Gov. Newsom has taken a big step to solve the climate emergency, but more work remains

As wildfires have ravaged our state, Gov. Gavin Newsom has called this moment what it is: a climate emergency.

Families across the state are enduring fires, toxic air quality, extreme heat, rolling blackouts and a respiratory pandemic that’s worsened by the public health impacts of climate change.

Yesterday, during Climate Week 2020, the governor turned words into action by issuing an executive order that is a very real step towards addressing the climate crisis. His actions will improve public health, help grow the economy, and — with intentionality — can help correct racial and social injustices.

California will now prohibit the sale of new passenger cars, buses and trucks that use gasoline by 2035 and 2045, respectively. This is critically important because transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions and Assemblymember Jim Frazier, the Assembly Transportation Committee Chair, has stopped any progress on this issue for years.

It’s hugely important that the governor is taking action to address this sector, and we are particularly excited about the international impact these changes will have. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California’s mandates will have a ripple effect by increasing clean transportation options globally.

Implementation of these changes will need to be front-loaded to ensure it’s enough to meet the 2030 deadline that science has mandated. We all have to hold our leaders accountable to move at the rate that scientists tell us we have to, and to make sure that it is done in an equitable way. We need to ensure jobs and contracting opportunities are prioritized for Black and Indigenous Californians and communities of color.

As exciting as the governor’s leadership this week is, his plan to phase out fossil fuels doesn’t go far enough. There is no “natural gas” or “renewable diesel.” These are marketing campaigns from Big Oil and Big Gas to gaslight Californians who are breathing the toxic air they are producing. It is way past time to take this step.

As part of this process, our government needs to support our workers in the fossil fuel industry. These Californians have served our state and powered our lives for years and we need to invest in their future and security. We look forward to working with the Newsom administration and the Legislature to move away from fracking quickly, and justly.

Now, where do we go from here? First of all, California is behind in our work to address the climate crisis. The governor’s actions are strong by any measure and also incomplete. California needs similar bold action on electrifying buildings, expanding transit and active transportation, cleaning up toxics and plastics pollution and increasing clean energy storage. But what is most notably missing in these actions are investments and regulation to make our landscapes and communities more resilient to wildfire and drought.

Our forests have historically been carbon sinks, removing pollution from the air and reducing carbon emissions. But because of mismanagement and climate change our forests have become net carbon emitters — grossly contributing to our pollution rates and likely giving the transportation sector a run for their money on being the largest source of pollution. Forest protection, management, restoration and resilience is an essential piece of any serious climate strategy and is wildly underfunded. Forests and watersheds also preserve our water quantity and quality, which increases the need for our attention.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need big change on many levels. We don’t have to just prepare for and prevent the worst of what’s happening, we can also re-envision a more just, sustainable and healthy California.

Gov. Newsom’s actions yesterday did just that. This is a real step forward and the next few steps need to come soon.

This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Gov. Newsom has taken a big step to solve the climate emergency, but more work remains."