Anonymous
Source: Environmental Defense Center
[On Tuesday] environmental groups celebrate a major victory for the environment and healthy communities upon Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement of three new actions intended to catalyze the State’s efforts to achieve its climate goal of being carbon-neutral by 2045. The State is taking affirmative steps to protect public health and the environment from dirty and risky oil extraction techniques by establishing a moratorium on high-pressure extraction practices, strengthening health and safety protections near oil and gas facilities, and initiating a third-party review of hydraulic fracturing and related permitting. These actions reflect Governor Newsom’s focus on strengthening the regulatory oversight of oil and gas production in California.
This news comes on the heels of a series of controversies this past summer with permitting at the Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources as well as the catastrophic spill of nearly one million gallons of crude oil and water into a dry streambed at a Chevron facility in the Cymric Oil Field, Kern County.
“This statewide moratorium comes just after Ventura County’s moratorium on all cyclic steam injection in the Oxnard field after USGS findings of groundwater pollution near steam injection oil operations there,” said Katie Davis, Chair of the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter. “It is increasingly clear that steam injection poses unacceptable risks to our water supplies, as well as being radically counter to our climate goals. The Cat Canyon oil projects, which would drill through the Santa Maria drinking water aquifer, should be stopped cold by Santa Barbara County now.”
“SBCAN joins the environmental community in celebrating the extraordinary steps taken today by Governor Newsom to halt risky oil extraction techniques, like steam injection, throughout California,” said Ken Hough, Executive Director for the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN). “The new moratorium shows that Californians deeply care about our environment and climate, and we are determined to protect our communities and groundwater resources from dangerous and toxic operations.”
“Steam injection operations can have devastating consequences, as demonstrated right here in Santa Barbara County’s Cat Canyon Oil Field” said Tara Messing, Staff Attorney for the Environmental Defense Center. “Since 1977, the Environmental Defense Center has stood up against the fossil fuel industry to advance environmental protection. Our fight continues as the County now faces a massive increase in onshore oil and gas production using steam injection in Cat Canyon. Today’s moratorium on high-pressure steam injection is a new tool in our toolbox to phase out extreme oil extraction in our County and protect our water, air, biodiversity, and public health.”
This is totally absurd. We can never have even close to the safety and comfort and security we have without fossil fuels. Possibly with nuclear and I’m a Tesla and solar Owner. California is killing itself. Greasy Gavin is kevorkian.
This is a wonderful first step to weaning us off one toxic addiction. We should also at least double taxes per gallon, with the proceeds used to mitigate the damage that petroleum causes. Firearms addiction next. Then better science education, so people have critical thinking skills and can tell the difference between skepticism and outright denial.
Get ready to pay more for everything that gets moved into state with gas powered mode of transit.
The overall goal is obviously great, but it’s all hand waving right now. Almost every real estate property in urban and suburban areas of most of California has a natural gas meter, and natural gas pipelines, pump stations, and infrastructure is all over. Do we simply shut that off and toss it all in the recycle bin? The electrical grid is nowhere near strong enough to replace that natural gas use. Do we double and triple the overhead electrical wires on every pole? Replace landscape with solar panels? Underground all wires and make every property all electric? Show me some realistic plans and costs.
If we in California really want to get control of energy needs and use, the first step is to get control of population, or rather the massive influx of the illegal kind. It will mean nothing to set controls and directions if there is no limit to others that want to take unfair advantage of our “Great Society”.
You must be rich to wish for more expenses to live in CA. Take my money, take my rights, force-feed me the religious beliefs of the Perfect People. Will you want to fine Mother Nature for starting brush fires with lightning?
I’m sure Oprah agrees. She flies alone to Chicago quite a bit and sometimes sends a charter jet for her dog. Firearms? Are they causing too much pollution?
Here’s a summary of the article. 1) Stop drilling for hydrocarbons in California. 2) Import more hydrocarbons into California from other states and countries. 3) Pay more for everything. 4) Thanks EDC. 5) Thanks Newsom.
