Linda Sward - Jan. 19, 2025 - Climate Action is Possible

 Fresno Bee. January 19, 2025

Climate action is possible 

It’s impossible to avoid news of devastation from the wildfires in Southern California. The stories feel personal, even though I no longer live in the Southland. 

I’ve lived in Kingsburg since 1981. But the past decade has been striking for frequency and severity of fire. It’s shocking that I know so many people who have fled fire and even lost homes in Santa Rosa, Paradise, Lake County and Auberry. 

The warming climate makes these fires more frequent and severe. Hotter temperatures dry out vegetation, worsening a drought and extending “fire season.” Tinder-dry plant fuels, low humidity, and strong winds combine with terrible effect. 

Climate change is happening worldwide. Whether hurricanes, floods, fires, summer heat, sea level rise, these events affect us all: It’s not if, it is when we will be affected. 

What to do: Get prepared. Check out the Red Cross or FEMA for information. Help out if you are able. There are many trustworthy groups providing support both here and abroad. 

Join a climate advocacy group. I’ve recently joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby: (citizensclimatelobby.org). CCL is a nonpartisan group dedicated to finding common ground on climate solutions. 

So, despite all, our actions can make a difference. 

Linda Sward, Fresno

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article298528453.html#storylink=cpy

Devin Carroll - Support Energy Permitting Reform Act - December 15, 2024

 

Support Energy Permitting Reform Act

Congress might pass important bipartisan legislation before adjourning. The Energy Permitting Reform Act (S4753) streamlines review of projects such as power lines and LNG terminals.

Many Republicans like the “all of the above” approach. EPRA covers both fossil fuel infrastructure and renewable energy. It makes America more energy independent and builds our economy.

Many Democrats see permitting reform as critical in speeding up renewable energy. What good are wind or solar power plants, if power lines take a decade for permit approval?

Some respected environmental groups oppose EPRA because it streamlines review of certain oil and gas drilling leases and LNG terminals.

But Citizen’s Climate Lobby found that on balance EPRA would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, so America can meet our net zero goal by 2050. It also encourages other countries to follow our lead.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is amending the bill, with a majority in favor. 

The bill awaits introduction in the House. Rep. Jim Costa signed an endorsement from the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate Democrats. The Climate Solutions Caucus, with 30 Democrats and 30 Republicans, including Rep. David Valadao, also supports the bill.

Ask your Members of Congress to vote yes. 

Devin Carroll

Fresno

Fresno Bee https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article296937174.html

Scott Lecrone - Aug 25, 2024 - Valadao works across aisle on soil, water and more

 Letter to the editor: Valadao works across aisle on soil, water and more 

By SCOTT LECRONE

Aug 25, 2024

Bakersfield Californian

The upcoming election in November offers us the opportunity to vote for candidates who demonstrate that they will work across the aisle to protect our soil, water, air and atmosphere.

Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, is to be commended for showing recent leadership in this regard. He and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, have co-sponsored the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable, Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act (H.R. 8957); the quality data gleaned from this act will boost American business by bolstering arguments for domestic manufacturing and energy production and encourage every nation to reduce their climate-changing emissions.

In addition, this month Valadao joined 17 other house Republicans in signing a letter which urged Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson to protect the clean energy tax credits from potential future repeal attempts. The legislation which may be threatened, the Inflation Reduction Act (passed along partisan lines), has made energy more affordable and accessible for American households and encouraged many U.S. companies to make major investments in new U.S. energy infrastructure.

— Scott Lecrone, Bakersfield

Andrea De Zubiria - April 7, 2024 - Earth Day Fresno 2024 offers bike repairs, test drives of EVs and more.

 Earth Day Fresno 2024 offers bike repairs, test drives of EVs and more 

BY ANDREA DE ZUBIRIA SPECIAL TO THE FRESNO BEE APRIL 07, 2024

Where can you spend a spring day in the San Joaquin Valley getting your bike fixed, trying out an electric vehicle and enjoying outdoor music while eating something good and good for you? All this and more will be found at Earth Day Fresno on Saturday, April 13 at Fresno City College. 

The events will take place on the West Lawn by the Old Administration Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

This year’s free festival is hosted by the Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates, the Environmental Collaborative of Central California and the Fresno City College Math, Science and Engineering Division. 

If you want to know what local groups and government agencies are doing to address problems like plastic pollution, childhood asthma, climate change and the need to protect and improve natural habitats, Earth Day Fresno is a great place to learn and get involved. 

Check out exhibitors like Ash Tree Green Burial, Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates, Grid Alternatives, Valley Clean Air Now, Valley STEM and more. 

Looking for kid fun? They’ll enjoy making Chinese jump ropes, going on a scavenger hunt, face painting and other fun activities in the Kids’ Zone. Everyone can join in the African Drum Circle. 

