Plumer, Brad. “California Approves a Wave of Aggressive New Climate Measures.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Sep. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/climate/california-lawmakers-climate-legislation.html.

 

This article discusses the levels of funding for transportation in California, and the plans for action. Governor Newsom approved budget plans for a record of over $54 billion in the next 5 years for climate programs. Of the $54 billion, $6.1 billion is for electric vehicles, $14.8 billion is for transit projects, and $8 billion is to stabilize the electric grid and more. This article also offered a new perspective on the future of transportation. If more people lived at a close proximity to public transportation, the importance of electric vehicles might not have as much of an impact. Additionally, California now offers a $1000 tax refund for Californians who don’t own a car. This acts as an incentive to live a lifestyle that doesn’t rely on cars, and also helps the planet. Governor Newsom took serious action towards climate change in 2022 and he set a record budget. 

I was really surprised by the amount of money going into fighting climate change, and especially improving transit throughout California. I really do hope that all of this money makes a significant impact, and doesn’t go to waste. I also liked the idea of encouraging people to live a car-free lifestyle, and I thought that that was a simple yet effective way to reduce carbon emissions without spending large sums of money. I think the incentives are a great way to push citizens towards reducing their carbon footprint, and I hope there’s more to come in the future.