Every American wants a brighter future for their families – but climate change threatens every single one of us, and President Trump’s attempt to block California’s fuel economy standards only serves to raise that threat level even higher.
As the utility workers that power northern and central California, the members of IBEW 1245 are witnessing first-hand the impact that climate change is having on our state. Currently, thousands of Local 1245 members are working around the clock to restore power in the areas of the state that have been devastated by climate change-induced wildfires — fires that are starting earlier, burning longer, and harming more people than ever before. These fires present visceral, inarguable evidence that climate change is real, and its effects are crippling our communities.
There is no question that California must act aggressively and expeditiously to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat the deleterious effects of climate change, which is why IBEW 1245 firmly supports our state’s ambitious fuel efficiency goals. We agree with the state policymakers and energy experts who uniformly believe that this policy will go a long way in mitigating the damage to our environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
We are disappointed by the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down California’s auto fuel standards. Derailing this policy would be a huge step backwards for both the state and nation, and we urge California’s leaders to stay the course in order to achieve its goals.
California has always led the nation when it comes to combating climate change, and we must continue to do everything in our power to leave our children and our children’s children with a cleaner, greener and safer planet – starting with improving the fuel efficiency and emissions of our vehicles.
–Tom Dalzell, IBEW 1245 Business Manager