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California state legislators are calling on their federal representatives to oppose 13 Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions aimed at overturning state emissions standards. The legislators argue that revoking the Advanced Clean Cars I (ACCI) and Small Off-Road Engines (SORE) programs would increase air pollution, jeopardize public health in frontline communities, and risk billions of dollars in federal highway funding by undermining California's ability to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). They highlight that the state's air quality is already critical, with six of the ten most ozone-polluted cities in the U.S. located in California.

Research by the Union of Concerned Scientists and University of California, Merced, indicates that emissions from the 'Carbon Majors'—the 122 largest industrial carbon producers—are responsible for approximately half of the climate-driven reductions in snowpack and streamflow, and increases in irrigation demand across the western United States. The analysis highlights specific 'hot spots' in California and the Pacific Northwest, noting that these emissions contributed to a 15% reduction in April snowpack and a 6.1% decrease in warm season streamflow. In California's Central Valley, 10% of observed groundwater loss is attributed to these companies. The document argues that the fossil fuel industry should be held financially accountable for these damages, as local governments and vulnerable communities currently bear the economic costs of adaptation and infrastructure failure.

The report explores the potential of Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) to help California meet its 2045 CDR target of 75 MMT CO2e. By modeling seven scenarios based on cost and social acceptance, the analysis finds that BiCRS could potentially meet the entire target under high biomass availability estimates without competing with food production. The report highlights that while lower-cost pathways rely on established technologies like combustion with CCS, higher social acceptance pathways require advanced technologies such as pyrolysis and gasification. BiCRS is projected to generate significantly more bioenergy and jobs than the current direct air capture (DAC)-focused Scoping Plan.

The document argues for a "just land transition" in California to address groundwater depletion, which may require repurposing up to 1 million acres of irrigated agriculture. It outlines a framework based on community-centered principles and provides a roadmap of interventions for the state legislature, regulatory agencies, local governments, and philanthropy to ensure benefits reach frontline communities and agricultural workers.

Earthjustice and partner organizations urge the EPA to reject California's SIP revisions, claiming they create loopholes for oil and gas polluters. The authors argue that RACT must apply to all wells regardless of production volume or oil gravity, and that the EPA failed to conduct a required environmental justice analysis. They contend that current exemptions for heavy oil and low-production wells disproportionately harm frontline communities and that monitoring and reporting frequencies are insufficient to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act.

The report outlines a vision for the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) to leverage its land and industrial base to become a hub for clean energy, focusing on solar, bioenergy, and hydrogen. Using modeling from the RAND Corporation, it argues that a diverse energy portfolio can create thousands of high-wage jobs and reduce local pollution. The authors emphasize the need for a coordinated, valley-wide community benefits framework to ensure that rural and disadvantaged communities receive equitable economic gains from new developments.

The document advocates for a prioritized approach to repurposing approximately 1 million acres of irrigated farmland in California to meet Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) goals. It argues that 'extractive agriculture'—characterized as water-intensive and soil-degrading—imposes significant health and economic costs on rural disadvantaged communities that outweigh the revenues generated. The proposed framework prioritizes repurposing land inside these communities first, followed by land within a one-mile buffer, and finally other cropland through a transparent cost-benefit process. Proposed sustainable alternatives include renewable energy generation, habitat restoration, and regenerative agriculture.

Earthjustice and several partner organizations request that the BLM defer approval of oil and gas drilling permits in Kern County, California. They argue the BLM has violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws by failing to provide public comment periods on Environmental Assessments (EAs). The statement highlights severe public health risks to environmental justice communities in Kern County, including high rates of asthma and cancer, and argues that the BLM's air emissions estimates are unrealistically low and violate the Clean Air Act. It further demands a 'hard look' at water scarcity, groundwater contamination from unlined waste pits, and the climate impacts of carbon-intensive California crude. Finally, it asserts that new drilling threatens the critically imperiled Temblor legless lizard.

