When California Dreams Hit Political Reality
The Golden State has staked much of its reputation on its green credentials, with state leaders touting its role on the leading edge of global and national climate progress. But California is falling behind in meeting its ambitious emission targets, and has been criticized for over-relying on emerging clean energy technologies that may not bear out.
At the same time, the state is at increasing risk from severe wildfires, epic floods and other impacts worsened by burning fossil fuels. What can the nation learn from California’s attempts to mitigate climate disruption?
Upcoming Events
Climate Vanguard: Youth-Powered Litigation at Our Children’s Trust
Tuesday May 14 | 5:30 p.m.
In this conversation, a Member-Led Forum hosted by our colleagues at Commonwealth Club World Affairs , you'll hear from Mat dos Santos, Our Children Trust’s co-executive director, and a youth plaintiff about how OCT is changing the conversation around climate by activating the courts in the face of political gridlock. Last year, OCT represented 169 young plaintiffs globally in landmark cases such as Juliana v. U.S. and Held v. State of Montana — the first cases to recognize the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, and to enshrine science-based protections for children’s fundamental rights into law.
On June 1, 2022, 14 youth in Hawai'i filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the State of Hawai'i claiming that their operation of a transportation system that results in high levels of greenhouse gas emissions violates their state constitutional rights, causing them significant harm and impacting their ability to “live healthful lives in Hawai'i now and into the future.” The youth seek to ensure the Hawai'i Department of Transportation steps up to meet the state legislature’s goal to decarbonize the Hawai'ian economy and achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045.
Climate Heroes In Your Neighborhood with Matt Scott
Tuesday June 25 | 6:00 p.m.
There are climate heroes among us everywhere, but many go unnoticed in the thrum of everyday life. Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement at Project Drawdown, has been shining a light on the work of such people in cities across the country in his documentary short series “Drawdown’s Neighborhood.” In Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and more, Scott lifts up underrepresented voices of those engaging in climate issues directly in their communities. And that diversity of voices — of women, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color — is itself the point. “By passing the mic to underrepresented people working on the frontlines of climate change, we hope to share as many of these stories as possible while reshaping who society sees as climate heroes,” says Scott.
The San Francisco Bay Area is the latest region in Drawdown’s Neighborhood, with full episodes premiering in August 2024. Join us for this unique Climate One event, as Scott hosts a live conversation with local climate heroes and showcases the diversity of people taking action all across the country to meaningfully address climate change.
What We’re Reading: Tesla Shuts Down Charging Network Division
Tesla, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States, laid off its entire charging division this week. The company’s decision to shut down the entire department comes just months after the U.S. government and other EV makers coalesced around Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) as the default for vehicles moving forward, leaving companies like General Motors, Rivian and Electrify America to work to continue filling in charging access gaps.
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The closure of Tesla’s charging network division comes on the heels of a string of bad news for the long-time leader in the EV market. In mid-April, the company was forced to recall all Cybertrucks currently on the road after a video went viral showing how easily the accelerator can stick to the floorboard of the truck. A few days later, Tesla announced its biggest decline in revenue since 2012, although the company’s stock price quickly rebounded after CEO Elon Musk claimed Tesla will release new vehicle models sooner than expected.
Tesla had been awarded 13% of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law’s funding to expand the national charging network, and it is not immediately clear what will happen to this funding with the charging division closing. Musk wrote that Tesla will continue to build its branded Superchargers, but at a slower pace than before. However, there is some optimism that the decision for all U.S. EVs to use NACS chargers will enable a mix of dedicated charging companies and other automakers to rapidly expand charging access across the country.
PLUS:
Connecting the Dots
In a landmark win for the planet, the European Court of Human Rights ruled last month that the Swiss government violated the rights of its citizens by failing to adequately counter the effects of climate change. Brought by more than 2,000 Swiss women, all of whom are older than 64, the case centered around arguments that rising temperatures disproportionately threaten the safety of women and the elderly.
Climate activism, long waged from forests and beaches, is increasingly taking place in the courtroom. In The Netherlands, Goldman Prize Winner Marjan Minnesma seeks a similar ruling against her own government, which she also alleges has failed to protect its people from climate change. She joined Climate One last year to talk about her legal efforts, and her conversation is available on all major podcast platforms.
Chart of the Week
One More Thing
SF Climate Week might be over for the year, but that doesn’t mean the climate conversations have to stop. In addition to today’s episode, we have four bonus podcasts from our week of events, each featuring extended versions of today’s conversation.
All four episodes are available on all major podcast platforms as well as a convenient playlist on our website. Enjoy!