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Power Earth Government

How California Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions - While Its Economy Grows (ca.gov) 197

In 2022 about 346,000 electric cars were reportedly sold in California. But the same year its greenhouse gas emissions dropped a whopping 9.3 million metric tons — the amount produced by 2.2 million gas-powered cars — lowering emissions 2.4% from the year before. "The biggest drop came from transportation, due largely to the increased use of renewable fuels," according to the state's Air Resources Board, touting a newly-released report. (And electricity sector emissions also fell by 2.6 million metric tons, or 4.1%, "even as electricity usage rose," according to The Hill — "a dichotomy that the regulators attributed to an increase in solar and wind power generation.")

So despite a growing economy, "the latest data underscores a continued trend of steady emissions decline..." according to a statement from the Board. "Between 2000 to 2022, emissions fell by 20% while California's gross domestic product increased by 78%, pointing to the effectiveness of the state's climate change and air quality programs." And the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted per unit of economic output ("carbon intensity") has also dropped 55% in the last 20 years: [In 2022] the electricity sector had its lowest carbon intensity since 2000. Wind and solar now represent 30% of generation and in-state solar increased by 15% from 2021, driven by requirements under the state's Cap-and-Trade Program and Renewables Portfolio Standard. Furthermore, California increased its battery storage by 757% from 2019 through 2023, bolstering its renewable energy efforts. The storage capacity is enough to power 6.6 million homes for up to four hours.

Industrial emissions declined by 2%, also falling to the lowest level in 22 years. While refinery emissions remained essentially flat, emissions from oil and gas extraction declined, as did emissions from other fuel use, cement manufacturing, and cogeneration facilities. [The Hill says 2022's industrial emissions were 21.7% below year-2000 levels, according to the report.]

Livestock emissions, which are responsible for 70% of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions, peaked in 2012 and once again saw reductions in 2022. The decrease is driven by the use of methane digesters funded by the California Climate Investments and incentivized by the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which capture emissions at the source and convert them to clean fuel.

Landfill methane emissions also continued to decline in 2022. This decline can be attributed in part to the state's efforts to reduce disposal of organic waste, as well as the California Landfill Methane Regulation, which requires landfill operators to monitor and capture emissions escaping from their facilities.

One local news site calls the drop in emissions "shocking," but adds that "the trend is expected to continue. In the second quarter of 2024, 118,181 zero-emission vehicles were purchased in the state, good for about one-quarter of all new car sales."

California governor Gavin Newsom said his state "is proving that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth. We've slashed carbon pollution by a whopping 20% since the turn of the century all while building the world's fifth largest economy. Cleaner air, more good jobs — that's the California way."
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How California Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions - While Its Economy Grows

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  • Here is how (Score:5, Informative)

    by guruevi ( 827432 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @07:00AM (#64809211)

    In the most recent data, California experienced recessionary conditions in 2022 and the first half of 2023.

    The state faces three overlapping challenges: rising unemployment, growing fiscal strains and population outflows.

    So basically: significantly less people (almost 1M have net left the state in half a decade), less income (minimum wage increases caused effective wage loss for minimum wage earners), less economic activity across the board (over 350 large companies, including Fortune 1000), that is how California reduces its output of emissions. The rest shows that the 129 active dairy digesters are not enough to show a difference, they could convert all together process less than 100 pounds of methane a day (at a cost of $200M) and they convert it to⦠natural gas to burn, so you are taking methane and burning it.

    • We need food to live, but we how much do we really need aviation? Open Radarbox or ADSBexchange and see how cluttered the skies are with airplanes. Every so often I see a commercial airliner fly over, but there's alway the buzz of unmuffled Cessnas as they fly around non stop. General aviation is mostly a rich persons hobby. Cessnas haven't changed much since the 1950s. The motors are fairly large, 5.2L but only puts out 150-200hp. This is because of the inefficiency. Most of the ones in the sky use a magne
      • Re:Here is how (Score:5, Informative)

        by Zak3056 ( 69287 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @10:57AM (#64809809) Journal

        Cessnas haven't changed much since the 1950s. The motors are fairly large, 5.2L but only puts out 150-200hp. This is because of the inefficiency. Most of the ones in the sky use a magneto/points rather than a modern ignition system. Even more ancient is how the air fuel ratio is adjusted by hand from the cockpit controls.

        The majority of those "1950s technology" aircraft flying around up there aren't new build aircraft using 1950s technology but aircraft that are actually that damned old--the average age of the US GA fleet is +/- 50 years. Most small aircraft pilots would love to upgrade (though I'd say most would want to keep the magnetos and dual ignition) but the costs are prohibitive due to the regulatory regime and technology changes are, at best, difficult to achieve.

    • So that is a cool narrative you're pushing for half the summary, now how does that account for the increase in GDP - the other half of the summary?

    • This is 100% bullshit.
    • by skam240 ( 789197 )

      significantly less people (almost 1M have net left the state in half a decade)

      It's more like a few hundred thousand over a brief 3 year period (which is not that significant in a state that large) and in more recent news the outflow has stopped https://apnews.com/article/cal... [apnews.com] .

      less income (minimum wage increases caused effective wage loss for minimum wage earners)

      The minimum wage increase was so recent I very strongly doubt you have any real data to back this claim up. On a look myself I did find conservative news outlets pointing to lay offs at some fast food locations in California but given that fast food jobs have increased in number over all in the state https:// [ca.gov]

  • A stretch (Score:4, Insightful)

    by maxrate ( 886773 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @07:09AM (#64809223)
    This article is a bit of a stretch of /. content.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by RobinH ( 124750 )
      This is a new generation of editors. They didn't buy into the ethics of journalism. They buy into the idea that as a gatekeeper of an information platform they're morally obligated to push a political agenda.
      • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

        Lol

        I disagree with the story, therefor it is wrong

        How is a story talking about decreasing pollution in a state that was famous for it's smog and bad air political?

