Latest news with #PollutersPayClimateSuperfundAct
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Doris Matsui has been good for Sacramento. But its time for her to retire
'Should Sacramento re-elect Congresswoman Doris Matsui?' ( Sept. 5, 2024) I appreciate Congresswoman Doris Matsui's decades of service to Sacramento, continuing the legacy of her late husband, Congressman Robert Matsui, whose advocacy on civil rights and economic justice remains deeply respected. However, at this critical moment for our democracy, it's time for her to consider retirement. Matsui's recent online town hall felt overly scripted and failed to address the urgency of the threats we face. Reassurances that courts will protect us and that legislation will be introduced are simply not enough. We need bold, proactive leadership — someone who will stand up to authoritarianism and not follow the passive example of leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer. Sacramento deserves a representative with the energy and courage of someone like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is willing to fight for democracy with urgency and passion. It's time to pass the torch. Donald Stauffer West Sacramento Opinion 'With El Salvador, Trump has become exactly the tyrant the founders warned about | Opinion,' ( April 17) When the executive branch also controls the Justice Department and chooses not to enforce the law, what happens to our system of checks and balances? If the court's rulings can be ignored, what good are they? I ask the justices — especially Chief Justice John Roberts — to consider what actions the court can take when its authority is openly challenged. The American people need reassurance that the judiciary will not stand by while our democracy is weakened. Doug Parks Cameron Park 'With El Salvador, Trump has become exactly the tyrant the founders warned about | Opinion,' ( April 17) If the president can disappear anyone without due process, that includes you, me or any U.S. citizens he dislikes. My congressman, Republican Kevin Kiley, refuses to speak up against this. He took an oath to the Constitution, and he has a duty to protect his constituents and his country. Will he protect you? Edward Farinsky Browns Valley 'Why fossil fuel companies must pay for climate damages,' ( April 18) Every time an airport cancels flights or when roads, rails or bridges are wiped out from weather made more severe by climate change, consumers (and businesses) pay. The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act (Senate Bill 684 and Assembly Bill 1243) should be passed by the California Legislature. It's time for the polluters making record profits to pay for the damage they cause. Tom Hazelleaf Seal Beach
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers push for unprecedented move to hold major industry accountable: 'It's past time'
Big Oil has been allowed to freely pollute the world with heat-trapping gases that lead to higher global temperatures and climate-driven disasters — but soon those companies may have to pay for the damage they've done because of a law on the table in California. The Center for Biological Diversity reported on the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, a bill recently introduced in the state legislature by Sen. Caroline Menjivar and Assemblymember Dawn Addis. If passed into law, it would create a program under the California Environmental Protection Agency that would require major oil companies operating in the state to pay into a fund that accounts for the more than 1 billion tons of heat-trapping air pollution they produced between 1990 and 2024. The money would be used to address the effects of that pollution. Those effects are extensive and critical. Higher global temperatures have contributed to wildfires, drought and flood cycles, more intense storms, heat waves, and rising sea levels — all of which come with human deaths and property damage. The superfund would help address those issues. It would fund disaster response and support the construction of infrastructure that would make communities more resilient against climate disasters. "The L.A. fires show with heartbreaking clarity how much we need this bill to make the biggest climate polluters pay for the astronomical damage they've caused," said Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute. "The public shouldn't be shelling out billions of dollars every year to recover from severe and deadly climate disasters. By passing this commonsense bill, state lawmakers can put the financial burden of climate damage on giant polluting companies, where it belongs." California has already attempted to pass similar legislation, but this law could put the state in the driver's seat. It won't be the first to adopt such an approach; New York and Vermont have passed legislation to hold polluters accountable for their far-reaching effects. "Profiting off destruction has been the Big Oil playbook for far too long," Siegel said. "It's past time we took on these corporate behemoths who've sold off our future and our fragile planet to line their own pockets." Could America stop using oil and gas by 2050? For sure No way Only certain states could I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES CO-SPONSOR NEWLY INTRODUCED 'CLIMATE SUPERFUND ACT OF 2025" TO MAKE POLLUTERS PAY FOR CLIMATE-FUELED DISASTERS
