#50by30 for Public Health, Jobs, and Clean Energy
California has long been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to addressing pollution and our reliance on fossil fuels, but I believe it’s time for us to take our efforts to fight climate change and address the public health crisis caused by pollution to the next level.
That’s why I endorse NextGen’s #50by30 plan, a bold initiative to power California and the rest of the country with 50% clean energy by 2030. It’s also why I support efforts in the U.S. Congress to move us toward that ambitious goal.
Here’s why I support the #50by30 agenda:
#50by30 for Our Health
In the evenings when I look out toward the ocean from my home in San Pedro, I often see a sky that is a stunning red and bright orange. Up and down the coastline, Californians are watching the same sunset, enjoying one of the perks of life here on the West Coast.
But what they may not know is that our renowned sunsets are partly the result of the volume of aerosol pollutants — also known as smog — in our air. The smog helps to scatter blue, violet, and green light waves leaving just the reds and oranges, producing brilliant sunsets.
The fact that we’ve learned to accept a certain amount of smog in our air, and unwittingly turned it into a positive, is alarming.
Especially when you consider the serious, harmful effects of fossil fuel exploration and pollution in Southern California. Our smog levels are directly tied to asthma in children and adults. Lung cancer is the third leading cause of death in Los Angeles County.
Consider Wilmington, California for example. Latinos make up 80% of the population in Wilmington and the median income is $43,364. There are children walking around with inhalers around their necks from the high asthma rates while oil drilling is allowed within 140 feet of people’s homes.
In fact, the 44th Congressional District where I live happens to be one of the most heavily polluted districts in the country. Children report headaches, anxiety, and asthma attacks from unclean air. As a result, sick students miss school, preventing already at-risk children from getting the education and/or job training they need to qualify for the jobs of tomorrow. It’s a vicious cycle we must break.
These experiences are not unique to Wilmington, California or the 44th Congressional District.. The fossil fuel industry is harming the health of our children and families across the country.
Embracing the #50by30 agenda will help to reduce the amount of harmful smog in our air and stop putting the health of our families at risk on a daily basis. And if it means we have slightly less spectacular sunsets here in California, it’s a price worth paying.
#50by30 for Jobs
Water availability is a critical issue in the Golden State. In recent years, we have experienced some of the most intense and dangerous droughts in recorded history. The stakes are even higher when you consider that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) projected that one in three counties in the lower 48 states are at higher risk for water shortages by mid-century because of climate change.
It goes without saying that water is necessary for supporting all human life, and in California, water is also a precious resource for our economy, especially for those who work in agriculture.
Economists estimate that, nationally, our GDP will fall by 36% this century if we do nothing about climate change. To put that in perspective, the Great Recession shrank our economy by 4%, and we are still recovering from that crash almost a decade later.
The fact that climate change could be nine times as bad for our economy as the worst recession in recent memory should be a major wake up call.
I believe the #50by30 agenda will not only help us protect the jobs we currently have, but will also create new, cleaner, greener jobs here in California and around the country.
According to NextGen’s own research, a clean energy economy will create more than 1 million new jobs by 2030, and up to 2 million jobs in 2050 nationally. That includes 1.2 million new jobs in the construction industry. The resulting benefit to the U.S. GDP will be significant: an increase of $145 billion in 2030 and $290 billion in 2050.
#50by30 for Clean Energy
There are probably some people who are tempted to dismiss the #50by30 agenda as unachievable, but the fact is, 43% of our electricity is already expected to be generated by clean and renewable technologies in 2030 if we simply follow the Clean Power Plan put in place by President Obama.
The #50by30 plan will also set us on a path to generate 100% of our electricity from clean technologies by 2050. This would lead to increased investment in research and clean technologies that will create 21st century jobs.
Additionally, cleaner air would save our families money. NextGen estimates that the #50by30 plan will save families $5.3 billion on energy bills in 2030 and $41 billion in 2050. That translates to an increase in disposable household income of $350–400 in 2030 and $650 in 2050. What could any middle class family do with an extra $650?
In addition, the EPA estimates that better air quality would generate $2.9 billion to $5.9 billion a year in benefits, including savings on healthcare costs and the cost of illnesses, deaths, and missed work and school days that would be avoided.
For those who protest that status quo energy companies are still the best providers of energy-related jobs, the reality is, most major energy companies are already investing in clean power, including companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Total, and Duke Energy. They understand that an investment in clean energy is the strongest investment they can make for the future of their companies.
With every passing year, the costs of inaction on climate change and our public health crisis continues to grow. Elected officials who truly want to leave the world a better place for their children and improve public health need to support the #50by30 plan. I applaud the efforts by Senator Ben Cardin (D — MD) and Representatives John Delaney (MD — 6), Ben Lujan (NM — 3), and Eric Swalwell (CA — 15) to move the #50by30 agenda forward in Congress. I look forward to working with them and others at the forefront of this movement as the next Member of Congress from California’s 44th District.
