Pub. 5 Issue 4

23 E mphasizing that California must stay at the forefront of the fight against climate change, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on September 16 to restrict new car sales in the state to only zero- emission vehicles by 2035 and threw his support behind a ban on the controversial use of hydraulic fracking by oil companies. Under Newsom’s order, the California Air Resources Board would implement the phaseout of new gas-powered cars and light trucks and also require medium and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emission by 2045 where possible. California would be the first state in the nation to mandate 100% zero-emission vehicles, though 15 countries already have committed to phas- ing out gas-powered cars. Newsom did not take executive action to ban the controversial oil extraction method known as fracking but called on the state legislature to do so, setting up what could be a contentious politi- cal fight when lawmakers reconvene in Sacramento next year. Taken together, the two climate change efforts would accelerate the state’s already aggressive efforts to curtail carbon emissions and petroleum hazards and promise to exacerbate tensions with a Trump administration intent on bridling California’s liberal environmental agenda. “This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight cli- mate change,” Newsom said in a statement releasedWednesday morning. “Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn’t melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines.” Newsom said that California’s action will help spur greater innovation for zero-emission vehicles and, by creating a huge market, will drive down the cost of those cars and trucks. Ac- cording to the California New Car Dealers Association, more than 1.63 million new cars and trucks are expected to be sold in the state in 2020. Climate scientists and advocates say the world must stop pro- ducing gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035 or earlier to keep global warming to tolerable levels. California and other governments worldwide are seeking to achieve carbon neutral- ity by 2045, and it will take years for vehicles to turn over and be replaced by zero-emission models. Newsom sharply criticized the Trump administration this month for ignoring the reality of climate change, saying that California’s deadly wildfires, some of the largest in state history, were grim reminders of what lies ahead for the nation if political leaders in Washington don’t take action. Rising temperatures have decimated forests across the West Coast, leaving behind swaths of dead trees to fuel catastrophic wildfires. “This is a climate damn emergency,” Newsom said during a tour of the charred landscape around the Northern California town of Oroville. “This is real and it’s happening.” By Phil Willon and Tony Barboza Previously published in the Los Angeles Times Newsom Orders 2035 Phaseout of Gas-Powered Vehicles, Calls For Fracking Ban