Atmosphere-Friendly California Legislation in 2021

California, Opinions, Policy

April 8, 2021

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by by Bill Magavern (Coalition for Clean Air) … Sen. Scott Wiener has never been afraid to author controversial bills, and this year he has two that are likely to attract long lists of both supporters and opponents. SB 260, the Climate Corporate Accountability Act, would require public and private US-based corporations who do business in CA to publicly disclose their full carbon footprint and publicly commit to emission reduction targets.

SB 467, End Fracking and Dangerous Drilling, jointly authored with Sen. Monique Limón, would ban the worst types of oil and gas extraction and require 2500-foot buffer zones to protect humans from new and modified drilling permits. The bill reflects a growing recognition that being a global leader against climate change means that California must also protect front-line communities from the adverse health impacts of fossil-fuel production and plan for a just transition for those communities and the workers employed in the oil and gas industry.

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Freshman Senator Dave Min is getting out ahead of technological progress with SB 500, which would assure that all autonomous vehicles would emit no pollution. This is a very smart policy, because automation of internal combustion cars would drive emissions up by making more trips possible.

TRUCKING WITHOUT DIESEL FUMES

Legislators are seeking to help not only cars, but trucks, to transition away from petroleum. SB 372, by Senator Connie Leyva, would help truck fleets finance that transition away from petroleum, and AB 1110, by Assemblymember Robert Rivas, would assist public agencies like school and transit districts in moving to zero-emission fleets. SB 542, by Senator Limón, and AB 365, by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, would lower sales taxes for the lowest-polluting heavy-duty trucks.

RELIEF FROM THOSE NOISY, SMELLY LEAF BLOWERS AND LAWN MOWERS

Shockingly, the smog-forming emissions from small off-road engines like lawn and garden equipment are higher than from all the cars in California. Assemblymember Marc Berman’s AB 1346 would tell the Air Resources Board that it’s time to phase out sales of the gas-powered versions in favor of much cleaner – and quieter — electric alternatives. READ MORE

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