Latest news with #PollutersPayClimateSuperfundActof2025
Malaysian Reserve
14-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
POLLUTERS PAY CLIMATE SUPERFUND BILL COULD DELIVER $150 BILLION TO CALIFORNIA WITHOUT RAISING TAXES; HELP ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
AB 1243 / SB 684 Offers Major Boost to State Budget, Shifts Climate Costs from Taxpayers to Big Oil SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In response to California's newly announced budget shortfall, the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California (CSHC) today urged state leaders to consider AB 1243 and SB 684, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025, as a solution to the state's budget woes. This landmark legislation would require the world's largest fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for the climate damage they have caused in California, helping close the state's budget gap and affordability crisis. 'For decades, California's most powerful polluters—especially Big Oil—have treated communities of color as sacrifice zones,' said Martha Dina Argüello, Steering Committee Member of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California and Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles. 'The health consequences have been severe: higher rates of asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and birth complications in neighborhoods forced to live with toxic emissions and drilling. At the same time, we're hit first and worst by climate disasters—wildfires, extreme heat, floods—that are intensified by the same fossil fuel pollution. Our communities are paying with their health and their lives while polluters profit. It's time to make Big Oil pay for the harm they've caused. That's why we strongly support the California Climate Superfund Bill.' The bill's goal is simple: shift billions in current and future climate costs off the backs of California taxpayers and onto the corporate polluters most responsible for the climate crisis. Key Impacts on California's Budget: $150 Billion or more in Revenue:A similar law passed in New York in 2024 is projected to generate $75 billion. With this law in place, California could generate $150 billion or more over the next two decades. Soaring Climate Costs:The 2025 Los Angeles wildfires alone are projected to cost the state between $250–275 billion in property damage, healthcare, emergency response, and economic losses. Without change, California taxpayers will continue to shoulder these rising costs — while fossil fuel companies profit. Reimbursing Taxpayers:The bill allows California to recover billions in expenditures tied to climate impacts, from wildfire suppression to flood recovery. Importantly, AB 1243 / SB 684 requires the fossil fuel giants — not the state — to cover both the setup and administrative costs. There are no new taxes on the public. The bill creates the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund, which will fund: Disaster recovery and emergency response Clean energy projects, public transit, and building decarbonization Community health and resilience infrastructure Support for displaced workers and essential responders At least 40% of the funds will directly benefit disadvantaged communities, which are hit first and hardest by climate impacts. Organized as the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, the group led by community leaders and environmental justice organizations has grown to a large and formidable statewide coalition organized as and includes doctors, nurses, faith leaders, artists, and labor organizations united to protect California from Big Oil's toxic pollution. For more information about the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California and our efforts to hold polluters accountable, visit our website at Paid for by Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, Sponsored by Nonprofit Environmental and Health Organizations.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
POLLUTERS PAY CLIMATE SUPERFUND BILL COULD DELIVER $150 BILLION TO CALIFORNIA WITHOUT RAISING TAXES; HELP ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
AB 1243 / SB 684 Offers Major Boost to State Budget, Shifts Climate Costs from Taxpayers to Big Oil SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to California's newly announced budget shortfall, the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California (CSHC) today urged state leaders to consider AB 1243 and SB 684, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025, as a solution to the state's budget woes. This landmark legislation would require the world's largest fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for the climate damage they have caused in California, helping close the state's budget gap and affordability crisis. "For decades, California's most powerful polluters—especially Big Oil—have treated communities of color as sacrifice zones," said Martha Dina Argüello, Steering Committee Member of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California and Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles. "The health consequences have been severe: higher rates of asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and birth complications in neighborhoods forced to live with toxic emissions and drilling. At the same time, we're hit first and worst by climate disasters—wildfires, extreme heat, floods—that are intensified by the same fossil fuel pollution. Our communities are paying with their health and their lives while polluters profit. It's time to make Big Oil pay for the harm they've caused. That's why we strongly support the California Climate Superfund Bill." The bill's goal is simple: shift billions in current and future climate costs off the backs of California taxpayers and onto the corporate polluters most responsible for the climate crisis. Key Impacts on California's Budget: $150 Billion or more in Revenue:A similar law passed in New York in 2024 is projected to generate $75 billion. With this law in place, California could generate $150 billion or more over the next two decades. Soaring Climate Costs:The 2025 Los Angeles wildfires alone are projected to cost the state between $250–275 billion in property damage, healthcare, emergency response, and economic losses. Without change, California taxpayers will continue to shoulder these rising costs — while fossil fuel companies profit. Reimbursing Taxpayers:The bill allows California to recover billions in expenditures tied to climate impacts, from wildfire suppression to flood recovery. Importantly, AB 1243 / SB 684 requires the fossil fuel giants — not the state — to cover both the setup and administrative costs. There are no new taxes on the public. The bill creates the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund, which will fund: Disaster recovery and emergency response Clean energy projects, public transit, and building decarbonization Community health and resilience infrastructure Support for displaced workers and essential responders At least 40% of the funds will directly benefit disadvantaged communities, which are hit first and hardest by climate impacts. Organized as the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, the group led by community leaders and environmental justice organizations has grown to a large and formidable statewide coalition organized as and includes doctors, nurses, faith leaders, artists, and labor organizations united to protect California from Big Oil's toxic pollution. For more information about the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California and our efforts to hold polluters accountable, visit our website at Paid for by Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, Sponsored by Nonprofit Environmental and Health Organizations. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The experience that changed a Modesto student's perspective on homelessness
