Hobbs, S. (n.d.). These California Environmental Laws Go into Effect in 2023.

     GOVERNING. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://www.governing.com/next/

     these-california-environmental-laws-go-into-effect-in-2023

California governor Gavin Newsom signed several environmental bills that are expected to have profound effects in the years to come. These regulatory laws include Oil and Gas Buffer Zones (SB 1137), the California Climate Crisis Act (AB 1279), Carbon Removal (AB 1757), as well as Renewable Energy Target (SB 1020). Moreover, these policies will require California to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as of 2045, establish programs for capturing and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and ensure that well operators satisfy specific health and environmental provisions in the future. 

This article is of the utmost relevance because it underscores the actions that California is taking in an effort to preserve the environment and slow the advance of climate change. I support each and every one of the regulatory laws that Hobbs discusses within the article, as they will hopefully have a profound effect on sustaining California’s ecosystem. For instance, removing carbon dioxide from the air and mandating renewable energy sources will help create a safer, more sustainable environment with less pollution and cleaner water. Therefore, I believe that more states should adopt these policies as they will ultimately have a grave impact on reducing the spread of global warming. 

Shannon, K., Smith, G., Smith, S., & McLeod, C. (2023, January 12).

     Environmental Developments to Watch in California in 2023. Beveridge &

     Diamond. Retrieved July 12, 2023, from https://www.bdlaw.com/publications/

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California frequently passes new laws and regulations concerning environmental policies, and this trend continues to persist in 2023. Moreover, the concept of environmental justice (EJ) has greatly influenced California’s legislative and regulatory processes, as EJ has inspired several bills and amendments. For instance, the EJ action prompted the passing of Senate Bill 11347, which functions to ban new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and hospitals. Additionally, in regard to green marketing and greenwashing, Senate Bill 343 has prohibited the import or distribution of products and packages with fraudulent or ambiguous recyclability claims. Ultimately, this article discusses the constantly evolving environmental regulations within California and how they serve to slow the progression of climate change.

This article highlights California’s current environmental policies and their significance in the effort to sustain our ecosystems and reduce the rate of climate change. Additionally, Beveridge & Diamond’s article covers court cases that impact environmental regulatory practices in the state of California, as well as California’s commitment to renewable energy and updates concerning hazardous waste mandates. Personally, I believe that this article is valuable in the sense that it provides insight into the developing environmental landscape, and the information within the article can serve to aid researchers and policymakers in the field of environmental science. Furthermore, the article effectively sheds light on California’s attempts to manage its natural resources and address pollution and climate change obstacles through policy and legal means.

Uteuova, A. (2023, February 26). Red states leading the US in solar and wind production, New Report shows. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/26/red-states-lead-usa-renewable-energy-wind-solar-power 

While many believe that conservatives are indifferent to or against renewable energy, many Republican states have grown their solar and wind power farms, and now lead the way. Iowa and Oklahoma have been the top generators of wind power recently. Also, Florida, second to only California, has been a leading generator in solar power. Not only are Republican states going out of their way to produce renewable energy, but they also lead the way in storage and distribution. Texas has the highest wind energy capacity and the second highest solar power capacity. And their grid is only growing. With all of this help, renewable energy has produced enough energy to power 64 million houses in America. 

Renewable energy disputes is one of the top issues between liberals and conservatives. But Republicans have stepped up their game, producing high amounts of solar and wind energy and building grids with high capacities. It is important for all of America to come together in order to fully eliminate the need for fossil fuel power and make the United States a net zero carbon emission country. America is improving its carbon footprint, and it seems like everyone is chipping in.

Lopez, Nadia. (2023, January 10). Environmentalists say Newsom’s budget cuts jeopardize climate programs, electric car mandate. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-climate-budget/

In the face of a $23 billion budget deficit for California, Governor Newsom proposed to cut $6 billion from a $54 billion climate package, making it a $48 billion package. The majority of the spending cuts take from clean transportation initiatives, including rebates for zero-emission car buyers, EV subsidies for those who cannot afford electric cars, and charging infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. Opponents of the budget cuts, including progressive climate lobbyists and state legislators, argue that the cuts indicate that the state is slowing its momentum at a time when it needs to push harder than ever for comprehensive environmental policy. Proponents of the budget cuts argue that the size of the bill is unprecedented, regardless of the $6 billion dollars cut from it. 

I think that the budget cuts are pragmatic; it is sensible to try and diminish a budget deficit, especially given the size of the bill. However, the budget cuts mean that the bill will forgo necessary policy and infrastructure. This exclusion will disproportionately harm people and existing programs, despite the relatively small budget cuts. This relates to environmental science because it is about environmental policy to fund the fruits of environmental science, research, and invention.  

