Kerry Jackson
California’s Continued War on Plastics is just Political Grandstanding
In a little more than a half century, we have gone from plastics being the future (yes, it was just a movie, but that doesn’t invalidate the point) to, at least in California, plastics being declared a contaminant that must be eliminated. While this state’s war on plastics makes for …
First thing we do, let’s retrain all the planners
As a group of rebels bantered about the possibilities of an England with a new king in William Shakespeare’s “Henry The VI,” Dick the Butcher suggests “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Though the (likely sarcastic) comment resonates with many, we need to keep lawyers around. …
Get Out Of Jail Free Is Not Just A Monopoly Card
Almost two years ago, California voters rejected Proposition 25 by a large margin, telling lawmakers in unmistakable terms they were not in favor of Senate Bill 10, which replaced cash bail with risk assessments – low, medium and high – for suspects awaiting trial. Ending cash bail was supposed to …
Newsom End of Session Climate Rush Deserves Hard Look from Legislature
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to be sure that as many people as possible know that “we will be the first jurisdiction in the world to require all new cars to be sold to be alternative fuel cars,” following a bureaucratic decision to follow his executive order. But done, he …
Californians About to Be Served Restaurant Closures With a Side of Higher Prices
A bill that would forever change the restaurant industry is being sharpened in anticipation of a vote in Sacramento. Should it become law, it would likely increase food prices through a de facto tax on meals. In an era of steep inflation, low- and middle-income families might find themselves a …
Now That’s What We Call Recycling
Californians are almost uniformly careful to place their used consumer goods and packaging in the correct bins for the environment’s sake. Recycling is a Golden State way of life, and to some not far from being a religion. Let’s call this micro-recycling, and despite its popularity, it is purely garbage, …
California Push to Expand Wind Power Swaps One Set of Problems for Another
Is there anything that can stop or even slow the runaway train of green energy in California? Maybe there’s a break coming in the fairly near future and it probably won’t be the one most people are expecting. The California Energy Commission last week “adopted a report establishing offshore wind …
Enviros Try to Stop Proper Forest Management in Decarbonization Push
Just a few weeks ago, there was a grim possibility that California could lose some of its prized giant sequoias to the Washburn fire. But a miracle happened. They were saved. Well, not a miracle. It was a conventional method of wildfire management that kept the trees alive. “A forest-thinning …
California Continues to Push Renewables Despite Energy Storage Problem
Gov. Gavin Newsom deserves credit for recognizing that California’s irrational leap toward a fully renewable electricity grid by 2045 was moving far too fast. At the same time, he deserves criticism for continuing to aggressively push the transition. Newsom has recently backed delays in retiring four natural gas plants as …
California’s Continued War on Plastics is just Political Grandstanding
In a little more than a half century, we have gone from plastics being the future (yes, it was just a movie, but that doesn’t invalidate the point) to, at least in California, plastics being declared a contaminant that must be eliminated. While this state’s war on plastics makes for …
First thing we do, let’s retrain all the planners
As a group of rebels bantered about the possibilities of an England with a new king in William Shakespeare’s “Henry The VI,” Dick the Butcher suggests “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Though the (likely sarcastic) comment resonates with many, we need to keep lawyers around. …
Get Out Of Jail Free Is Not Just A Monopoly Card
Almost two years ago, California voters rejected Proposition 25 by a large margin, telling lawmakers in unmistakable terms they were not in favor of Senate Bill 10, which replaced cash bail with risk assessments – low, medium and high – for suspects awaiting trial. Ending cash bail was supposed to …
Newsom Dives In The Deep End
Gov. Gavin Newsom has unwrapped a long-overdue plan to quench California’s perpetual thirst. While a bit late and slightly off the mark, his $8 billion Water Supply Strategy is a welcomed development in a state that really needs one. The governor called it “an aggressive plan to rebuild the way …
Newsom End of Session Climate Rush Deserves Hard Look from Legislature
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to be sure that as many people as possible know that “we will be the first jurisdiction in the world to require all new cars to be sold to be alternative fuel cars,” following a bureaucratic decision to follow his executive order. But done, he …
Californians About to Be Served Restaurant Closures With a Side of Higher Prices
A bill that would forever change the restaurant industry is being sharpened in anticipation of a vote in Sacramento. Should it become law, it would likely increase food prices through a de facto tax on meals. In an era of steep inflation, low- and middle-income families might find themselves a …
Now That’s What We Call Recycling
Californians are almost uniformly careful to place their used consumer goods and packaging in the correct bins for the environment’s sake. Recycling is a Golden State way of life, and to some not far from being a religion. Let’s call this micro-recycling, and despite its popularity, it is purely garbage, …
California Push to Expand Wind Power Swaps One Set of Problems for Another
Is there anything that can stop or even slow the runaway train of green energy in California? Maybe there’s a break coming in the fairly near future and it probably won’t be the one most people are expecting. The California Energy Commission last week “adopted a report establishing offshore wind …
Enviros Try to Stop Proper Forest Management in Decarbonization Push
Just a few weeks ago, there was a grim possibility that California could lose some of its prized giant sequoias to the Washburn fire. But a miracle happened. They were saved. Well, not a miracle. It was a conventional method of wildfire management that kept the trees alive. “A forest-thinning …
California Continues to Push Renewables Despite Energy Storage Problem
Gov. Gavin Newsom deserves credit for recognizing that California’s irrational leap toward a fully renewable electricity grid by 2045 was moving far too fast. At the same time, he deserves criticism for continuing to aggressively push the transition. Newsom has recently backed delays in retiring four natural gas plants as …
Newsom Dives In The Deep End
Gov. Gavin Newsom has unwrapped a long-overdue plan to quench California’s perpetual thirst. While a bit late and slightly off the mark, his $8 billion Water Supply Strategy is a welcomed development in a state that really needs one. The governor called it “an aggressive plan to rebuild the way …