California pledges $15 billion to combat climate change

(CN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will allocate $15 billion toward a suite of programs intended to help the state combat climate change while building resiliency in a region of increasing temperatures and declining precipitation. 

Newsom signed the bill in Sequoia National Park in front of two large sequoia trees wrapped in foil due to the dangers of the nearby KPM Complex Fire, which has so far blackened 36,000 acres among some of the world’s oldest and largest trees. 

“These trees date back to 3,300 years ago, so you can’t rebuild a giant sequoia,” Newsom said. 

The governor used the ceremony to tout California’s approach to combating climate change but to also encourage the federal government to come to an agreement to pass President Joe Biden’s agenda that seeks to increase federal spending for a more climate-resilient infrastructure that is less dependent on fossil fuels. 

“They are wringing their hands in Washington, D.C., and here we are in California getting things done,” Newsom said. 

Part of the $15 billion will go toward building more infrastructure for electric vehicles, which Newsom said reduce emissions but also help California’s economy. 

“We have 16 electric vehicle companies headquartered in California and 34 with manufacturing operations here,” Newsom said, who added that California will continue to dominate the industry. 

Newsom also touted $1.1 billion to sustainable agricultural practices, saying briefly that he was proud of the rural Americans in the state, although those areas of the state continue to resist his leadership on a variety of issues. 

“Our agricultural industry is larger than the next five states combined,” he said. “I am proud of that.” 

Another $3.7 billion will be spent on heat-resistance projects primarily focused in urban areas that produce heat domes, largely because of the ubiquitous presence of impermeable and reflective surfaces like asphalt streets, parking lots and large buildings. 

Finally, $5 billion will be directed toward drought alleviation measures including building smaller water systems, making use of emergency supplies and investing in new technologies like water recycling. Newsom did say the state needed to build water storage capacity but did not endorse the creation of new dams, typically disfavored among environmentally minded constituents who prefer to see free-flowing rivers that afford healthier aquatic ecosystems. 

Asked if the state was going to put restrictions into place to try and reduce water consumption after recent reports showed urban water consumption increased since the governor asked residents to conserve, Newsom cited the current Covid restrictions as a reason not to burden California residents with too many further restrictions.

“At a time when you are asking people to voluntarily do this and you are asking them to mask and asking them to socially distance and you are asking them to vaccinate … it’s been hard,” he said. “It’s a lot to ask California, it really is.”

Newsom did say he believed water usage would come down naturally in the autumn months which bring cooler temperatures and less gardening. 

Finally, the governor talked about the $1.5 billion allocated toward wildfire protection, including bringing on additional firefighters, while disbursing the majority of the money toward a slew of projections aimed at preventing wildfires or lessening their intensity. 

He did say, however, that the federal government needed to do its share given that 57% of the state’s forested land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. He praised Biden’s commitment to ameliorating forest conditions but chastised Republicans for holding up the bill that would fund Biden’s ambitious agenda. 

“Mitch McConnell, I hope you’re paying attention,” he said. “It’s time to put down the swords rhetorically and otherwise and get the damn job done.”

Fires continue to be a problem for California and the American West. Newsom noticed that most of the largest fires in California history have occurred under his watch, with six of the seven largest occurring in the last two years. 

The Dixie Fire, which started this summer, has been mostly contained, as has the Caldor Fire, which threatened Lake Tahoe and led to evacuations of that tourist destination during the Labor Day weekend. 

Currently, there are 10 large fires burning across California.  

“These fire seasons have been extended to the point where there is arguably no season anymore,” Newsom said.

Meanwhile, unseasonably warm and windy conditions may have helped spark the Fawn Fire, which started Wednesday afternoon near the city of Redding in Shasta County. Evacuation orders have been issued and the blaze, which has so far burned about 800 acres, is just 5% contained.

The climate package Newsom signed into law Thursday also includes a boost for the state’s fledgling offshore wind plans.

Touted as the perfect complement to solar energy, lawmakers believe offshore wind will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and provide badly needed new jobs at a time when California is dealing with electricity shortages and massive unemployment. Newsom signed off on legislation that tasks regulators with securing permits and building the necessary infrastructure to get the industry running by 2030.

The bill’s author said the commitment to offshore wind is particularly important due to the state’s ongoing power shortages and endless wildfires.

“The effects of the climate crisis are all around us. With the signing of this offshore wind bill, we can counter the threat of climate change, meet our clean energy goals, and create thousands of new good-paying jobs in the process,” said Assemblyman David Chiu in a statement.

Newsom has been active after roundly defeating a recall attempt, and speculation has grown in some national circles that he may have his eye on the White House at some future date. First, he will have to work his way through approximately 800 bills passed by the Legislature this summer and decide whether to sign them into law or veto them. 

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