When it comes to trusting the climate alarmists, does it not give you pause that the UN scientists gave the exact same 10yr deadline and dire predictions 30yrs ago, back in 1989? https://apnews.com/bd45c372caf118ec99964ea547880cd0
The oil industry has been pocketing public subsidies, paid by you, for decades, and using some of that money to deliberately mislead you. You didn’t object to that as they addicted you. It’s time to phase out their toxic product by reducing consumption, and using taxes on the oil industry to foster growth in sustainable energy. The firearms insanity has nothing to do with pollution – but you already knew that unless you’re pretty dense.
Absolutely double and more the gas taxes: keep them poor people and their pickups and guzzlers out of the way of us Priusites.
Looks like you found your bible site
If the U.S. bans all fossil fuel use the impact would be negligible because of China’s contribution. To this people say “but we are setting a good example”
Indeed, https://skepticalscience.com is the go-to site for quashing the falsehoods regularly spread by the denier clowns, chock full of real peer-reviewed data and analysis by actual climate scientists. Just about every lame argument trotted out by the deniers can be found refuted convincingly there.
Fewer and fewer folks are buying into this notion of some sort of “climate change” catastrophe is in our future. The alarmists are using the identical tactics used in the movie “Reefer Madness.” Of course we want clean air. Of course we want clean oceans. Of course we want clean water, and so on. Notice how all of these so-called scientists make their living off of climate “science.” If you want something to worry about, just take a walk around downtown SB…the climate certainly has changed down there…catastrophically.
Here’s a snippet of an article about the Netherlands and their pursuit of a carbon free economy. It looks like California is following their lead and committing slow suicide too (along with Germany). A modern economy cannot be powered solely by renewables such as solar and wind. To go carbon free and have reliable electricity supply, every county will need a nuke plant. *************************
How quickly will the Netherlands change from one of the richest into one of the poorest?
Frederik Wisse
What is the formula for suicide? The Dutch main stream media , left and “progressive right’ , and the government nowadays here has a simple solution for this problem :
1. Ban natural gas .
2. Put 50% of the farmers out of business .
3. Tax CO2 output and drop it to 0% within 30 years .
4. Tax all air travel especially holidays-traffic .
5. Curtail all economic activity based upon idiotic bureaucratic EU-regulations lacking all democratic control . The George Orwell state has started here its implementation .
I’m not sure how banning oil drilling in CA and still selling gasoline as usual, is considered phasing out fossil fuels.
Exactly. Selling gas at the same rate but just changing oil sources to out of state, is not “phasing out fossil fuels.”
I can’t believe “deniers” on climate change are still keeping their heads in the sand.
More brilliance from our very fine governor. All you need to understand about this is ” Governor Newsom’s focus on strengthening the regulatory oversight”. Yes, let’s continue to increase our taxes and cost of living to fund more restrictions and regulatory agencies and import our fossil fuels from outside our state to insure our safety – just like the PUC’s are doing regarding wildfires.
Many aren’t deniers, they just think climate change, even rapid climate change, is natural, and not caused by humans
They are deniers of climate science. What you say they “think” is contrary to all the evidence.
If Newsom really wanted to switch to renewable energy sources he would stop the plan to scrap numerous hydroelectric dams on the Klamath river.
10:48 AM – In other words, they deny the facts. Climate myth #56 – “It’s a natural cycle”
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https://skepticalscience.com/global-warming-natural-cycle.htm
06:30 AM – Climate myth #32 – “Climate scientists are in it for the money”
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https://skepticalscience.com/climate-scientists-in-it-for-the-money.htm
Climate myth #155 – “Adapting to global warming is cheaper than preventing it”
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https://skepticalscience.com/mitigation-cheaper-than-adaptation.htm
Gavin clearly doesn’t realize California could stop 100% of fossil fuels, come to a complete stand still and have zero global temperature effect given the fact that China out produces the USA and European Union combined. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2018/07/01/china-emits-more-carbon-dioxide-than-the-u-s-and-eu-combined/
They addicted me? Is there another way you’re aware of to make cement without fossil fuels? Asphalt? Aqueducts? Steel? You’re deeply in denial of you believe these things can be made and transported using clean electricity. Wow. Yet you condescend. I notice you have been conned into believing the climate hysteria in spite of their prediction having been proven false for decades.
And, on a related note, car manufacturers to avoid who have chosen to abdicate from complying with California’s clean-air standards are: GM, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Isuzu, Suzuki, Maserati, McLaren, Aston-Martin, and Ferrari.