'Riverbank council declines more funds for homeless project. Backers address fears,' ( April 23) At the start of my sophomore year of high school, I joined the cross country team. During practices, my teammates and I jogged through neighborhoods toward the local park, crossing through open roads full of life and struggle. I vividly remember the homeless population stuffed into cars on a 94 degree afternoon. These cars, parked without power, were homes for those trapped in a harsh reality. This wasn't a typical sighting of homelessness: There were children in these cars — my age and younger — growing up without opportunities, caught in a relentless cycle of poverty. I realized then how much we as a society take for granted. My education, warm meals and safe and clean living conditions were not just everyday parts of my life, they were privileges. I urge all of us to put ourselves in the shoes of those we overlook. Only by feeling their sense of disconnection and isolation can we truly foster compassion and inclusion. Rudra Patel Modesto Opinion 'California forestry policies: A marriage of priorities?' ( April 24) In the name of wildfire prevention, both President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are pushing for more logging through mechanisms that skirt environmental oversight, further degrading our forest ecosystems. But thinning usually does more harm than good: It can accelerate fire spread by exposing the forest floor's fuels to sun drying and wind penetration; it significantly lowers carbon sequestration, putting more emissions into the atmosphere; and even the supposed benefits are less impactful in areas where vegetation can grow back quickly and there's a lack of old-growth trees. Most importantly, thinning is often used as a pretext for commercial logging, targeting valuable trees instead of the more fire-prone vegetation. In this case, Trump wants to feed the timber lobby with more lumber, and Newsom has pushed an agenda of building a 'woody products' industry in California. Neither has the environment's best interests at heart. Jeff Zhou Glendale 'Why fossil fuel companies must pay for climate damages,' ( April 18) The fossil fuel industry has made a fortune making me sick: My days in elementary school were spent in an environment full of lead from fossil fuel additives and smog — the pollution was so bad, outdoor physical exercise classes would be cancelled. As a student at UC Santa Barbara, I saw the 1969 oil spill cover our pristine beaches. The fossil fuel industry told us that oil was a 'natural' component of the shoreline. Years later, my father-in-law's home was lost in one of the Malibu fires, and my parents' home was destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire. It is time for the fossil fuel industry to be held accountable for its deceptions. Call your state representatives and demand they pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025. Charles Williams Cupertino
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump and Newsom are on the same page about logging. That's not a good thing
'California forestry policies: A marriage of priorities?' ( April 24) In the name of wildfire prevention, both President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are pushing for more logging through mechanisms that skirt environmental oversight, further degrading our forest ecosystems. But thinning usually does more harm than good: It can accelerate fire spread by exposing the forest floor's fuels to sun drying and wind penetration; it significantly lowers carbon sequestration, putting more emissions into the atmosphere; and even the supposed benefits are less impactful in areas where vegetation can grow back quickly and there's a lack of old-growth trees. Most importantly, thinning is often used as a pretext for commercial logging, targeting valuable trees instead of the more fire-prone vegetation. In this case, Trump wants to feed the timber lobby with more lumber, and Newsom has pushed an agenda of building a 'woody products' industry in California. Neither has the environment's best interests at heart. Jeff Zhou Glendale Opinion 'California forestry policies: A marriage of priorities?' ( April 24) Forest management efforts must start on the local level by hardening communities, then work outward — not the other way around. Forest management should be science-based, not profit-based, with the net result of keeping carbon in the forests, preserving forest ecology and reducing climate change. Experience with President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office shows that the voices of science and common sense are being muzzled. Remember the physician's motto: 'First, do no harm.' Harry White Roseville 'Why fossil fuel companies must pay for climate damages,' ( April 18) The fossil fuel industry has made a fortune making me sick: My days in elementary school were spent in an environment full of lead from fossil fuel additives and smog — the pollution was so bad, outdoor physical exercise classes would be cancelled. As a student at UC Santa Barbara, I saw the 1969 oil spill cover our pristine beaches. The fossil fuel industry told us that oil was a 'natural' component of the shoreline. Years later, my father-in-law's home was lost in one of the Malibu fires, and my parents' home was destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire. It is time for the fossil fuel industry to be held accountable for its deceptions. Call your state representatives and demand they pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025. Charles Williams Cupertino 'Should Big Oil pay for California's climate disasters? You may pay at the pump,' ( April 10) It was stunning to see state senators like Sacramento's Angelique Ashby give Big Oil a pass for causing the climate crisis now fueling today's insurance affordability crisis. California's oil companies knew in the 1950s that burning fossil fuels was dangerous for our climate, but they greedily colluded to bury the truth and pioneer climate denial. Now, all of us face explosive costs — from more frequent and destructive wildfires to drought and flooding, all with fewer and more expensive insurance options to help pick up the pieces after disaster strikes. Until oil companies pay their fair share, this trend won't end. Without affordable insurance, businesses will close, families won't get home mortgages and construction to develop our state stops. Mary Creasman CEO, California Environmental Voters
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.'
