Jerry Brown and the Environment

During the campaign, Jerry Brown stressed environmental issues.  His campaign website has a very extensive list of proposed environmental policies.  It’ no surprise that he favors AB 32 and renewable energy, as well as vigorous enforcement of other existing environmental laws.  Some  of the other policies are a little less familiar.  Here are some that struck me:

• Strengthen enforcement and adopt incentives to get the dirtiest vehicles off the road. The dirtiest 7-10% of cars cause half of all vehicle pollution in California.

• Require vessels entering California waters to reduce speeds, substantially lessening harmful air emissions.

• Support high speed rail as a clean, fast, accessible alternative to air transportation and long in-state automobile trips.
• Complete and implement California’s Climate Adaptation Plan aimed at protecting against sea level rise, salt water intrusion, and increased erosion.

• Support the Green Chemistry Initiative to reduce chemical hazards in consumer products.

• Link state transportation funding to projects that avoid sprawl, reduce vehicle miles traveled and encourage livable communities.

• Encourage businesses to adopt programs that reduce dependency on solo automobile trips.

• Promote safe routes to school that encourage kids to walk and bike instead of being driven.

• Take reasonable steps to ensure a healthier habitat for California’s unique fish species by limiting sediment and other runoff entering streams, replacing culverts that impede fish passage with salmon-friendly pipes, and working with local ranchers to fence off cattle from sensitive streams.

air pollution, California OLD, green chemistry, Jerry Brown, salmon, toxics, Transportation, water pollution