California air regulators voted to approve changes to a key climate program aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions.
A vote at the California Air Resources Board meeting has commissioners weighing the cost of clean air against already painfully high gas prices.California air regulators voted to approve changes to a key climate program aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions that has a wide swath of critics and could increase gas prices statewide.
Environmental groups have criticized the program for stimulating the production of biofuels, which are derived from sources including plants and animal waste, when they say the state should focus more on supporting power for electric vehicles. They argue the proposal fails to adequately address those concerns.
"If you're going to ask drivers to pay a lot, which is what this program proposal is going to do, I think you need to be able to make the case that it's worth paying for," said Danny Cullenward, a climate economist with the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. "What concerns me most about this is I think a lot of the things that are being credited do not actually help the climate.
"On behalf of the people of the 34th Assembly district, I ask you to not approve this rulemaking and find other alternatives that won't cost us quite that much," he said. "The low carbon fuel standard has already successfully created lower-cost, lower-carbon alternatives, and the benefits of the proposal vastly outweigh those costs," Steven Cliff, the agency's executive officer, said last month.
"CARB's justification for this version of the LCFS as a bridge for combustion fuels while we transition to zero-emissions needs to be reconsidered in light of the profoundly altered landscape we suddenly landed in this week," Adrian Martinez, deputy managing attorney at environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, said of Trump's election win.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Proposición 33 de California: Permitir que las ciudades de California aprueben controles de alquiler más estrictosDavid Wagner reports on business and economy for the LAist and KPCC newsroom.
Read more »
Sharp cuts at California State University, but one Southern California campus is feeling it moreAdolfo Guzman-Lopez covers higher education for the LAist and KPCC newsroom.
Read more »
Here are all 10 California ballot propositions for the 2024 election, explainedBesides the presidential, California Senate and local races, voters also have some statewide ballot measures to consider before the general election.
Read more »
California Cops Speak Out Against Tesla Police Cars, Call Them Unfit For DutyIt turns out the Model 3 isn’t as spacious as some officers would like, but that’s the least of its problems
Read more »
Trump returns to California for a rally in the Coachella ValleyTrump's visit to the home state of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, offers him a chance to bash the liberal policies of the Bay Area native.
Read more »
Here are all 10 California ballot propositions for the 2024 election, explainedBesides the presidential, California Senate and local races, voters also have some statewide ballot measures to consider before the general election.
Read more »