To the editor: Gov. Gavin Newsom speaking at the Vatican about climate change is the height of hypocrisy. His supposed dedication to addressing the issue is not absolute and, likely, heavily impacted by powerful lobbies that hold sway over him.
He has been silent about decisions made by his appointees at the California Public Utilities Commission that undermine rooftop and community solar. These decisions deny Californians important strategies for accessing truly renewable energy, and Newsom’s silence on the matter suggests influence by the utility lobby.
His allocation of billions for “fuel reduction” could severely harm important forest carbon sinks and may not accomplish the stated goal of wildfire risk reduction. Did the timber industry have influence on that budget decision?
Newsom aspires to be the “climate governor.” Instead, he is often a two-faced governor. Hopefully, Pope Francis offered him some heavenly guidance on this matter.
Jennifer Normoyle, Hillsborough, Calif.
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To the editor: An April 22 article highlighted a carbon dioxide capture plant in California that would have to be one of a million such facilities to have a significant mitigating effect on climate change.
A May 9 column by Sammy Roth highlighted the competing interests that keep California from developing all the solar energy it can from different sources.
A May 14 column by Michael Hitzik discussed how Exxon Mobil is suing its shareholders to keep them from raising climate issues.
Lastly, in a May 14 article about the summer of 2023 being the warmest in 2,000 years, it was reported that 80% of climate scientists recently surveyed said they “foresee at least 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming,” rather than the “tolerable” 1.5-degree goal in the Paris agreement.
Is it any wonder climate scientists are pessimistic about our future?
Todd Collart, Ventura
