Schwarzenegger's Abysmal Environmental Legacy

by Dan Bacher

The Myth of the 'Jolly Green Giant' Exposed  

Political leaders, NGO representatives and the corporate media have incessantly greenwashed the deplorable environmental legacy of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a series of photo opportunities, press releases, news conferences and awards ceremonies over the past several months. This disgusting campaign by the Governor and his collaborators to portray Schwarzenegger as the "Jolly Green Giant" is bound to get even worse as Schwarzenegger prepares to leave office.

On December 2, Schwarzenegger accepted an award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld for his "environmental leadership."  

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Urgent Action for CA's Green Chemistry Standards

by Colleen Fernald

Hello everyone,

All personal care, and cleaning products, etc. end up in our bodies, down the drain, in the air, and in the soil. What's on the label of the products you purchase? Can you trust them to be safe for all they touch?

Please see this important story from the San Fransisco Chronicle today.

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OMG: Gov. Schwarzenegger to Rescue of Climate Change Fiasco!

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

The climate change news for this week is generally depressing because there is more evidence of the enormity of impacts that are not being addressed.  President Obama and Congress are being held hostage by a minority of GOP teabagging deniers determined to prevent comprehensive climate change legislation.

However, there is also much hope. President Obama has worked on measures that don't need Congressional OK and measures not dependent upon climate science.  I have discussed with friends how it really is irrelevant if someone is a denier or not because the measures that address climate change impacts also address crisis issues whose existence and validity is not dependent on climate science. Gov. Schwarzenegger brings it all together in a nice package as a good starting point.

Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan defeats the teabaggers because it is not dependent upon believing in climate change science but recognizing obvious related public crises:  Energy independence or national security, economic crisis, public health and energy conservation and efficiency.  While I did not vote for Schwarzenegger, California does have a climate change law that Attorney General Jerry Brown has been implementing for years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Is Schwarzenegger the New AlGore?

by Steven D

The Guvernator just announced that California is striking out on its own to enter into greenhouse gas emissions deals with developing countries in partnership with the United Nations.  So, keep reading.  You might be surprised.

(cont.)

(also available at Booman Tribune)

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Whitman Supports Environmentally Racist Project

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Is racism ok when it happens in an environmental context? Whitman's upset that Chevron could not proceed with its project to upgrade a refinery in California that is a major source of pollution. The refinery is located in a minority and low-income community. Studies have shown that decisions to locate polluting facilities in low-income and minority communities are not mere happenstance.  The community already suffers high rates of illness and disease and a horrible quality of life. Chevron wanted to upgrade its facility without clearly disclosing what type of crude would be refined, but indications are that the upgrade would allow it to handle dirtier crude oils, resulting in more pollution.  When a court stopped the project because Chevron did not comply with our law, Whitman complained that 1,000 construction jobs were lost. This job meme is often used to justify the initial location of the polluting facilities. Why is Whitman not delighted about the lives that so far have been spared more sickness and death had this project moved forward?

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Defeat Texas!

by LaughingPlanet

This weekend, we will see a full-page ad in the California newspapers (just in case anyone still reads newspapers).

I heard about the ad via the internets' version of newpaper, or the  newpaper version of the internets.

http://www.sfgate.com/...

Leave it to our California activists to transform the California vs Texas World Series into a chance to make a political statement.

On Sunday, a huge print ad will run in various publications opposing Prop 23 -- the measure that would overturn California's ground-breaking 2006 climate change law.

It's the most creative static political ad I've seen in a long time.

We not only need Prop 23 to fail, we need an EPIC FAIL.

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Gulf Watchers Friday: GOTV-All Politics is Local: Kamala Harris/CA-AG: BP Catastrophe AUV#416

by ArthurPoet

This is a Gulf Watchers GOTV SPECIAL MID-TERM ELECTION EDITION: Focusing on 2 CA Local Ticket Items:

1. Kamala Harris for CA-AG

2. NO on PROP 23

California sets the direction for our nation, and as such, this is probably one of the most critical battles for our environment today. Her opponent is backed by big oil. The latest poll shows Kamala slightly up, but she has been behind up until now. Please help if you can.

"All Politics is Local" ~ Former Speaker of the House ~ Tip O'Neil ~

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition: AUV #416. ROV #415 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

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Sun, Sun, Sun, Here We Come! [No on CA Prop 23]

by citisven

SF Gate reports today that the Interior Department approved a plan to build Blythe Solar Power Project, the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, in eastern Riverside County by the end of the year.

