Letter from Sacramento: Five Suggestions For A Not-Recalled Governor

Earlier this month, Sierra Club California applauded the defeat of the attempted recall of Governor Gavin Newsom.

While we’re happy to see that a potential climate denier won’t be in the governor’s seat, we were really applauding the work our dedicated members and volunteers did to get out the vote. They made thousands of calls, and through their tireless efforts, were able to help defeat the distractive recall campaign.

We did our part. But now it’s time for Governor Newsom to do his. He needs to be a governor who deserves to be retained in office, not just a governor who was less bad than the awful opposition that just tried to replace him.

For environmentalists and climate activists, Newsom’s first three years in office have been frustrating, to say the least.

He has signed executive orders to encourage transportation electrification and to protect California’s unique biodiversity. Just this past week, he signed a budget negotiated with the legislature that provides significant new funds to help prepare the state to face the effects of climate change.

But, generally, his efforts to advance California’s climate fight, or to protect the environment, or to advance environmental justice have been riddled with missteps.

If Newsom truly wants to be the environmental champion he paints himself to be, he needs to make some changes. What follows are my suggestions for improvement:

     1. Walk the Talk

In his post-election email to supporters, Newsom said that by voting to retain him, California “said YES to environmental justice.” He painted himself as an environmental justice leader. But his actions in office so far tell a different story.

For years, frontline communities and environmental justice organizations have advocated at both the legislature and regulatory agencies for a 2,500 foot setback distance between oil and gas drilling, and California homes, schools and hospitals. But Newsom failed to support or even acknowledge the setback bills when they came up in the legislature. For the last two years, CALGEM, the state oil & gas regulatory agency, has repeatedly stalled a public health rulemaking process to establish a setback. Newsom could change this with a simple phone call.

Californians want a leader who values environmental justice and takes actions in line with furthering that principle. If he wants to be painted as an environmental justice champion, Newsom needs to walk the talk.

     2. Direct State Agencies to Protect the Environment

As governor, Newsom wields tremendous power over state regulatory processes. But if there’s anything his first three years in office have shown, it’s that he often chooses to wield this power to the detriment of the environment.

For example, Newsom has stalled the State Water Board’s development and implementation of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan - a regulation that would provide more protection for the San Francisco Bay-Delta, to the benefit of the Delta’s communities and its ecosystem.

He has done this because he supports so-called “voluntary agreements,” a proposal worked out with water agencies and big ag water users who draw directly from the rivers that feed the delta. The agreements would provide inadequate environmental requirements for the Bay-Delta watershed. The State and these water agencies have been negotiating for years behind closed doors - without participation from most conservation and environmental justice organizations, fishing groups, or Native American tribes. While the negotiations drag on, conditions in the delta worsen.

Another example: This year the governor allowed the California Energy Commission (CEC) to sidestep its responsibility to get methane gas fully out of new homes and commercial buildings beginning in 2024. Notably, the biggest opponent of doing more was the California Building Industry Association, which dumped more than $1 million into the anti-recall campaign just about the time the CEC rules were to be made.

Another example: At State Parks, the governor’s appointees have been unusually slow to get off-road vehicles out of highly sensitive ecosystems, even while the courts have sided with environmentalists who have argued that ecosystem protections should take priority. And when solutions have been proposed by legislators to protect biodiverse places of contention, the governor has squirmed and mostly resisted.

Directing state agencies to promulgate regulations that are protective and environmentally beneficial will be key in the coming years.

     3. Meet with Your Base

How many times has Newsom met with environmental and environmental justice leaders since he became governor? A grand total of one time. And this meeting occurred in May 2019. We have not had the opportunity to speak directly to Newsom since then despite numerous requests.

Multiple statewide environmental groups, including Sierra Club California, endorsed Newsom in his 2018 run for governor. Earlier this year, some of those same groups came out in opposition to the recall for reasons unrelated to his environmental record. Nevertheless, he has demonstrated propitiation of polluting and special interests and continued to dismiss environmental voices.

Smart politicians talk to and listen to more than just the people who they have hired onto their staff. Newsom needs to start talking to environmental and environmental justice activists. These activists work with frontline communities and grassroots organizations throughout California communities and represent the voices of those Newsom claims to care about.

It’s worth noting that we hear complaints about Newsom’s unwillingness to meet from allies in other sectors. There’s a pattern that Newsom needs to break.

    4. Stop Supporting Environmentally Harmful Projects

The Delta Tunnel. Sites Reservoir. Poseidon Desal Plant. Expansion of off-road vehicle parks. Fracking. There are a number of projects that will cause damage to California ecosystems, lands, and communities. There is no moral or ethical reason for Newsom and his administration to support a project that negatively impacts Californians.

We have heard too often that Newsom has his sights set on running for federal office, and so he works hard to moderate the image of the “liberal San Franciscan” that dogs him. Willie Brown has crowed joyously about how Newsom has successfully courted conservative interests (read Big Ag) in the Central Valley. Indeed, that courting has led Newsom astray and tilted his actions toward maintaining a status quo where a status quo creates harm.

The world and the state are at intense environmental risk. Supporting harmful projects and policies to court conservatives is dangerous, if not disastrous.

     5. Take Bold Action NOW

The August International Panel on Climate Change report makes it clear that the time for incremental steps to combat the climate crisis has passed. California needs accelerated, bold and equitable climate action TODAY. This includes:

-ending fossil fuel infrastructure and reliance earlier than 2045;
-increasing the use of clean energy and ensuring all electricity is 100% zero-carbon by 2030; -moving to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030 and accelerating public transportation solutions; and
-protecting our lands and waters from climate change impacts.

It will cost a lot of money to cut climate pollution, but as many experts have noted, it will cost much more if we don’t dramatically cut climate pollution.

We are fortunate to live in a state where the majority of residents value tackling the climate crisis and protecting our lands. And we are fortunate to have a governor who believes in the threat of the climate crisis.

But that is what makes Newsom’s first three years in office so perplexing. He knows Californians want bold action on climate change but when he takes steps forward, they are incremental. He acknowledges and speaks about the impact climate change has on our air quality, communities, and waterways, but doesn’t demand that state agencies regulate to protect those. He preaches collaboration and stakeholder engagement, but doesn’t collaborate or engage with the organizations that can provide expertise and help achieving goals.

Sierra Club California is powerful because we hold our elected officials accountable for their statements and actions. We’ve always done that, and we’ll continue to do so.

I will be monitoring how Newsom’s approach shapes up as he settles into a post-recall period. I hope he takes these suggestions to heart.

But if he doesn’t, Sierra Club California will be there. Pushing him harder than ever before.

Sincerely,