San Francisco, Calif. – Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to derive all of California’s retail energy from renewable resources by the year 2045. Mary Sweeters, Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace USA issued the following response:
“Jerry Brown’s announcement that California will derive all of its retail energy from renewable resources by the year 2045 is a great first step towards putting the state on a path to a clean energy future. But it is not nearly enough. Brown continues to resist public calls to address California’s very serious oil and gas problem. Since taking office, Brown’s administration has issued permits for 20,000 new oil and gas wells and shows no sign of stopping. Continuing to drill and frack for oil and gas is not only counterproductive to efforts to meaningfully address climate change–it also poisons frontline communities, including the many people who work for the fossil fuel industry.
“Millions of Californians live near an active oil and gas well. Most are from lower income communities and communities of color. Children in many California communities are growing up thinking that it’s normal to have asthma and other health problems from breathing in the fossil fuel industry’s toxic fumes. This is not right. We cannot continue to sacrifice whole communities for the sake of oil and gas industry profits.
“While Brown’s resistance towards the Trump administration’s reckless pro-oil agenda is laudable, refusing to address the supply of fossil fuels in California makes this development a partial victory. To be a true climate leader, Brown needs to stand up to the oil and gas industry and make a plan to phase out fossil fuels, while working with frontline communities and industry workers to develop a plan for a just transition to a renewable energy future. With his Global Climate Action Summit convening this week, Brown still has a chance to make that happen. We urge him to finally do right by all Californians, not just oil and gas industry executives.”
Contact: Kate Fried, Greenpeace USA, [email protected], (202) 257.0057
