California Thursday’s unanimous vote of air regulators to Encourage ambitious behavior plan to Significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels by Changes to the energyTransport and agriculture sectors, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough to combat climate change.
It plan Get out the sets to So-called “Realize Your Potential” carbon neutrality by 2045The state will take as many of them out. carbon Emissions from the atmosphere it emits. It has two goals to do so in part by reducing fossil fuel demand by Within that timeframe, 86%
California Before setting this carbon Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation making it a Mandat earlier in the year The Democrat stated that drastic changes were needed to Position California As a Leader in global climate.
“We are making history here in California,” Newsom said in a Statement Thursday
The problem is that plan’s road to Approval by The California The Air Resources Board received some criticism. Large amounts of captured carbon and One of the controversial aspects of the proposal is the underground storage. Critics say it gives the state’s biggest emitters reason to Not enough for their part to mitigate climate change.
a The meeting lasted for several hours and was attended by activists as well as residents. and The experts took their final chance to Participate in the plan ahead of the board’s vote. The latest version was praised by many as an improvement over the previous one. earlier draftsCommitting the crime of state to do more to Stop causing global warming.
Davina Hurt a A board member said that she is proud California Is it getting closer? to its carbon Goal of neutrality
“I’m glad that this plan is bold and aggressive,” Hurt.
It plan The state is not committed to Taking any action but not putting out a A broad guideline for what? California You can do it! its goals. These are some highlights
Renewable power
Implementation plan hinges on the state’s ability to We must move away fossil fuels and Get more from renewable resources energy. This requires the state to cut liquid petroleum fuel demand by 94% by 2045, and quadruple solar and This timeframe also allows for increased wind power.
A new residence would be another goal. and Commercial buildings will now be powered by Before the next decade, electric appliances.
These calls call for a dramatic reduction in oil dependence and Public officials are continuing to use gas as they continue to import gas to You must be able to comprehend how to Blackouts are not to be expected record-breaking heat waves Californians are being pushed to Turn on the air conditioner.
The Western States Petroleum Association also took exception to the plan’s timeline.
“CARB’s latest draft of the Scoping Plan has acknowledged what dozens of studies have confirmed — that a complete phase-out of oil and gas is unrealistic,” said Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the group’s president, in a statement. “A plan that isn’t realistic isn’t really a plan at all.”
At the beginning of Thursday’s meeting, California Liane Randolph Chair, Air Resources Board, highlighted the most current version of The plan The most ambitious to date. Following public comment earlier this year, the document was modified.
“Ultimately, achieving carbon neutrality requires deploying all tools available to us to reduce emissions and store carbon,” Randolph said.
Transport
Officials are hopeful a Move away from gasoline-powered vehicles and Trucks reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the health effects of chemical substances they release.
a July letter to Newsom, the head of the Air Board requested that the Agency approve drastic cuts to Emissions from aircrafts. As the state transitions, this would be in conjunction with other transportation sector reductions to All zero emission vehicle sales by 2035.
It plan’s targets include having 20% of aviation fuel demand come from electric or hydrogen sources by 2045 and All medium-duty cars sold must be zero-emission by 2040. The board is now passed a Policy to ban the sale of new cars powered solely by gasoline In the state beginning in 2035
Carbon capture
It plan Refers to to carbon Take as a “necessary tool” to Other strategies can be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of state policies to mitigate climate change. This requires the state to Take 100 Million Metre Tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and It can be stored underground by 2045.
Connie Cho, an advocate for the environmental justice group Communities for a Better Environment is also known as the plan’s goal of phasing down oil refining “a huge step forward” to mitigate climate change and Protect public health.
“Our communities have been suffering from chronic disease and dying at disproportionate rates for far too long because of the legacy of environmental racism in this country,” Cho.
But Cho criticized its carbon Arguments that capture targets give away the ability to catch them a Refineries: A pathway to Continue to pollute while the state decreases its emissions in other parts of the country.
Agriculture
The goal is to to Achieve a 66% decrease in methane emissions due to the agriculture sector by 2045. Cattle a significant source for releasing methane — a potent, planet-warming gas.
It plan’s implementation would also mean less reliance by The agriculture sector relies on fossil fuels for its livelihood. energy source.
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