Weekly Green: November 6, 2014

In recent headlines:

• Wins and losses, and what's next for California;
• Unmasked: The Oil Industry Campaign to Undermine California;
• Chevron’s $3 million backfires in Richmond election;
• Announced today: California vs. Big Plastic;
• ... and much more!

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TOP NEWS

Sarah Rose: Wins and losses, and what's next for California
We won the vast majority of our races thanks to thousands of CLCV members and activists working together to educate our fellow citizens and turn out the environmental vote on Election Day. All of the phone calls, street canvassing, donations – and yes, the emails too – everything we’ve been doing came together to achieve strong environmental outcomes in California. And though we weren’t successful everywhere, we’re proud so many excellent candidates we supported won their races.
http://www.ecovote.org/blog/wins-and-losses-and-whats-next-california

Unmasked: The Oil Industry Campaign to Undermine California's Clean Energy Future (NRDC)
Californians have been besieged by ads, internet videos, and other media promoted by what appears to be a new crop of concerned citizens’ groups warning of the dire impacts of a supposed “hidden gas tax” on children, jobs, soccer moms, and low-income communities if the transportation fuels sector is forced to pay for its pollution beginning January 1. But, as a new report from NRDC shows, things are not what they seem.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mborgeson/unmasked_the_oil_industry_camp.html

Chevron’s $3 million backfires in Richmond election
Richmond voters handed Chevron a resounding rejection in Tuesday’s election, defeating all four candidates supported by the oil giant despite Chevron outspending its opponents by a 20-to-1 margin.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chevron-s-3-million-backfires-in-Richmond-5873779.php

Announced today: California vs. Big Plastic
California vs. Big Plastic is a coalition of environmental, business, consumer, labor groups and citizens opposed to the referendum campaign led by out-of-state plastic bag companies to overturn SB 270, California’s pioneering plastic bag ban.
http://cavsbigplastic.com

ELECTION NEWS & OPINION

Tom Steyer (Op-Ed): Leveling the Playing Field
Participating in these midterm elections has taught me an immense amount about our tremendous democratic system as millions of people across our nation have raised their voices and cast their votes to turn 2014 into an unprecedented year for climate action. But this is only the beginning.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-steyer/leveling-the-playing-fiel_2_b_6109110.html

Tom Steyer gets little payoff for millions spent on green issues
Environmentalists had something in their arsenal for Tuesday's election they never did before: a billionaire benefactor willing to empty his pockets of tens of millions of dollars to bring climate change to the forefront of political debate and elect candidates committed to fighting global warming.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-steyer-environment-20141106-story.html#page=1

Nationwide Exit Polls: Voters think climate change is a serious problem
Although several climate change deniers won their races this week, exit polling indicates that they did so despite their unpopular stance on climate change -- not because of it.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/11/04/us/politics/2014-exit-polls.html?_r=1#us/2014

GOP wave hits California — gently
Though the final chapter is still unwritten on Election 2014, we know this much: Republicans took advantage of a traditional dip in midterm turnout and some big spending in targeted races to pick up enough legislative seats to end Democrats’ supermajorities in both houses.
http://capitolweekly.net/california-gop-wave-supermajorities-both-houses/

California election results defy national trends -- mostly
The wave of Republican victories in Washington and state capitals across the nation turned into a small, but not insignificant, trickle by the time it hit the shores of California after Tuesday’s election.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-election-results-defy-national-trends-mostly-20141105-story.html

Proposition 1, a water bond measure, passes
Proposition 1 has passed, AP reports. It authorizes state officials to borrow $7.12 billion and repurpose $425 million in bonds approved earlier to pay for new water projects.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-prop-1-results-20141104-story.html

What Propositions 1 & 2 mean for business, California's economy
If the dollars flow in the intended areas, the newly approved water bond and rainy-day fund both have the power to improve California's economy, local business leaders said Wednesday.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/11/05/what-propositions-1-2-mean-for-business-and.html

Farm leaders celebrate water bond passage, prepare for round two
Farm water officials worked years on the $7.5 billion state water bond that passed Tuesday, offering the possibility of partly bankrolling a new reservoir near Fresno.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/06/4221902_farm-leaders-celebrate-water-bond.html?rh=1

Money’s Big Night
The Daily Show had correspondents at both the "Money" headquarters and the "Ideas" camps on election night.
http://youtu.be/j132sPmLvkA

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

'Dead' Solar Plant May Rise From Grave
A controversial solar power tower project proposed for Riverside County that was recently pulled by its owners from consideration by the state of California will be brought back to the table by one of those owners, it was announced Tuesday.
http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewire/solar/concentrating-solar/dead-solar-plant-apparently-rises-from-grave.html

State recycling program has been running large deficits
A state audit has found that the cost of the state's recycling program for beverage containers has exceeded its revenue by over $100 million in three of the last four fiscal years.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-recycling-program-deficits-20141106-story.html?track=rss

In California, water use is all over the map
In posh parts of northern San Diego County, residents on average used more than 580 gallons of water a day in September. During the same month, Angelenos in less-affluent East L.A. used an average of 48 gallons a day, according to data that state water officials released Tuesday, which shows for the first time just how dramatically water use varies among California communities.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1105-california-water-20141106-story.html

San Francisco residents praised for using least water in state
San Francisco consumes less water per person than any community in California, a new state survey shows — a behavior that stands up as exemplary during the prolonged and damaging drought, water experts say.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-residents-praised-for-using-least-water-in-5870159.php

El Niño chances continue to weaken
Federal forecasters on Thursday scaled back the likelihood of an El Niño developing this winter, dampening hopes of a wet winter washing away the California drought.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/El-Ni-o-chances-continue-to-weaken-5875937.php

Campaign begins to preserve ban on plastic grocery bags
A group of politicians, environmentalists and businesses announced Thursday it is launching a campaign to fight efforts to repeal a ban on single-use plastic bags from stores that is scheduled to take effect July 1.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-campaign-begins-to-preserve-ban-on-plastic-grocery-bags-20141106-story.html

Asian citrus psyllid proposal worries organic farmers
To combat pests like the Asian citrus psyllid, exotic fruit fly and glassy-winged sharpshooter that threaten the state's food supply, the California Department of Food and Agriculture is weighing a new plan that some organic farmers say doesn't do enough to prevent their crops from being ruined by pesticides.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pesticides-organic-20141105-story.html?track=rss

Federal Officials Identify Casey Nocket As 'Major Suspect' In National Parks Graffiti Cases
Federal officials have publicly identified a woman suspected of graffiti vandalism in at least eight national parks across the West, including Yosemite and Death Valley in California, and credit social media for helping pinpoint the alleged culprit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/31/casey-nocket-national-parks-graffiti_n_6079512.html

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