The author argues that environmental racism and a decline in federal funding since the 1970s have created severe disparities in water access for Latino, Black, and Indigenous communities in the US. The text highlights the vulnerability of these populations to climate-driven disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, and calls for Congress to implement water affordability protections, prohibit shutoffs, and invest in green infrastructure and wastewater system repairs, prioritizing areas like the San Joaquin Valley, Puerto Rico, and the Navajo Nation.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional program designed to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector by limiting total emissions and requiring fuel distributors to pay into a fund. This fund could generate an estimated $68 billion over ten years for participating states, including Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The document highlights that rural residents, who drive more than 13,000 miles annually—over 20% above the regional average—stand to save up to twice as much per capita as urban residents by switching to electric vehicles (EVs). To support this transition, the author suggests higher purchase incentives for low- and moderate-income drivers, expanded rural charging infrastructure, and the growth of vanpools and paratransit services. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, citing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont as a precedent for the increasing intensity of storms in the region.

The report highlights that California's water system is engineered for historical conditions that no longer apply due to climate change. It identifies critical shifts in the state's hydroclimate—including declining snowpack, more extreme precipitation events, and increased volatility between wet and dry years—that threaten the viability of surface reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. The authors argue that while the data to plan for these changes is available, state and local agencies are underprepared, often relying on outdated operational rules or proprietary models. The report recommends updating the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), developing new hydrologic operations models, and increasing collaboration between climate scientists and water managers to prevent wasted investments and exacerbate inequities between well-resourced and vulnerable communities.

The document examines how climate change exacerbates water scarcity, poor water and air quality, and economic instability in the San Joaquin Valley, offering specific adaptation strategies for households and communities.

The document outlines various ways the Trump administration has allegedly harmed children by ignoring scientific advice and weakening regulations. Key areas of concern include the failure to regulate neurotoxins like lead and chlorpyrifos, the lack of action on PFAS and asbestos, reduced food and product safety oversight, and the dismissal of climate science and child welfare standards at the US-Mexico border.

California is experiencing significant damages from climate change, including increased heat-related mortality, more frequent and severe wildfires, and rising sea levels. The state faces critical water shortages, record-low snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada, and a high risk of extinction for 83 percent of its native freshwater fish species.

The report argues that smart land use policy is critical for California to meet its 2030 decarbonization goals. Using the RapidFire model and E3 California Pathways data, the study finds that 'More Compact' and 'Infill Focus' scenarios can lead to statewide emissions reductions of 40-41% below 1990 levels when combined with aggressive energy technology deployment. Beyond climate targets, smart growth is projected to deliver significant co-benefits, including billions of dollars in household and infrastructure cost savings, improved public health outcomes through reduced air pollution, and the preservation of greenfield land. The authors recommend that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) strengthen emissions reduction targets under SB 375 and provide substantial funding to support cities and regions in implementing target-compliant land use plans.

The study uses the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system to model how climate change and rising temperatures increase agricultural water demand, thereby reducing water supply reliability. It concludes that addressing these impacts requires fundamental changes to the operation of the water management system.

The California Water Supply and Demand Model (CWSD) assesses how climate change affects water availability and usage in California, focusing on the energy, urban, and agricultural sectors. The model evaluates scenarios with no adaptation, slow adaptation, and fast adaptation across different climate projections (B1 and A2). Key findings indicate that without adaptation, agricultural water demand will rise due to higher temperatures, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. While slow adaptation may only marginally reduce use, fast adaptation—driven by higher water prices and technological efficiency—could significantly decrease demand. The report also extends its agricultural analysis to other Western U.S. states, noting a general increase in water demand by 2100.

The document details two 2008 CARB regulations: a Global Warming Rule targeting heavy-duty truck fuel efficiency through aerodynamic features and tires, and a Smog and Particulate Rule requiring diesel particulate filters for trucks over 14,000 pounds. It highlights projected benefits, including the prevention of 9,400 premature deaths and billions in health cost savings, while suggesting further improvements to the global warming rule to cover more vehicle types.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis indicates that retrofitting new and existing heavy-duty trucks with aerodynamic technologies and fuel-efficient tires could reduce national global warming pollution by 17 million metric tons of CO2eq by 2020. Such improvements could save over 1.4 billion gallons of diesel fuel nationally and 200 million gallons annually in California by 2020, while providing net savings of over $30,000 over the life of a typical new long-range truck.

The report finds that diesel construction equipment in California causes over 1,100 premature deaths and more than $9 billion in annual public health costs. It identifies excavators, tractors/loaders/backhoes, and crawler tractors as the highest polluters and highlights the South Coast air basin as the most affected region. The authors advocate for a regulatory regime to retire old equipment and install retrofit technologies to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.