CA.Gov. (2023, August 18). Data Show Clean Power Increasing, Fossil Fuel Decreasing In California. Retrieved Jan 27th, 2024, from https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2023-08/data-show-clean-power-increasing-fossil-fuel-decreasing-california

California is making progress in the transition to reducing fossil fuels and switching to clean power. Wind energy has grown by 63%, and Solar generation has increased a lot, (46,341 (GWh)) to be exact. Natural Gas generation has decreased by 20%. California aims to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2045 and has established interim targets to ensure progress. Despite droughts and heat waves, California continues to make progress in its transition.

This article highlights California’s effort to transition to clean energy and reduce fossil fuels. It covers solar and wind energy as alternatives and covers the decline in coal and natural gas production. These topics are all what environmental science is about. I found this article very helpful in understanding more about my state’s progress in its transition. And I found the numbers of our transition very surprising. I think we are on the right path.

Los Angeles Times. (2023, October 17). Boiling Point: California’s fossil fuel crackdown continues–with some expectations. Retrieved Jan 27th, 2024, from https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2023-10-17/boiling-point-californias-fossil-fuel-crackdown-continues-with-some-exceptions-boiling-point

California’s Governor, Gavin Newsome, recently signed several bills. The notable bills include the Powering Up Californian’s Act, which is to try and get Californians to transition to electric vehicles and appliances. Assembly Bill 579 requires all new school buses to be zero-emission by 2035. Newsome has also allowed a spending of $1 million for clean transportation. In terms of education, Newsom signed a law requiring schools to include climate change in their science courses, but vetoed a bill for developing a master plan for sustainability and climate resilience in school districts. The other signed bills include penalties for oil spills, water conservation, and safety measures for lithium-ion batteries. And the other vetoes were about plastic pollution and sea level rising planning.

This article addresses several bills related to climate change, energy, and the environment. It also touches on electric cars, renewable energy, water conservation, and plastic pollution. All these topics are very important and related to Environmental Science. I found this article VERY good, it taught me A LOT of stuff I did not know about my state and my governor, and it shed a lot of light on steps being taken to better our world.

Parry, W. (2023, November 17). Despite loss of 2 major projects, New Jersey is moving forward with its offshore wind power goals. Retrieved January 25, 2024, from AP News website: https://apnews.com/article/offshore-wind-new-jersey-transmission-projects-e4761f9bfdb8a422b1c4321ee7798a61 

 

New Jersey had its two largest ocean wind power projects canceled. The developer, Orsted, blamed issues with supply and inflation. But nevertheless, New Jersey voted to start fundraising for a huge grid for power generated by offshore wind farms. New Jersey has a strong interest to lead the East Coast in ocean wind turbine construction, so building a large power grid would allow them to also build a number of farms. 

 

I believe New Jersey is making a great economic and environmental decision. Not only are they lowering their carbon emissions by focusing on wind power, but they are also preparing themselves for the future of power. By leading the East Coast to offshore wind power, New Jersey will be the frontrunner in renewable energy and won’t have to rely on other states for oil or coal power. They also aren’t taking up any space with wind farms and angering their citizens because the turbines are in the ocean. This is will be a great decision for New Jersey in the long run.