Californians Demand the EPA Reimpose Obama's Green Energy Policies

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

At a recent public hearing, some Californians demanded EPA head Scott Pruitt reimpose Obama era climate policies on the rest of the United States. In my opinion, people who support Governor Brown’s green policies or re-imposition of Obama era energy policies are ignoring the hardship green policies create for poor people.

Trump’s plan to ease climate change rules riles Californians

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN FRANCISCO — Feb 28, 2018, 7:34 PM ET

California officials, schoolchildren and at least one billionaire denounced the Trump administration’s plan to scrap Obama-era limits on emissions from power plants in blistering comments Wednesday to U.S. officials visiting a state that’s helping lead the fight against climate change.

Hundreds spoke in defense of the Clean Power Plan at a hearing in San Francisco, the latest in a series of nationwide “listening sessions” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on its effort to repeal the restrictions. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has described them as part of former President Barack Obama’s “war on coal.”

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“I know this is a listening session, and I’m asking you, who are you listening to? The voices of outdated technology of the past?” Mary Nichols, chairwoman of California’s Air Resources Board, asked EPA officials.

“California is in complete opposition to the EPA’s proposal,” said Nichols, one of a half-dozen officials speaking from Brown’s administration.

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“Now more than ever is the time for the United States to be a leader and a partner on this,” Nichols said. “Not to walk away from this.”

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Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/california-leaders-protest-scrapping-clean-power-plan-53407526

Why do I suggest California’s green policies are causing hardship?

As WUWT reported last year, rising costs are forcing ordinary Californians out of their homes.

While soaring rental costs are the greatest burden on poor people in California, there is no doubt Governor Brown’s expensive green energy policies are substantially contributing to the pain.

… Extensive environmental regulations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions make energy more expensive, also hurting the poor. By some estimates, California energy costs are as much as 50% higher than the national average. Jonathan A. Lesser of Continental Economics, author of a 2015 Manhattan Institute study, “Less Carbon, Higher Prices,” found that “in 2012, nearly 1 million California households faced … energy expenditures exceeding 10% of household income. In certain California counties, the rate of energy poverty was as high as 15% of all households.” A Pacific Research Institute study by Wayne Winegarden found that the rate could exceed 17% of median income in some areas. …

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-jackson-california-poverty-20180114-story.html

Anthropogenic CO2 might cause problems in 20 years, or 50 years or whatever. But California’s misguided attempts to address a predicted future problem which might never occur is causing very real problems right now, contributing to the ruin of tens of thousands of lives.

If Californians want the rest of the USA to reduce CO2 emissions, they need to stop pushing and start leading. California needs to use some of their legendary ingenuity to find a way of reducing CO2 emissions which doesn’t hurt people, rather than trying to impose their failed green energy ideas on people who can’t afford the price.