On the same page of its business report there's an article talking about German clean-tech firms looking toward the Bay Area as their potential North American headquarters.

There's something happening here, and what it is, is exactly clear: California is poised to become a worldwide leader in clean energy, creating new investments, jobs, and a less carbon-emitting economy. It's setting the stage for the rest of the U.S. to follow in the irreversible path of the global market toward a clean energy future.

Meanwhile, big Texas oil refineries are working to derail the bullet train toward the future with Prop 23, a cynical attempt at preserving their right to pollute and keep us stuck on the economic road to nowhere.

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League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen for 2010: Part 3--Three Toxic Tea Partiers

by Neon Vincent

Earlier this week, I profiled three candidates on the the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Dirty Dozen list who are running for the House of Representatives.  Yesterday, I continued my series with Part 2--Four Filthy Senators.  Both of these diaries described the anti-environmental records of candidates who consistently vote (or promise to vote) against clean energy and natural resource conservation.

Join me over the fold for part 3, in which I profile the final three GOTeaP senate candidates on the LCV's list, all of whom put the Tea in GOTeaP.  I also include a first from the LCV--a propostion has been named to the list, making this a Dirty Baker's Dozen.  Most important of all, I include action items for their Democratic opponents and the No on 23 campaign.

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Does Koch have the Courage to debate a citizen?

by A Siegel

The multi-billionaire libertarian Koch brothers are bankrolling efforts across American to undermine the basic principles of American Democracy.  Thanks to the Roberts-led SCOTUS and Citizens United, it is clear that their billions, of course, have more merit than your one vote.

One of their efforts: massive bankrolling of Proposition 23 in California designed to turn back the clock from 21st century climate action to 19th century polluting fossil foolish ways.

California citizen and Marine-Corps veteran Joel Francis has had enough. His message to Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch to a debate on Proposition 23.

I challenge you to a public debate.

You pick the terms.

And, I'll meet you.

Anytime.

Anywhere ...

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Charles Koch Challenged To Debate Prop 23 By California Student Leader Joel Francis

by bdemelle

Joel Francis, a Marine Corps veteran and senior at Cal State Los Angeles, has issued a debate challenge to Koch Industries' billionaire CEO Charles Koch on his support for the disastrous Prop 23 attack on California's climate and clean energy progress.

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Whitman's One-Two Punch to Health And Environment

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Some friends shared their frustration with trying to make sense of the interrelationship of AB 32 (California's climate change law), Proposition 23 (a ballot measure to nix our climate change law), and Proposition 26 (a measure to transform regulatory fees into taxes).  Essentially, the Whitman game plan is to give the sham appearance that she cares about our health, environmental resources and climate change impacts. In reality, she wants to enable corporations to continue to sicken people and damage natural resources while removing a key tool for corporate accountability.

Meg Whitman opposes Proposition 23, the ballot measure to nix our climate change law, and might hope that people won't notice that she also opposes our climate change law. Meg apparently does not want the voters to nix AB 32 because she plans to unilaterally nix our climate law by issuing a moratorium order on her first day as governor. Whitman also supports Prop 26, which would remove a key tool of corporate accountability for external costs of pollution and could be used for climate change impacts.

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GOP Wrong: Green Means More Jobs Now

by Steven D

Who could have predicted that while other manufacturing jobs declined, jobs in green industries increased in California, the state with some of the toughest environmental laws?  What a shock, eh?

In a study released Wednesday, Palo Alto-based nonprofit Next 10 and Collaborative Economics Inc. of Mountain View found that manufacturing jobs in the state's green sector grew by 19 percent between 1995 and 2008.

The increase came at the same time that overall manufacturing jobs in California tumbled 9 percent.

Furthermore, who could have known that venture capitalists, seeing California's "friendly" climate for green technologies would invest billions of dollars into growing that part of California's manufacturing sector?

(cont.)

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Secret Meeting Participants Flee From Delta Residents, Fishermen

by Dan Bacher

The 50 participants in a secret meeting deciding the fate of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on September 30 decided to leave rather than to allow four Delta advocates to listen to the proceedings.

Bill Jennings, chairman/executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA); Jim Crenshaw, president of CSPA; Bret Baker, a Delta pear farmer, biologist and Restore the Delta board member; and I disrupted the meeting of Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to protest the closed process.

We arrived at the meeting of “principals” of the BDCP at the Farm Bureau office in Sacramento just as the meeting was getting started. You could feel the tension and sense the surprise by the federal and state agency officials, water agency leaders, corporate agribusiness officials and others gathered there as we walked into the back of the room.  

