It’s Earth Day on Tuesday. But for the first time in four years, California’s environmental groups and state agencies are playing defense.
After working closely with President Biden, who supported spending billions for renewable energy, established new national monuments and filled his administration with conservation leaders, California now finds itself in regular battles with President Trump. He has called climate change a hoax, is rolling back EPA pollution rules, pushing for more oil and gas drilling on public lands, and is aggressively working to shrink federal agencies from the National Park Service to the National Weather Service.
“There’s just a massive dismantling of regulations and rules that have proven to be effective in protecting the environment and human health,” said Kathryn Phillips, who was director of Sierra Club California during Trump’s first term. “We are being assaulted every day.”
Despite rollbacks since Trump began his second term Jan. 20, California has an extra layer of green armor that many other states don’t have.
Over the past 55 years since the first Earth Day in 1970, the state has passed its own state Endangered Species Act, its own clean air laws, clean water laws, recycling laws, renewable energy standards and coastal protections — often leading the way nationally. Those are not affected by rollbacks by Trump and from Republicans in Congress.
“It’s certainly not hopeless,” said Dan Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley. “California has built up a strong set of laws. California has a thick defense mechanism. And California is on the offense in the sense that we partner with other states and countries. All that said, California’s commitment to this area is only as strong as its state budget.”
During Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021, former Gov. Jerry Brown negotiated climate agreements between California, which has the fifth largest economy in the world, and other countries like China after Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. The current governor, Gavin Newsom, is continuing that pattern.
In February, Newsom signed an agreement with the governors of 21 Brazilian states to work together on programs to reduce climate emissions, protect wildlife, expand clean water and other environmental goals.
Similarly, during Trump’s first term, California sued his administration 123 times on issues ranging from the environment to immigration. The state won roughly two-thirds of those lawsuits. Expect more of the same in the coming years, said Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary for natural resources.
“This is a dark and dangerous hour in the United States for protecting the environment,” Crowfoot said. “California is going to stand up and be a beacon of hope and action.”
Lawsuits and state laws largely blocked Trump from making major environmental changes in California during his first term, such as new oil drilling off the California coast, which he supported, but which never happened.
“California stood strong,” Crowfoot said. “We maintained our policies. We defended them in court. The four years came without significant erosions. We are ready to do it again.”
Republicans say many of Trump’s changes so far — such as signing an executive order to increase logging on national forests — are long overdue.
“Where are we getting our timber? Canada,” said Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Chico. “Trump is saying we should be doing more timber harvesting on our land. That will mean fewer carbon emissions bringing the wood, which we need to build houses, and thinning forests reduces wildfires, which are a major source of carbon emissions.”
Gallagher said he also supports Trump’s efforts to pump more water from the Delta to farms and cities, which is often restricted by endangered salmon and smelt. Other laws, like California’s ban on the sale of new gasoline vehicles after 2035, go too far, he said.
“We are paying the highest costs in the nation for our utility bills, our gas, our groceries,” Gallagher said. “There are too many mandates and strict regulations that have spiraled the cost of living in California.”
There are several major flashpoints where the Trump administration and California are already clashing:
– Tailpipe standards. When he was president the first time, Trump denied California permission under the federal Clean Air Act to set pollution standards for cars and trucks that are tougher than national standards, something it has done since the 1960s. California sued, and the lawsuit was still pending when Biden took office and restored the state’s powers. Trump has promised to deny permission again. California is certain to sue again.
– Offshore wind. Trump has opposed wind energy ever since the government in Scotland allowed turbines near a golf course he owned. Newsom and Biden pushed to build floating offshore wind turbines 20 miles or more off California’s coast to expand renewable energy. Last week, Trump blocked construction on a wind project off New York state that had all its permits. Wind energy officials are stunned, but say privately most work done in California for the next four years will be on onshore facilities, transmission lines and other projects to prepare for floating turbines.
– Staffing. Trump allowed billionaire Elon Musk and his aides to scrutinize federal agencies, fire thousands of probationary employees, and offer thousands more early retirement. Public employee unions and others have filed lawsuits. The White House has drawn up plans to cut the budget of the EPA by 65% and NOAA by 27%. Supporters say it will save money. Critics say the agencies are key to protecting public health, the environment and warning Americans of hurricanes, atmospheric river storms and tornadoes.
“Everybody is saddened,” said one Bay Area NOAA employee who wanted to remain anonymous. “We’ve probably lost a quarter of the folks who have been with NOAA for 20 years or more, the people in leadership with the most experience. And we’ve lost the eager green folks through the probationary period cuts — people who we mentored through internships. We’re not sure where we’re supposed to be going.”