Latest news with #PollutersPayClimateSuperfundActof2025
Los Angeles Times
05-08-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: Edison's shareholders, not its customers, should be replenishing wildfire fund
To the editor: Let me get this straight: Southern California Edison is opposed to a plan that would reduce the profits its shareholders receive in order to replenish a fund that exists to pay for the fire damage Edison's equipment may have had a hand in causing ('Newsom's plan to raise $18 billion for state wildfire fund faces tough opposition,' July 31)? This from a utility whose negligence and mismanagement caused the Thomas and Woolsey disasters and possibly the Eaton fire. I don't know which is worse: Edison's unabashed greed or Gov. Gavin Newsom's idea that customers should pay for Edison's past and potential misdeeds. The entire proposal should be scrapped. Bill Waxman, Simi Valley .. To the editor: Help me understand economics and politics: Southern California Edison profits for 2024 came in at $1.69 billion, an increase of 9.8% from 2023. The total compensation for Steven D. Powell, CEO of SCE, was $3,950,818 in 2024. The total comp for Pedro J. Pizarro, CEO of Edison International, was $13,809,571 for 2024. But they want customers of SCE to help pay for wildfire damage? All through a minimum increase some of us need to help feed our families. Instead, why doesn't the governor concentrate more on rooftop solar, which would lower those consumers' monthly costs and help prevent wildfires? Kenneth Brown, Pasadena .. To the editor: Newsom's plan to pay for fire damage is shortsighted because it doesn't address the root causes of the Eaton and other fires. Had we not dumped tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we wouldn't be so frequently stuck with billions of dollars in damage. Looking forward, making electricity more expensive discourages investment in heat pumps, electric vehicles and other clean technologies. The big polluters are all of us with gas cars. But the governor is right in that California needs new revenue to pay for past and future damage. A better solution is to make polluters pay for the damage they cause, which is right in the name of Senate Bill 684/Assembly Bill 1243, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025, authored by Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-Panorama City) and Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay). Of course, profitable fossil fuel companies will object, but lawmakers with guts should be told to care about those of us who breathe this air — and our grandchildren, who will suffer more if we stay on our same polluting path. John Schaefer, Santa Rosa
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
