both ports, California aims to become the United States’ primary leader in offshore wind energy.

I think that these efforts are good because California is pioneering movements towards offshore wind energy. While some East coast states are utilizing this technology, California has the opportunity to spearhead this movement and set a precedent for other states to expand their renewable energy developments. This relates to environmental science because it shows efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and look for alternative ways to produce energy.

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Trump Promised to ‘End’ Offshore Wind. What Will That Mean for California’s Big Bet?

 

Cart, Julie. “Trump Promised to ‘End’ Offshore Wind. What Will That Mean for California’S Big Bet?” CalMatters, 15 Nov. 2024, calmatters.org/environment/2024/11/trump-offshore-wind-california.

As a result of Donald Trump’s inauguration in the recent election, he has vowed to end California’s offshore wind energy sources, which is a significant threat to California’s efforts towards renewable energy. Currently, there are plans to develop offshore wind farms off the coast of Humboldt Bay and Morro Coast, near San Luis Obispo. This project alone was expected to generate 25 gigawatts of energy by 2025, which would be enough to power 25 million homes. These initiatives rely heavily on governmental funding and support, so if Trump were to discontinue the funding towards these efforts it would hurt them detrimentally. Trump’s efforts cannot immediately halt the developments, but after time they can withdraw funding and developments will likely stop.

This article mainly highlights the current efforts in California that are being done to promote renewable energy sources and show how land use restriction problems can be tackled using other methods. In this instance it is creating more land to create wind energy, which is a great and viable option to increase renewable energy. This article is related to environmental science because it shows how efforts are taking place to reduce carbon emissions and climate change. I believe this article shows improvement because it shows how state governments are pushing to reduce carbon emissions even with federal government pushback.