Volume 10, Issue 3
September 28, 2020 – October 4, 2020
Neha Chauhan '21 | Sabrina Reguyal ‘22 | Joe Kawalec '21 | Rei Zhang ‘21 | Amy Amatya '21

California Plans to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars in 15 Years
September 23, 2020 | The New York Times | Brad Plumer and Jill Cowan
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Wednesday, September 23, pledging to stop the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The plan would require automakers to increase production of zero-emissions vehicles, such as electric vehicles or hydrogen-fueled cars, to make up all auto sales. Governor Newsom also highlighted two additional goals in his order: the expansion of public transportation and for all heavy-duty trucks to be zero emissions by 2045. This executive order is the latest example of the way California is setting itself as a national and global leader in climate change policy; transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions for California, making up some 40% of its total emissions.  -RZ

China’s Pledge to Be Carbon Neutral by 2060: What It Means
September 23, 2020 | The New York Times | Steven Lee Myers
China, who produces 28 percent of the world’s emissions, has officially pledged to reach “carbon neutrality” by 2060. However, a rise in coal production and carbon dioxide emissions from last year as part of a push to stimulate industrial growth have produced worrisome trends in the eyes of analysts. Still, China has been a leader in clean energy technologies as the world’s largest maker of electric cars and buses, giving them a leg up on transitioning away from fossil fuels as long as there is political support. The Chinese government also plans to release a comprehensive 5-year plan soon that will detail all of the necessary economic, industrial, and environmental changes. -JK

How to Create Anti-Racist Energy Policies
September 23, 2020 | WBUR | Shalanda Baker
Millions of Americans are currently at risk of losing access to energy due to the expiration of state-enacted moratoria that prevented COVID-related utility shutoffs. However, energy insecurity isn’t a uniquely pandemic problem: lower-income families spend a higher percentage of their income on energy while already using less than higher-income households. Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities are less likely to have access to energy, let alone clean energy, while also being more likely to live in close proximity to toxic fossil fuel byproducts. Anti-racist energy policy today would look like utility shutoff prevention measures, household expenditure caps, investment in clean and local energy for low-income and BIPOC communities, removal of barriers to energy sovereignty, and fierce commitment to climate solutions. -AA