Sanchez, Zaydee. (2023, February 8). California’s new pesticide notification system aims to protect public health. Will it work?. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.ehn.org/pesticide-drift-2659335062.html

Governor Gavin Newsome has appropriated $10 million dollars to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for the creation of a statewide notification system about toxic pesticides. Farmworkers work in fields that are treated with toxic pesticides, and this has caused many people to fall ill with bleeding and rashes. However, there has never been a notification system alerting the public that a toxic pesticide has recently been used. The new notification system hopes to generate more awareness of pesticide exposure and strengthen the push for legislation limiting pesticide use in California. Furthermore, the notification system will help researchers to track the effects of pesticides. 

Given how harmful pesticides can be, I am shocked that there isn’t more information available to workers about pesticides and when they are used. Thus, I am relieved to know that this notification system is going to be implemented. I think it will be useful to the health of farmworkers, and to the fight against pesticide-use. The main drawback of this policy is that the notifications will only apply to restricted/proven-to-be-dangerous pesticides, not all pesticides. This is disappointing, but the notification policy is a solid start. This topic is related to environmental science because it has to do with awareness and regulation of pesticides, which are deeply harmful to soil and plant health. 

Luna, Taryn. (2022, February 8). Corporations turn to ballot to combat California’s progressive agenda, raising alarms. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-08/oil-referendum-setbacks-california

In August, Governor Gavin Newsom passed a package of climate change bills that included a law requiring a certain amount of space around new oil and gas wells in order to keep them away from homes and schools. Oil and petroleum organizations have spent at least $20 million dollars to collect signatures and otherwise achieve a referendum on that law. The referendum will last until November, 2024, at which point voters will decide whether or not they want to uphold them. Given this use of the referendum process, labor unions are considering reforms to it.

This referendum sends the message that successful fuel-producing companies value maximizing their profits more than the health of the community; drilling for oil and gas results in asthma, birth defects, and exposure to toxic chemicals. I am frustrated that the democratic process is so easy for companies to exploit in such a way that they harm living beings and the environment in which they live. However, it shows how impactful that legislation could be if oil companies are willing to go to such pains to hinder its effects. This relates to environmental science because companies are using policy to go against scientific advice so that they can further their enterprises.

Degen, Courtney. (2023, January 31). California bills call for CalPERS, CalSTRS to divest fossil fuels, company climate disclosure. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.pionline.com/esg/california-bills-call-calpers-calstrs-divest-fossil-fuels-company-climate-disclosure

As part of the Climate Accountability Legislative Package (which includes SB 253), State Senator Lena Gonales introduced a bill to ban California’s state pension funds—California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS)—from investing in fossil fuel companies. CalPERS is $456.6 billion, and CalSTRS is $302.1 billion; each fund has billions of dollars invested in fossil fuel companies. Opponents of this legislation argue that CalPERS and CalSTRS’ investments in those firms would simply be bought by other investors, and California pension funds would ultimately lose assets with no positive benefits. 

I have mixed feelings about this bill. On the one hand, secure pensions for government employees are more important than acting on principle, especially if this action may not cause significant change in environmental policy. On the other hand, the government should not invest in fossil fuel companies, pensions are already fairly secure, and the divestment has the potential to significantly harm the fossil fuel industry. Since it could go either way, I lean in favor of the bill. This article relates to environmental science because the bill in question aims to preserve the environment by lessening support for the primary producers of fossil fuels.

Plachta, Ari. (2023, January 31). California could force large corporations to disclose carbon emissions under new bill. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article271831502.html

State Senator Scott Weiner introduced a bill (SB 253) that would mandate companies with annual revenues of over a billion dollars to publicly report their carbon emissions. California is the fifth largest economy in the world, and this bill would impact almost 6,000 companies that operate within the state. The data about our current emissions patterns will be incredibly useful to know the extent of the emissions problems in California, so that legislators can use this information to pass future regulations. 

This article relates to environmental science because this bill would give experts information about the ways that California is impacting the environment. With this information, qualified individuals and groups will be able to apply environmental science in order to shift these behaviors and set goals for the changes that we need to make. I think that this bill could be very constructive to limiting greenhouse gas emissions. If we know which industries are producing greenhouse gases and how much they are producing, then it will become much easier to legislate those emissions; without information about the problem, it is very hard to solve it efficiently. Although I don’t think that this bill will cause change, it is a stepping stone to causing change, and that is important. I hope that it passes the legislature.

Quinn, M. (2022, September 19). California gov. Newsom signs many recycling and waste bills, vetoes two. Waste Dive. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.wastedive.com/news/california-governor-newsom-sign-waste-recycling-bills-2022/631600/ 

Gavin Newsom continues signing recycling and waste bills in order to flourish the growth California is making. The state is trying to add more battery recycling programs as the concern keeps raising. The bill number SB 1215, known as the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, requires retailers to sell covered electronic devices which means video display devices of 4 inches. 

While trying to improve the methods to recycle these materials, they should focus on making the process more convenient to consumers. However, adding more regulations will create a structure to follow and many people are still unaware of what’s going on. If people don’t know about the issue how will they know to follow all the regulations that come with it. It makes it harder because as we continue to evolve there’s more technology, more people will have it. Therefore, leads to more improper disposal of their devices.