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CA-Prop 21: Save State Parks (with pics and poll!)

by Senor Unoball

California has some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States, ranging from the beaches of Southern California, to rugged rocky coasts of Big Sur and Central California, to redwood forests with the tallest trees on earth, to high rocky peaks of the Sierra.

Some of the best areas of the state are protected in 278 State Parks.

Protected for now, that is.  As the California legislature continues to struggle with its seemingly never-ending budget crisis, one thing often mentioned to cut the state budget would be to close state parks.

Think of that, what a disaster it would be to California—and to Californians—if the parks closed!

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Bay Area Kossacks: Drop by My House in the Solar Tour Tomorrow

by dotcommodity

One thing I did right, at the beginning of this year was to finally go solar with a residential solar PPA and to sign up to be in the ASES Nationwide Solar Tour which is tomorrow, Saturday Oct 2nd.

If you are in the SF Bay Area, come on by to my house and see how easy it is in California now to do the right thing and send clean power to green-up the grid for the next 30-40 years.

And if you are too far away to come by our house, find the American Solar Energy Association Solar Home Tourin your neighborhood!

In nine states now, solar in some utility districts is free or cheaper than utility energy, thanks to The Recovery Act, in combination with laws in some states that now allow solar companies that offer solar leases or solar PPAs that compete directly with utilities, by selling power by the kilowatt-hour.

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Arnold calls out the Big Oil Front Groups in dramatic fashion

by jamess

I couldn't believe my ears.  Did Arnold just change from Red to Blue ?

Or maybe it was just a deeper shade of Green.

Schwarzenegger defends climate law, slams Texans
Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer, SFGate -- Sep 28, 2010

The governor's vehement defense of the climate legislation commonly referred to as AB32 comes amid a fierce campaign led by oil interests to win passage in November of Proposition 23, a ballot measure that calls for suspending the climate law until the jobless rate hits 5.5 percent for a year, a level achieved only three times in 40 years.

Schwarzenegger, speaking before several hundred people at the Commonwealth Club in Santa Clara, said the proponents of Prop. 23 are attempting to subvert the democratic process using scare tactics. He likened the campaign to a shell game hiding what he said was the real purpose: "self-serving greed."

"They are creating a shell argument that they are doing this to protect jobs," the governor said. "Does anybody really believe they are doing this out of the goodness of their black oil hearts - spending millions and millions of dollars to save jobs?"

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California’s Commitment to Clean Energy – Both Parties Agree

by NRDCActionFund

By Kristin Eberhard

Originally posted on The MarkUp.

Now that Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has announced her opposition on Proposition 23, this dirty energy proposition stands as the main issue that she and the Democratic candidate Jerry Brown agree on.  While Whitman’s stance against Proposition 23 is good news for California, jobs and our strong clean air and health standards, it is troubling that she coupled her technical opposition while simultaneously announcing her intent to suspend AB 32 for at least a year if elected Governor.  Her position sounds like she wants it both ways.  Delaying AB 32 would throw a monkey wrench into the implementation of our clean energy polices, and significantly hamper the transition of the state – indeed, the nation – to a clean energy economy.

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Don't Let Big Oil Kill Clean Energy in California

by Steven D

Proposition 23 is the referendum measure in California which would eliminate suspend the state law, the Global Warming Solutions Act (a/k/a AB 32), that calls for lowering California's greenhouse gas emissions until California's unemployment rate hits 5.5% (well that is effectively the elimination of the law).  That law was passed with Republican Arnold Schwartzenegger's active support in 2006.

Not too long ago the polls indicated that Californians rejected Proposition 23 by roughly a 60 to 40 margin.  That was back at the end of July.  Now however, since the infusion of big corporate cash and ad buys from Big Oil, such as the Koch Brothers (which I wrote about HERE), a new poll has been released are showing that the likely voters who are willing to vote for Prop 23 is now roughly equal to those opposed to its passage.

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National Groups Support Unified North Coast Marine Protected Area Proposal

by Dan Bacher

National fishing and conservation groups recently announced their support for a single, community-supported marine protected area (MPA) proposal adopted by Tribal, fishing and environmental stakeholders for California’s North Coast as part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.

Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), on September 9 announced that the RFA has endorsed a resolution in support of the "Unified Array" for marine protected areas on California's North Coast Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative process.

The resolution has been submitted for the consideration of local governments, tribes and tribal communities, fishing associations and conservation groups. It asks the Governor's MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) to approve the network of MPAs approved by the local regional stakeholder group, including the need to allow traditional tribal gathering.

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