By David Baker

August 19, 2013    

"...CARE's membership immediately brought the new group and its report under fire. Its members include the Western States Petroleum Association, the California Manufacturers & Technology Assoc. and the California Chamber of Commerce. All three were sponsors of the AB32 Implementation Group, an organization accused by environmentalists of trying to weaken California's landmark global warming law, AB32. The new organization, critics said, isn't really new...

'Whether they call themselves the AB 32 Implementation Group, Californians Against Higher Taxes, Fueling California, or Californians for Affordable & Reliable Energy, the message and the messengers are the same just repackaged with a different web site address,' wrote Susan Frank, director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, in her organization's blog."

By Susan Frank 
Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy
August 16, 2013 

I was invited to Chicago this week to meet with United Airlines executives who, as a result of recent attention focused on the company's opposition to state, national and international climate change policies, offered to discuss their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)...

One of the issues I plan to raise at the meeting is asking United executives why the company is a leading member of Fueling California, a California political organization focused on dismantling the state's clean fuel standard (known as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, or LCFS). The LCFS is a critical component of the state's landmark clean energy and climate law, AB 32.  

Fueling California is led by President and CEO Bob Sturtz, who joined the board when he was United's Managing Director of Strategic Sourcing. Serving alongside Sturtz on the Board of Directors is Melinda Yee Franklin, Director of Corporate and Government Affairs for United's western region.

Read the full blogpost here.

Read a related LA Times story about how the U.S. may face-off against European Airlines over reducing emissions.

A new study by EDF and Business Alliance Member E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) sums up the benefits of biodiesel and profiles six companies they say are "...helping to revolutionize the industry. Biodiesel, not only reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality; it is providing consumers with additional fuel choices at the pump and spurs green job growth..." 

Some of these companies recycle used cooking oil as a feedstock, some are working to supply the Navy and oil refineries with lower carbon fuels, while others are working to assure choosing a biodiesel blend is as easy as picking up a different gas pump.

by Steve Kinsey, Supervisor for the County of Marin and
Richard Lowenthal, Founder and CTO of ChargePoint  

Capitol Weekly  

August 20, 2013  

"Electric vehicles are also promising for California's economy, representing a new part of the emerging clean-energy industries that will provide the jobs of the future. But we Californians wouldn't be gaining all of these benefits - for our environment and our economy - were it not for our state's far-sighted policies.

California's pioneering Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) requires fuel producers such as oil firms and refiners to gradually reduce the average "carbon intensity" of the state's transportation fuel mix, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions that increase the risks from climate change. The LCFS will provide credits to make electric vehicles even more affordable. Despite a fierce campaign by the fossil fuel industry to delay it, the clean fuel standard is already helping California transition to clean, non-petroleum transportation fuels, while attracting new investment and creating new jobs...

We urge Gov. Brown and the Air Resources Board to stand firm behind this far-sighted policy-and to strengthen their support for electric vehicles and other clean transportation solutions." 

Read the full op-ed here.