The Compost: Climate loses again in California budget

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Climate projects, including efforts to combat coastal erosion, took the biggest hit in the 2024-25 budget Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed this week.

As the governor grapples with closing a $38 billion deficit, he’s pitching plans to cut $2.9 billion from climate projects. It comes on the heels of cutting $6 billion in climate funds last summer to balance our current fiscal year budget. Here’s a sampling of key funds on the chopping block this time around:

$452 million for projects to combat rising seas and ocean pollution
$283 million to decarbonize homes for needy Californians
$200 million to promote biking, walking and other non-motorized transportation projects
$174 million for water recycling and groundwater cleanup
$100 million for wildfire prevention projects, including prescribed burns
$40 million for projects to help Californians cope with extreme heat
$40 million to incentivize innovation around carbon removal
$38 million for zero emission vehicle projects, including grants for new technology and cleaning up short-haul trucking

Newsom also recommended delaying $1.9 billion in funds for other climate projects for one to three years, including:

$1 billion for rail projects
$600 million for zero emissions vehicle programs including incentives for needy Californians to get EVs and access to charging stations
$105 million to boost reliability of the electricity supply
$75 million for residential solar and storage projects

Lastly, Newsom suggested shifting plans for $1.8 billion in climate projects, proposing to use buckets of money such as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, rather than the state’s general fund, to keep those programs moving forward.

Climate projects weren’t the only potential victims in Newsom’s budget that raised alarm bells for environmental advocates. His proposed plan also doesn’t include any money for popular programs that give Californians free access to state parks and beaches. After my story on those planned cuts and a California State Parks Foundation petition to reverse that decision, one reader emailed me:

“I signed the petition. I do not have children, but I believe all children should have an opportunity to experience state parks.”

Newsom suggested in his Wednesday press conference that his team’s $38 billion budget deficit could shrink as revenue numbers firm up. Others believe that figure is too optimistic and more cuts will actually be needed by the time a final budget is due June 15. But one promise Newsom made Wednesday has already continued to prove true.

The governor pointed out that many of the proposed state cuts will be covered by the flood of federal funding for climate programs in California that’s come from the Biden administration’s infrastructure and inflation reduction acts. And the day after Newsom proposed cuts for EV projects, the Biden administration announced $168 million for California charging projects. That includes four in Southern California:

In Palmdale, $14.8 million to install chargers within walking distance of affordable housing
In Ventura County, $12 million to build charging centers, off-grid EV charging with solar battery storage and EV workforce development programs
In the Victor Valley, $12 million to upgrade clean energy transportation projects that serve disadvantaged communities
At Cal State LA, $7.2 million to build out a hydrogen fueling station

Those funds certainly don’t cover the cuts to EV programs Newsom proposed, but they at least keep zero emissions projects moving forward in some communities.

And since I’m a glass-half-full-kind-of gal, I’ll end by noting that even if the state trims another $2.9 billion from climate projects this year, California still would have in place plans to spend $48 billion over several years on efforts to reduce climate change and deal with its impacts.

Before I go, I also wanted to note that we just hit the one-year anniversary of this newsletter. I’m so grateful to all of you who’ve subscribed and forwarded The Compost along to friends and emailed me and clicked on our stories. Here are the five articles that got the most visits from you over that first year:

Looking forward to sharing more of the great work my colleagues are doing to report on climate and environment issues impacting Southern California in the year ahead.

— By Brooke Staggs, environment reporter

REGULATE

No-fishing zone could expand: Environmentalists submitted a petition to state wildlife officials asking them to expand the protected areas off Laguna Beach that prohibit the “taking” of sea life, including commercial and recreational fishing, Erika Ritchie reports. Local fishermen aren’t pleased. …READ MORE…

Key quote: “When you keep adding up all the regulations, it’s getting harder and harder for us fishermen.”

Balloon ban kicks in: Missed including this in my recent roundup of new environment laws for 2024… Erika is back with news on how balloons are now prohibited on public property in Laguna Beach and can’t be sold, distributed or intentionally released in the city. …READ MORE…

That’s not all: Next up, Erika reports Laguna Beach will consider whether to stop using Roundup to control vegetation that heightens fire risk in wilderness and public areas.