It’s always nice to shop for a cause. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby Fresno yard sale will offer bargains on gently used housewares, tools, clothes and more. Your purchases will help send students to leadership training and to meet with Valley members of Congress in Washington, D.C. this June. The group advocates for effective bipartisan policies to address climate change. 

The fundraiser sale at Vegan Fresno Meet-Up will benefit the popular BuaTong Thai Vegan Restaurant that had to shut down due to a kitchen fire. 

If you ride your bike to the festival, it’s convenient to leave it with the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition’s “bicycle valet.” They’ll give you hands-on help with repairs, too. 

If you want to try out one of the clean air vehicles provided by local dealerships, you might want to get there early. Space is limited for the ride-and-drive event. 

This is the second year that Earth Day Fresno will be held at City College. Besides being a great location with its historic buildings and shade from mature trees, it is fitting that this event is on a college campus. In 1970, the first Earth Day was created by Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to bring attention to the surprising lack of protections that our country had for the water, soil and air that we all rely on for our survival. April 22 was chosen for the official date of Earth Day, in part because the focus was on activating and informing college students. At that time, April 22 would not interfere with college exams, holidays or spring break. 

In the wake of a massive oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast in 1969 (due to waived safety measures) and the growing awareness of other environmental hazards, 20 million Americans took to the streets and college campuses in protest that first Earth Day. 

In response, then-Republican President Richard Nixon approved the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in December 1970. This resulted in the Clean Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act — the current laws that keep companies from doing things like allowing runoff of toxic chemicals into streams or sending plumes of carcinogenic smoke into the air. 

These days an estimated 1 billion people participate in Earth Week events that are both celebratory and serious, all over the world, in order to highlight environmental issues. Come out April 13 to Fresno City College and support all the local volunteers and vendors at Earth Day Fresno. 

Andrea De Zubiria, PT, is a health care provider and volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby Fresno and The League of Women Voters of Fresno County.

Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article287426730.html#storylink=cpy

Ken Wall - 1/10/2024 - California’s road to electric vehicles has bumps, but it is the right direction.

 https://www.fresnobee.com/article284073733.html

California’s road to electric vehicles has bumps, but it is the right direction | 

Opinion BY KEN WALL SPECIAL TO THE FRESNO BEE JANUARY 10, 2024 10:17 AM

The transition in California from gas cars to electric vehicles is necessary, and needs to happen quickly.

 This is the thrust of Gov. Newsom’s executive order requiring that no new gas-powered cars are to be sold in California by 2035.

 So far, nine other states have passed similar measures; five more have draft regulations pending. But, in his recent opinion piece (Fresno Bee 12/4/23), Assemblymember Devon Mathis (whose district includes a part of Fresno County) says the order was issued without a “road map,” and that it will be costly. He seems to be especially concerned about China’s current control of several rare earth elements common in today’s car batteries. 

Importantly, Mathis does not say that the transition to electric vehicles is unnecessary, only that the executive order requires the state to move too quickly. He apparently understands that continuing to burn fossil fuels will worsen the climate chaos we are already seeing today, and that the resulting damage will be costly. 

Scientists continue to tell us that adding carbon to the atmosphere will cause more destructive future weather events, harm oceans, worsen air quality, and will result in more intense wildfires. Scientists are speaking more forcefully that we need to immediately reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases to lessen the severity of these impacts. 

According to the California Energy Commission, the transportation sector is responsible for about 50% of the state’s CO2 emissions, and 80% of the smog emissions. Clearly, converting from internal combustion vehicles to EVs would greatly reduce these emissions. 

I certainly agree with Mathis that the state government needs to ensure that disadvantaged San Joaquin Valley residents are not unfairly burdened with the cost of conversion (used gas powered cars will still be allowed in 2035). They are already disproportionately bearing the burden of our hideously poor air quality, and they do not need to unnecessarily shoulder more costs. 

Mathis points out that the electric vehicle infrastructure is presently inadequate to support the necessary increase in the number of EVs. We can agree on that point as well, although efforts at the state level are well underway. From the energy commission: “Executive Order B-48-18 had set a goal of having 250,000 chargers (including 10,000 direct current fast chargers) by 2025. As of mid-2023, California has installed more than 91,000 public and shared chargers, including nearly 10,000 direct current fast chargers.” 

I agree that over-reliance on China, or any other country, for rare metals necessary to produce car batteries (and other products needed for clean energy generation) is not a good idea. However, the cost of batteries has consistently fallen, and quality has increased, as technical improvements have been numerous and frequent (RMI Spark Newsletter 12/21/23). This seems to suggest that China has not materially withheld battery component supply from the marketplace.

 Additionally, the EU and the U.S. are rapidly developing their own production capacities, so the China risk is diminishing, and it appears not to have obstructed . American EV production so far. According to the Electrek website (10/12/23), more than 313,000 EVs were sold in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2023, a nearly 50% increase from the third quarter of 2022. 

