The Coalition for Clean Air does not support or oppose candidates for elected office. We do, however, find President-elect Donald Trump calling climate change a hoax cause for concern. Unfortunately, many of those in Congress share that view.
The good news is California will continue to influence what happens in the rest of the country and throughout the world regardless of what occurs in Washington, D.C. In the 1970s, for example, California passed regulations for energy efficiency that were among the most aggressive in the country. Rather than designing and producing two sets of products, appliance manufacturers quickly began meeting California’s energy efficiency standards nationwide. Other states and the federal government soon followed California’s lead. Today’s refrigerators are so much more energy efficient than in 1980 that a typical appliance saves more than 3,336 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and $300 in energy costs per year.*
In recent years, California’s electric vehicle requirements have dramatically increased the total number of EVs sold in the United States. The incentives and regulations the State has used to move the market have been adopted in various forms in other parts of the US. Three years ago, California signed an MOU with seven other states to collectively put 3 million zero emission vehicles on the road. In 2010 there were 17,425 electric vehicles sold in the United States. By 2014, that number had grown to 122,438. As of today, more than 245,000 electric vehicles have been sold in California.
As we look forward, it is critical that we continue to lead the nation in transforming transportation, switching to renewable energy, improving climate equity and maintaining a strong stance against climate change. The world is interconnected, giving us the opportunity to influence decisions in ways we never thought possible. The United States can still fight successfully to improve air quality and prevent climate change, with California leading the way.
Don’t forget, even Donald Trump needs to breathe clean air.
“California was not a part of this nation when its history began, but we are clearly now the keeper of its future.”
Joint Statement from California Legislative Leaders on Result of Presidential Election
* Calculated using this great tool from Energy Star