350.org on California Legislature Voting for Cap-and-Trade Extension

Today, international climate campaign 350.org decried the California state legislature's vote to extend the cap-and-trade program. The compromise bill will strip local and state air boards from regulating carbon pollution, and condemn communities adjacent to refineries and other major polluters to increased health risks. Considered together with a pending constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds vote to approve a plan to distribute funds raised by the cap-and-trade program, this calls California's ability to reach its ambitious pollution reduction targets into question. 350.org and local affiliates urged communities across the state to contact their representatives and oppose the bill.

Masada Disenhouse, 350.org's U.S. Organizing Coordinator and a co-founder of SanDiego350, issued the following statement:

"It's a shame that state lawmakers settled for a compromise with Big Oil when Californians overwhelmingly support a more ambitious approach to tackling the climate crisis. If Governor Brown wants our state to be a global climate leader, we need to do much, much better. That starts with taking away Big Oil's seat the negotiating table and replacing it with a seat for the communities most impacted by this crisis.

"It's now even more important that legislators pass SB100, which would move California to 100% renewable energy by 2045.

"Governor Brown and supporters of this package have assured communities that it won't let refineries and other major polluters off the hook. Now they need to find concrete ways to make good on that promise - or bear full responsibility for the health and climate impacts that result from allowing these facilities to continue to operate next door to homes and schools."