Letter from Sacramento: It’s Past Time for Us to Ditch Oil and Gas

Earlier this month, I wrote a Capitol Voice article about the Huntington Beach oil spill. In short, an estimated 144,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from an oil derrick pipeline in the Catalina Channel. The oil rapidly spread nearby to Huntington Beach beaches and wetlands, polluting beach fronts and killing numerous fish and birds.

Californians have known for decades that offshore drilling is dangerous and harmful for our communities and ecosystems. This latest oil spill near Huntington Beach is no different. But we also know that drilling for oil and gas near our communities can lead to devastating, long-term public health impacts.

In other words, oil and gas extraction is harmful for both the environment and communities no matter where it occurs.

As the consequences of continued fossil fuel extraction exacerbates the climate crisis - through global sea level rise, increasingly severe wildfires, and extreme heat - it’s clear that we need to transition to a clean energy economy.

Hopefully, next month, when global leaders meet to outline the plans of countries, cities, and industries to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis at COP 26, the need to move away from fossil fuels will be front and center of the conversation.

Here in the U.S., we see this conversation playing out in Congress as rogue senators threaten to tank legislation over provisions investing billions in clean energy infrastructure and jobs.

Meanwhile, California has taken actions to move away from oil. We’ve passed bills to transition to a clean energy economy and reduce our carbon emissions. This year, Governor Newsom issued a directive to ban new fracking permits by 2024 and requested that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) assess how California can phase out all oil and gas drilling by 2045.

However, even these timelines are not urgent enough. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently warned that changes triggered by runaway carbon emissions—including global sea level rise, increasing wildfires, and extreme heat—are already “irreversible for centuries to millennia.”

Just two weeks ago, the governor announced new draft health and safety rules requiring newly constructed oil and gas extraction sites must be at least 3,200 feet from California homes, schools, and public parks. The new draft rule, although novel in nature, could be stronger.

Many of our leaders understand the need to address the climate crisis, but the urgency of their actions to do so is questionable. The urgency for smart action is more intense than ever in human history.

At the Sierra Club, we are well positioned to bring about the change we need and press our elected leaders to act more urgently and aggressively.

One easy action you can take is checking out our 2021 Legislative Report Card, which evaluates how the year’s legislative session panned out for the environment.

Overall, the legislature underperformed when it came to the environment in 2021. Many of the boldest, most impactful bills that would have taken on the oil and gas industry died early in the session. Review the scorecard and find out how your legislator voted on these key measures, contact that legislator, and ask them what actions they will take in 2022 to meet the urgency of the moment.

Thank you for taking action and doing your part to address the climate crisis.

Sincerely,