State Sen. Bill Dodd: Climate Change — Our clear and present danger

Climate change is a clear and present danger. It’s triggered record heat, drought and flooding, while sparking wildfires that have taken life and property. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the North Bay.

We must address this existential threat. At the same time, we must focus on the underlying cause – our dependence on fossil fuels – and develop realistic solutions. Few things are more important today.

Democratic lawmakers in California are making it a priority, backing proposals to decrease our carbon emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. It’s an ambitious but necessary step to prevent further devastation of the planet – and we need to build on it.

Ensuring we achieve this milestone in a thoughtful way is the motivation behind much of my current legislation. One piece I introduced this year, Senate Bill 852, would allow local jurisdictions to form “climate resilience districts” to take on the responsibility of developing plans and budgets for projects directed at the specific impacts of climate change in their area. While state and federal money for projects has increased, not enough exists at the community level to combat problems such as sea level rise and drought. This would fill that need.

Another bill, SB 833, responds to the need to better utilize renewable energy like solar and reduce the need for carbon-emitting generators during outages. The Community Energy Resilience Act would help local governments develop plans to instead use clean distributed energy resources, reducing the amount of carbon entering the atmosphere and sparing us tens of millions of dollars in related healthcare costs.

Melting polar ice caps have triggered sea level rise, which is projected to submerge coastal areas in the coming decades. The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts up to $10 billion of California property will be underwater by 2050 with an additional $10 billion imperiled during high tides. This will have a profound effect on our roads, especially locally, where Highway 37 along the San Pablo Bay is forecast to be inundated in even less time – about 20 years. I’ve introduced two related bills: SB 1049 would direct nearly $2 billion in federal money at climate-adaptive transportation projects, including on Highway 37. And SB 1050 would create tolling authority to pay for improvements along the critical transportation artery that are currently in the planning stages. A dedicated revenue stream is the only realistic way to ease congestion and keep the highway above water.

We’ve seen firsthand the destruction wrought by wildfire, so I’ve introduced a bill to help prevention through expanded use of prescribed burning. Clearing our lands of tinder-dry fuels before they explode into mega-infernos is a proven way to keep our communities safe. SB 926 will help us do that. A related bill, SB 896, encourages the creation of vegetation-free defensible spaces around our homes. It appears our wildfires are only getting worse. We need to protect ourselves.

The problem needs to be attacked from multiple angles that address both the causes and the effects. These measures alone won’t solve the climate crisis. But they are a step in that direction. A step toward a more resilient California. I urge your support as together we face the reality of these changes on our planet and do our part to adapt for generations to come.

— Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More information on Senator Bill Dodd can be found at www.senate.ca.gov/dodd.