Sierra Club is working with our public health, environmental, and environmental justice allies to ensure that the recent 'wins' at the Air Resources Board - reducing diesel pollution from trucks and off-road construction equipment, are not 'rolled back' due to Republican demands during the budgetary deliberations.
Feb 2 Readers' letters , Mercury News
Posted: 01/31/2009
GOP holding state budget hostage (3rd LTE)
Mike Olenczuk (Letters, Jan. 30) expressed his support for Republicans who ostensibly demand that the state live within its means. However, that's not all they are demanding.
Republicans have regrettably resorted to a form of budgetary extortion, demanding dangerous public health and environmental rollbacks that would jeopardize the health of all Californians. Mercury News reporter Paul Rogers initially wrote of 10 highway CEQA exemptions demanded by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jan 19. Since then, the Republican leadership has expanded the list to lifting pesticide rules, allowing more diesel pollution and much more.
If the Republicans only discussed budgetary matters, Olenczuk's point would be valid. Sadly, they have seized the budgetary crisis to demand environmental and public health rollbacks that they couldn't achieve during the legislative session.
Irvin Dawid
Chair, Sierra Club California Air Quality Committee Palo Alto
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Environmental Review of Highways Must Not Be Lifted
Much has been made about the Governor asking President Obama for the waiver from EPA to require reduced greenhouse gas emissions from new cars sold in California - and the favorable reception by Obama. Less has been made about what the Governor and the Republican party are doing to INCREASE GHG emissions in CA by demanding environmental rollbacks in order to secure a budget agreement.
Hopefully, this NYT LTE will shed some light on what's happening here in CA:
Letter to Editor, New York Times
Clean Air in California
Published: January 31, 2009
To the Editor
Re: Editorial - New Day on Climate Change
The new administration is both figuratively and literally a breath of fresh air. But as President Obama begins to undo the damage done over the last eight years, environmental rollbacks in Sacramento threaten to undo the good news from Washington.
Just as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asks President Obama to grant California a waiver to require cleaner vehicles, he is demanding that environmental review be lifted from 10 big highway projects that ultimately could increase greenhouse gas emissions — and he’s doing it because he wants them considered in Mr. Obama’s stimulus package.
I hope Mr. Obama informs our governor that he will not sacrifice environmental laws to allow highway projects to be “shovel ready.”
Irvin Dawid
Palo Alto, Calif., Jan. 27, 2009
The writer is chairman of the Air Quality Committee of Sierra Club California.
Hopefully, this NYT LTE will shed some light on what's happening here in CA:
Letter to Editor, New York Times
Clean Air in California
Published: January 31, 2009
To the Editor
Re: Editorial - New Day on Climate Change
The new administration is both figuratively and literally a breath of fresh air. But as President Obama begins to undo the damage done over the last eight years, environmental rollbacks in Sacramento threaten to undo the good news from Washington.
Just as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asks President Obama to grant California a waiver to require cleaner vehicles, he is demanding that environmental review be lifted from 10 big highway projects that ultimately could increase greenhouse gas emissions — and he’s doing it because he wants them considered in Mr. Obama’s stimulus package.
I hope Mr. Obama informs our governor that he will not sacrifice environmental laws to allow highway projects to be “shovel ready.”
Irvin Dawid
Palo Alto, Calif., Jan. 27, 2009
The writer is chairman of the Air Quality Committee of Sierra Club California.
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