Save The Bay’s Post

Last month, Save The Bay’s policy team, Greenbelt Alliance and SPUR went to Sacramento to advocate in favor of a climate bond. We met with representatives from 11 Assembly offices, including Assemblymembers Bonta, Wilson, and Bauer-Kahan. Our message was simple – California cannot afford to delay climate adaptation. Given the state’s budget challenges, a sizable climate bond is critical to keep our adaptation projects on track and reduce the risk of climate disaster in our communities in the coming years. We’re hopeful that the Governor and legislature will agree to a bond of at least $10 billion that will include funding for wildfire mitigation and forest health, drought and drinking water resilience, protections against extreme heat, new investments in clean energy, and nature-based flood and sea level rise resilience. But unless the legislature acts before the end of June, voters won’t get the chance to weigh in on this bond measure in November.  You can help by telling your legislators to support a climate bond now, and to include significant funding for the State Coastal Conservancy. Find your representatives in Sacramento and give them a call today. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g3mCJ6b2 #ClimateBondNow #CABudget #CALeg #TakeAction

With climate impacts like coastal flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather on the rise, it’s no surprise that that coastal resilience funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is already in huge demand, with a recent call for proposals from NOAA generating $16 billion in requests across 869 proposals. But House Republicans are advancing legislation in a markup today that would rescind $700 million for coastal resilience from the Inflation Reduction Act, including $390 for tribal priorities. Many of HR 7408's cosponsors are representing places–from the Gulf, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts–that are receiving this funding and reaping the benefits for their environment & economies. More communities deserve the same. We joined 60 organizations urging Congress to reject Rep. Westerman’s egregious attempt to rescind these critically needed funds. We need #OceanClimateAction, not climate denial.

🚨California is in a budget deficit and the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom is cutting billions from climate programs. So far, The Climate Center community has sent more than 800 messages to state lawmakers in support of a bond to fund clean drinking water, wildfire resilience, and more! ⏰ With just one week before the June 27 deadline to introduce a bond, help us reach 1,000 messages to state leaders. Take action here 👉 https://loom.ly/UKSsME4

Climate change presents complex legal challenges and opportunities that require lawyers to stay informed, adapt their practices, and develop innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of their clients. Take a look at our extensive resources available, thanks to Groundsure Australia, and gain invaluable insights on the impact of coastal erosion, bushfires, and floods. Explore now: https://lnkd.in/gRpKxsSa

This Month's Free U.S. Green Building Council course is on "A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation: Uniting Design, Economics, and Policy" with insights on: 1. Climate adaptation along our coastlines. 2. Opportunities for coastal communities to build resilience through disaster insurance. 3. Real world examples from New York and FEMA on climate mitigation strategies. #climateadaptation #climateresilience #greenbuildings https://lnkd.in/gkaPY8WC

PROPERTY VALUES, LAND USE, AND THE FORCES OF NATURE The Australian Conveyancer Magazine commissioned climate research to understand the impact of relentless weather events on property values and land's future use and potential zoning changes. Although it's a global issue, we put a spotlight on NSW as the state has taken the brunt of bushfires, flooding, and coastal erosion in the past five years. Climate analysts Groundsure provided a 30-year outlook for the state's 128 local government areas to assess the level of risk land lots face for the next generation. More lightning strikes to cause more fires? Deeper floodwaters? More lost beaches? We examine the hot spots. This special Spotlight report released Thursday, February 15, is not intended to frighten people, but instead prompt important conversations about protecting lives, family assets, property values, and what governments and the industry's peak bodies should do to in the interests of all stakeholders. Look for this cover. The Australian Conveyancer magazine is free to view and download.

Check out the latest from the Public Policy Institute of California: Californians have been facing a record heat wave and wildfires across the state this summer. The state’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit prompted spending cuts for climate and energy programs. In response, the legislature approved a $10 billion state bond for the November ballot that asks voters to approve more funding for drought, floods, wildfires, coastal resilience, and extreme heat mitigation. The deep partisan divide on climate and energy policies surfaced in the presidential debate on June 27. Key findings of the Californians and the Environment survey on local, state, and national issues and coastal and inland topics that was conducted June 24–July 2, 2024 are at the link below: https://lnkd.in/d89ixXSY

Why should taxpayers have to cover the cost of rebuilding after climate disasters when the fossil fuel industry is at fault? Vermont is now joining Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York in a multistate effort to hold Big Oil accountable for the expensive damage wrought by climate change. Bills on the docket in all four states demand that oil companies pay states millions for such impacts by funding, as Vermont’s proposal outlines, energy efficiency retrofits, water utility improvements, solar microgrids, and stormwater drainage, just to name a few resiliency programs. “There will be no shortage of climate expenses that it would be entirely appropriate for this fund to pay for,” said Ben Edgerly-Walsh, the climate and energy director for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “These are not going to be avoidable expenses at the end of the day because of the way the climate crisis is playing out.” One 2023 poll showed that over 60 percent of voters nationwide support making polluters pay for the consequences of their actions. Should these bills become law, however, they surely face a long road of legal battles before they are implemented. The American Petroleum Institute, which represents some 600 fossil fuel https://lnkd.in/ervn7yp3

The way we use land in England will need to change if we are to address the nature and climate crises. The Government’s promised land use framework could play a huge role in this, but without the institutional, financial and legal levers to create change on the ground, it could be just another strategy on a shelf. In our new briefing, we set out what a land use framework for England should look like, and how it should be implemented. It must integrate national and local decision-making to inform and incentivise greener land use decisions at a local and national level. https://lnkd.in/ewj_6W39

Governments need to take a balanced approach to tackling the climate and housing crises, RESCON’s Paul D. writes in his latest blog. “New home buyers can not shoulder the ever-increasing financial responsibility for government climate policies, especially when housing costs are already so high,” he states. Read his blog at https://lnkd.in/gFHyieE5. #housingsupplycrisis #climateaction #greenbuilding #climatecrisis