CEQA Attacks Repelled--Again
Energy Commission Adopts New Toilet, Faucet Efficiency Standards
Shareholder Campaign Takes Aim at Chevron's Political Spending
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has served for over 45 years to shield California’s environment, ensuring project-by-project consideration of environmental impacts, and requiring mitigation for those impacts. This important tool keeps the public informed and allows them a say about proposed changes in their communities.
CEQA’s success has made it a target for developers and other proponents of large construction projects. Although this year, as the economy has begun to rebound, attacks have been less intense than in other recent years, CEQA has still faced some challenges in these first few months of the new legislative session.
In the last week of April, as new bills came before their first policy committees, eight bills attacking CEQA were heard. Their aim ranged from completely gutting the law, to creating seemingly innocuous exemptions that were actually wolves in sheep’s clothing. In one bill, dam proponents tried to prevent a court from using CEQA to effectively halt environmental damage.
Sierra Club California is one of the constant watchdog groups protecting CEQA from legislative mischief. Our staff advocate Kyle Jones led the charge in lobbying and testifying against the eight bills attacking CEQA protections. We were helped by terrific legislative committee staff and chairs.
Fortunately, all eight of the bills were pulled from committee agendas or otherwise failed on committee votes. For the moment, CEQA protections remain intact.
Energy Commission Adopts New Toilet, Faucet Efficiency Standards
The California Energy Commission did its part in response to the current drought and in late April adopted important new water-saving efficiency standards. The standards were pushed through a month earlier than originally scheduled.
The new standards, whose adoption was accelerated in response to the Governor’s drought emergency order, target toilets, faucets, and urinals. By speeding up the regulations, the more efficient plumbing appliances will be widely available to customers in 2016.
The new toilets will use less water per flush (using just 1.28 gallons) than today’s average toilet, and faucets will use aeration more effectively to reduce the amount of water flowing per minute without reducing effectiveness.
The updates to the standards would save 10.3 billion gallons of water and 218 gigawatt hours of electricity statewide that first year. And after complete stock turnover in 2039, the efficient appliances will have saved 105 billion gallons of water. That’s more than three times the amount San Francisco uses in a year.
In addition to saving water, the new standards will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents. In California, we move water from north to south which requires energy, which produces greenhouse gases, to move the water. By reducing water use, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
So while there’s still no harm in letting it “mellow when it’s yellow,” the real water savings for Californians will come when buildings new and old embrace these upgraded efficiency standards. If you want to be part of the solution, get ready to invest in new high efficiency plumbing appliances after they become widely available next year. Even if you forget to turn off the tap between soaping and rinsing, your new faucet won’t forget to use less water.
Shareholder Campaign Takes Aim at Chevron's Political Spending
In 2013, Richmond's City Council voted to sue Chevron after an explosion at its refinery sent over 15,000 workers and residents—15% of the population—to nearby hospitals.
Chevron responded by dumping more than $3 million in the 2014 election to pack the city council and mayor's office with pro-industry candidates. The oil company outspent city council candidates 20-1. But in an election result that inspired environmentalists around the country, Richmond residents defeated all of Chevron's candidates.
It was an extraordinary victory in an era when oil companies routinely spend millions of dollars to influence elections.
Of course, a single defeat doesn’t discourage an industry with deep pockets. There is no real sign that Chevron has any plans to change its high-roller tactics.
And that’s one reason the national Sierra Club has launched #StopChevron, a campaign to support shareholders who have filed a resolution calling on Chevron to stop trying to buy elections.
You can join these shareholders in getting the word out on social media to galvanize a powerful movement to beat back excessive corporate influence on political elections.
The people of Richmond proved that a united, informed community can defeat a powerful corporate behemoth. As Jovanka Beckles, one of the city council members elected in 2014, said: "Hundreds of people worked hard for months to mobilize and use our collective strength as a powerful tool that money could not buy!"
The resolution calling on Chevron to put an end to political contributions could get a vote at the May 27th Chevron shareholder meeting.
You can add you voice to the fight to #StopChevron and pass along the info to your friends and family by clicking here.
The #StopChevron Campaign was launched in Richmond, California. Join now to show that Californians all over the state want Big Oil’s money out of politics.
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