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Californians struggle to rebuild communities torn apart by devastating wildfires, The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California (CSHC) today announced that it is co-sponsoring the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025 (SB 684 and AB 1243) along with the Center for Biological Diversity and California Environmental Voters. Introduced by Senator Menjivar and Assemblymember Addis, this bill addresses the financial injustices imposed on taxpayers and working families from climate-related disasters by requiring fossil fuel polluters to pay for the destruction they cause. 'For decades, Big Oil has reaped massive profits while driving the climate crisis and misleading the public. It's time for polluters to pay for the destruction they've caused,' said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Executive Director for Communities for a Better Environment and CSHC Steering Committee Member. 'This legislation provides a critical pathway to hold these corporations accountable for the damage caused by their products.' Fueled by climate change and driven by extreme drought and record-breaking heat waves, California's wildfires are exacerbated by decades of environmental harm caused by large corporate polluters who knew exactly what their pollution would cause. Despite heroic efforts by firefighters and first responders, Southern California wildfires burned more than 10,000 structures, including homes and businesses, and have driven 180,000 residents out of their homes. This devastation alone is estimated to cost Californians at least $250 billion. The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act identifies and assesses a fee on a small number of the world's largest fossil fuel polluters, proportional to their fossil fuel emissions since 1990. This legislation addresses a growing crisis in California, where increasingly frequent and devastating wildfires, extreme weather, and other climate-related disasters have placed an enormous financial burden on families, businesses, and the state. A recent study revealed that ExxonMobil and other oil giants were aware of the climate risks associated with fossil fuels as far back as the 1950s. Instead of acting responsibly, they funneled millions into disinformation campaigns, stalling action and ensuring continued reliance on their products. This deliberate deception has resulted in irreparable harm to California's families, infrastructure, and natural environment. The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act will: Direct CalEPA to complete a climate cost study to quantify total damages to the state (through 2045), caused by past fossil fuel emissions. Direct CalEPA to identify responsible parties and assess compensatory fees on the largest fossil fuel polluters proportional to their fossil fuel emissions 1990 through 2024, to address damages quantified in the cost study. Fund California's future. Fees collected will fund projects and programs to mitigate disaster related rate increases for Californians and remedy or prevent climate-related costs and harms. The bill prioritizes labor and job standards and dedicates at least 40% of the funds to benefit disadvantaged communities. 'As a Steering Committee member for the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, I am proud to stand alongside a diverse coalition of community leaders and environmental justice organizations in support of the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act,' said Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles and CSHC Steering Committee Member. 'This bill represents a unified effort to ensure that Big Oil polluters, who have reaped billions in profits while knowingly sacrificing the health and well-being of frontline environmental justice communities and fueling the climate crisis, are held accountable for the damage they have done. Together, Physicians for Social Responsibility LA, Communities for a Better Environment, California Environmental Justice Alliance, Black Women for Wellness LA, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, and Asian Pacific Environmental Network Action demand justice for California communities by making polluters pay.' The state of New York also recently passed a Climate Superfund Bill that shows growing momentum nationwide to hold Big Oil accountable for decades of pollution and its devastating effects on a state and local level. These actions by states are critical as President-elect Donald Trump vows to unravel corporate accountability for the oil industry's polluting ways. California has long been a leader in climate policy, and the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act builds on this legacy. From wildfire recovery to rebuilding efforts and mitigation, this bill provides a lifeline to families and communities bearing the brunt of climate change. California's largest greenhouse gas emitters should be the ones paying for firefighting, disaster recovery, and rebuilding efforts in communities most affected by climate-driven disasters and prevention efforts to limit future tragedies. 'California needs to seize this moment - it is time for our leaders to take bold action to protect our communities and hold those responsible for the climate crisis to account,' said Mabel Tsang, Political Director for California Environmental Justice Alliance and CSHC Steering Committee Member. 'Making these polluters pay for their climate damage is the moral and economic responsibility of this generation.'