In fact, Electrek says that EV sales have expanded for 13 straight quarters, and sales in the third quarter represent about 8% of total U.S. new car sales. Prices, while still too high for most people, have fallen over 20% since last year. 

In summary, California has the need to transition from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles. And efforts are underway to keep the growth of EV sales moving forward, to ensure that EV infrastructure is sufficient and that everyone can participate in the transition. 

State office holders have a special opportunity and obligation to support the governor’s executive order. This means passing needed legislation through the Legislature that improves EV infrastructure in California and ensures that the necessary transition is accomplished quickly and equitably. 

Progress has been substantial, but more is needed. 

Ken Wall is a retired banker and bank regulator in Fresno and is a local environmental advocate.

Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/article284073733.html#storylink=cpy

Sarah Wolfe - 12/26/2023 - Fresno group hopes to offer a more natural way to be buried

 

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article283413633.html

Fresno group hopes to offer a more natural way to be buried

BY SARAH WOLFE

SPECIAL TO THE FRESNO BEE

December 26, 2023

Picture this: a beautiful meadow, natural flora and fauna abound — sunlight peeks through trees as they stretch toward a blue sky, wildflowers sway in the breeze as a butterfly flits past. Now, where are you in this picturesque scene? Well, you’re dead, and your body is located three-and-half feet beneath the soil, providing much needed nutrients to this marvelous, magical meadow. 

If this sounds good to you, keep reading, and if it doesn’t, keep reading anyway because it may sound amazing to someone close to you. What I’m describing is a “green burial.” This type of burial is perfect for those who are minimalist, environmentally conscious, generally opposed to the high-cost funeral industry, or any combination thereof.

Green burials are done without embalming and all the toxic chemicals that come with that process. The deceased is interred in a three-and-a-half foot deep grave after being placed in a biodegradable casket, a simple shroud, or any other natural material you choose. This three-and-a-half foot depth is optimal for allowing the microbiome to work its magic. Unlike most burials, the grave is not lined with concrete and is even dug by hand, avoiding the CO2 emissions caused by the heavy machinery used to dig traditional graves. 

Your loved ones will be able to locate your grave using GPS coordinates, and they can memorialize the spot with something native to the area like a tree, plant or stone. One important point: just because the burial process is being simplified in a green burial, that doesn’t mean the burial has to lack ritual or ceremony. Family members are encouraged to include whatever ritualistic or ceremonial practices they desire. 

By this point you may be wondering, what’s wrong with the “traditional” burial practice? The one where someone dies and their embalmed body is placed in a nice casket and buried in a vault six feet below ground in a cemetery. 

First, we should consider the environmental effects of “traditional” American funerals. For example, “American funerals are responsible each year for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid.”

Additionally, traditional American burial practices take up much needed land that could be used for other purposes. Green burials allow for the space to be used over and over again since a body that is buried this way will completely decompose after about 20 years. 

If any of the foregoing resonates with you, allow me to introduce Ash Tree Green Burial. A 501(c)(3) non-profit “[o]n a mission to open Fresno’s first green burial cemetery.” The company was started by Cecily Callahan who, after the loss of her grandmother, felt like she wanted to see a change in the funeral industry, as well as keep the honor of taking care of a deceased loved one within the family. 

As a hiker and occasional backpacker, I live by the “leave no trace” motto, so why shouldn’t I be able to die by it as well? Perhaps you prefer the traditional burial method, with a permanent casket, concrete lined grave, and all the accoutrement. Maybe this doesn’t appeal to you and that’s OK.

The heart of the issue is, shouldn’t we all have access to the death care that we want? Whether you want to be placed into a casket full of fluffy pillows and soft silk, or straight into a hole in the ground, I want you to have the burial you want and the best way to make that happen is by supporting Ash Tree Green Burial. It is trying to shake up the funeral industry locally, and is in the process of finding, and purchasing land for its cemetery. 

You can help

Support Ash Tree Green Burial’s cemetery project by donating through Facebook, Instagram, or the website: www.ashtreegreenburial.org. 

Sarah Wolfe is a freelance writer in Fresno and a volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Ruth Afifi - 10-15-2023 - GOP Must Rethink Views

 GOP MUST RETHINK VIEWS 

October 15, 2023

“CA’s Kevin McCarthy must take action on climate change,” (fresnobee.com, Oct. 8) 

Young people are demanding action on climate change. I hope that conservative leaders will recognize the importance of the youth vote and promote policies that help combat climate change.The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, “the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history,” passed the Senate with no Republican votes. 

However, its generous tax credits have spurred private investment in solar and wind energy, and many of its clean energy projects are benefitting states whose senators voted against the act. 

Perhaps with pressure from young voters, those conservative senators are now rethinking their stance on climate change and what to do about it. 

Ruth Afifi

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article280456009.html