PROTECT

Housing project sparks protest: Residents and wildlife advocates are trying to block Irvine Company’s long discussed plan to turn 400 acres in east Orange into a 1,180-home community called Orange Heights. The project, they told me, illustrates the type of community we should no longer be building. Others argue Irvine Company has already made lots of concessions, including making tens of thousands of acres permanent open space. …READ MORE…

Opponent quote: “We cannot afford to lose more of our rural, wild and scenic open space to inappropriate urban sprawl.”
Supporter quote: “It’s time to put down the pitchforks and torches and accept what was a reasonable agreement.”

Beachfront living losing its luster?: A beachfront duplex planned on pricey Dana Point real estate has hit a snag, Laylan Connelly reports, as regulators worry how it might be impacted by rising seas, coastal erosion and other climate change-fueled threats. …READ MORE…

Quote: “The days of carefree oblivion of developing property and building homes on the California coast is behind us.”

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HYDRATE

Snowpack impacts for SoCal: Last week we shared news that the Sierra Nevada snowpack was at its lowest level in 10 years. This week’s storms should help. But in the meantime, our Steve Scauzillo looked at how such conditions might impact Southern California water supplies this year, with some worrisome and some comforting insights. …READ MORE…

Mistakes of the past: The good news: New research shows that tens of thousands of identified objects discovered on the seafloor off the Palos Verdes Peninsula aren’t all barrels of DDT. The bad news, Michael Hixon reports: Some of the objects are munitions dumped by Navy ships on their way back to the Port of Long Beach during World War II. …READ MORE…

Drink tap water: In case you needed another reason to ditch single-use plastic water bottles, we picked up this CNN story on a sweeping new study that found bottled water sold in stores can contain 10 to 100 times more bits of plastic than previously estimated. These nanoplastics are small enough to get into the bloodstream. …READ MORE…

TRANSPORT

People mover gets boost: Inglewood is $1 billion closer to building a 1.6-mile automated people mover connecting the Metro K Line to the Kia Forum, SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Clippers’ soon-to-be-completed Intuit Dome, Jason Henry reports. They aim to have the green transportation up and running in time for the area to host the Olympics in 2028. …READ MORE…

What about the roads?: Those pesky gas taxes Californians like to complain about help pay for road projects across the state. So Russ Mitchell with the Los Angeles Times tackled a looming question: As we pivot to more electric vehicles, what will that mean for future road repairs? …READ MORE…

Wanna call an air taxi?: Electrified home-to-airport air taxi services could be a reality in Southern California soon. James Herrera reports Joby Aviation is bringing its first commercial air taxi charging system to John Wayne Airport, with plans to be operational in just over a year. …READ MORE…

Well that’s not good: Hertz car rental company says it plans to sell off a third of its electric vehicle fleet and use the money to buy more gas-powered cars, Bloomberg reports. The company cited weak demand from renters and high repair costs for battery-powered vehicles. …READ MORE…

CELEBRATE

More of this, please: Need a pick-me-up? Check out this tale from Laylan Connelly about “the e-bike lady” who’s been offering free classes on e-bike safety at the parking lot of Marco Forster Middle School in San Juan Capistrano for a couple of years. …READ MORE…

With the San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop, an orca calf swims with other orcas off the coast of Newport Beach on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Various whale watching boats followed the pods of orcas as they swam off the Orange County coast. For nearly a month, orcas have been swimming off Southern California, feasting on dolphins and attracting people to see these majestic mammals in nature. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

EXPLORE

Whale watching: Is seeing orcas in the wild on your bucket list? Well a pod has been hanging around off the coast of Southern California, and whale watching charters have been giving passengers — including our reporter Laylan Connelly and photographer Mark Rightmire — an up-close experience. …READ MORE…

PITCH IN

Help improve the South Bay: For this week’s tip on how Southern Californians can help the environment… South Bay Parkland Conservancy — a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and restoring open space for parkland, trails and native habitat in the area — is always looking for volunteers to help with projects. On Saturday and Wednesday, the public can help restore habitat for the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly and other native wildlife along the bluffs of Redondo Beach. On Tuesday, the nonprofit needs help with projects in Hopkins Wilderness Park. And on Jan. 20, volunteers are invited to come help restore the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt Trail. Click the links above to sign up or visit SouthBayParks.org to learn more and find other volunteer opportunities.

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