        • by RobinH ( 124750 )
          I don't disagree with the story. I'm opining the fact that the current editors at Slashdot are blatantly biased in the stories they choose to post, and the one-sided narrative they assume when summarizing them. I generally have a left-leaning bias, but I respect journalists and editors that leave their personal bias out of their professional work. These editors don't even pretend to be professional.
    • by MobyDisk ( 75490 )

      What do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with this topic?

      So far, this is one of my favorite Slashdot discussions in the last week. I'm only as far down as your comment, and I've watched people argue, citing statistics and studies, and philosophical arguments about: relative population changes in California versus Texas versus the world, the correlation or lack-thereof of population growth versus economic growth... I've learned the meaning of "border encounter" versus the number of people cross i

  • At what cost? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sinij ( 911942 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @07:50AM (#64809279)
    California deficit [apnews.com] spending [apnews.com] and high cost of living [forbes.com] is how this is being paid for. To me, this is not money well spent. At that cost they could have had fully nuclear power grid and completely eliminated power generation emissions.
    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      The numbers aren't as clear as you make them out to be. https://www.houstonchronicle.c... [houstonchronicle.com]

      • The study cited by the Chronicle is playing games with the numbers. Texas has a 6.25% state sales tax, with Houston adding another 2%. That is the *only* tax burden low-income people in Texas face, since they don't pay property taxes. How they get from 8.25% to the supposed 13%, I have no idea, the article doesn't say.

    • "California deficit spending"

      Every state except Vermont requires their operating budget to be balanced.

  • by locopuyo ( 1433631 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @07:52AM (#64809285) Homepage
    GDP of the USA increased 150% from 2000 to 2022. Claiming 78% is good is nothing but statistical propaganda.
    • You must be comparing real to nominal.

      Nominal GDP in the US increased by 148% from 2000 to 2022

      https://www.worldometers.info/... [worldometers.info]

      Nominal GDP in California increased by 160% from 2000 to 2022

      https://usafacts.org/metrics/g... [usafacts.org]

    • by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @08:36AM (#64809381)

      You're not comparing the same thing. You're looking at "Real GDP change". For the USA that was $10.3tr to $25.7tr a 150% increase as you say.
      From the same data source over the same timescale 2000 - 2022 here's the numbers for California: $1.69tr to $3.167tr a 187% increase.

      This should come as no surprise as California has a huge impact on the GDP of the USA being by far the economically largest state. But it's the opposite of the point you're trying to make. California's GDP has outperformed that of the USA when you look at the same measurement from the same data source. Not completely sure what TFS was looking at, and I can't be arsed figuring it out.

  • by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Monday September 23, 2024 @08:27AM (#64809353) Homepage Journal

    > 2000 to 2022

    OK, factor out Big Tech which is their Saudi Arabia to get a normalized comparison to other states.

    Now adjust for public debt and unfunded liabilities compared to other states.

    Then add net positive or negative funds flow from the Federal government, including military operations, as compared to other states.

    So, what do the numbers look like then? We should care if they're positive or negative so we can understand if their policies are broadly applicable. We just don't want to use cooked numbers that would make a corporate banker proud.

    • Ok, then you also gotta remove oil from Texas, agriculture from Nebraska, and finance from New York.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      why not do the math and show up everyone here instead of JAQing off

      considering CA is the #1 state for manufacturing

      it also is one of the states with the lowest percentage in terms of federal funds as percentage of budget (48/50)

      you're trying to juice the numbers in every which way to make your point but even then it falls flat on its face

      maybe california is actually a nice place... i know that flies in the face of 30 years of conservative agitprop but maybe theyve been lying to you?

    • by skam240 ( 789197 )

      OK, factor out Big Tech which is their Saudi Arabia to get a normalized comparison to other states.

      Why on earth would you cut part of California out of statistics about California? That's simply juicing the numbers so you can get the conclusion you want.

  • Correlation Causation.

    What ALSO happened in that timeframe? COVID. With millions upon millions of people working from home and not driving or taking any form of transportation whatsoever into work.

    • They picked about 20years of data. not 5 years of data. That most likely smoothen out the impact of covid.
      But I suppose it would be good to have data from other states, the nation, and other country as points of comparison.

  • by Dr_Ken ( 1163339 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @09:09AM (#64809495) Journal
    It's hard to see this as anything more than political puff piece for Newsom.
    • It really is just something that can be cited in his 2028 presidential campaign.
    • Seriously. We've lost a million people since 2020, which I think might have something to do with the lowered CO2 emissions.

      We also have the highest energy prices and the highest gasoline taxes which would encourage people to not do business here as much as possible.

  • That's a failure. Much better than Germany, but still no where near a decarbonized electrical grid. If we want to stop burning fossil fuels we are going to need new nuclear. Sun Desert and Rancho Seco are perfect spots(plenty of water and no seismic activity).
  • The article says it went from 15% to 30% of renewables for electric generation in one year.

    And for the rest... google "median priced of gasoline in california", and you get about $4.74.

    Guess Newsome and Biden did that, lowered it from $7.

  • by groobly ( 6155920 ) on Monday September 23, 2024 @11:40AM (#64809937)

    California has the highest poverty rate in the country, when measured against local cost of living.

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