“California Dreamin’” is becoming just that: a dream.
Sacramento’s governmental overreach has led to more than 413,000 residents moving out of state since 2015. As time goes on, I am tempted to join their ranks, especially after the passage of the most recent update of the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Air Act. The bill now requires all new cars in California to have zero emissions by 2035. Though the intentions are positive, like many other climate policies, it will ultimately cause more harm than good.
California is notorious for causing more harm than good with its “progressive” climate policies. The plastic bag ban enacted in 2014 requires me to pay 10 cents per bag, and they are twice as thick as the ones you will find in Michigan. They are not biodegradable, nor are they an economical solution. I do not know a single person that has bought a reusable bag in response to the bill – few people think that far ahead.
For quite some time, California also required, through AB 1884, that you request a straw rather than automatically receive one when at a restaurant. Once again, nothing changed. People have given up on enforcing the law, and servers have returned to handing out the forbidden utensil for free.
Due to the massive scale of the Clean Air Act, it will affect market trends unlike the plastic straw and bag bans. However, it will result in the exclusion of lower classes as they struggle to both afford a new electric vehicle and find gas stations. EVs will only grow more expensive as demand increases, resulting in a supply chain issue. California continues to perpetuate bourgeois environmentalism.
Perhaps the most ignored issue with the new bill is how power outages will affect charging. Pacific Gas and Electric, a major energy provider for the state, faced lawsuits after its power lines were found responsible for starting the Camp Fire in 2018. In response to the lawsuits, the state-monopolized company turns off the power of designated areas when they experience weather that could produce a wildfire, such as heat waves and high winds. Ironically, many residents resorted to running generators, which have a higher rate of sparking fires than power lines.
I remember my high school U.S. history teacher losing power for an entire week. She was on a well system, meaning she had no running water, let alone electricity. If rural communities cannot access water during blackouts, matters will only be made worse without transportation, as well. The right to free movement is recognized globally, both by the U.S. Constitution and the European Union. California’s electric vehicle policy is preventing this basic human right.
It is important to note that the new rule was introduced by the California Air Resources Board, one of the many administrative groups created without a citizen’s vote. The law was created without consent, let alone a majority opinion.
The bill does not just affect my home state, but the entire country, specifically Michigan. With Detroit as America’s automotive capital, the Motor City can choose to take advantage of the policy by pioneering a diverse line of affordable electric vehicles, or continue to rust. Michigan was once famous for innovation. California’s intense regulations have resulted in companies such as Tesla and Oracle moving thousands of jobs out of the state.
With all of this said, I am in support of alternatives to fossil fuels. I do believe in climate change. However, I believe in responsible action that will improve society rather than sinking it into economic turmoil. We do not need a monetary extinction, nor do we need a biological one. Nuclear and hydroelectric power, alongside incentivization and foreign policy that holds polluting countries accountable, are the only realistic solutions for Americans to help the earth.
