Comment Log Display

Chair Mary Nichols
California Air Resources Board
1001 1 Street
Sacramento, CA

Governor Brown
c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: ARB proposal to include international sector-based offsets in
cap and trade

Chair Mary Nichols and Governor Brown:

I have worked and volunteered locally and internationally on issues
of environment for nearly 3 decades. In 1990 I was a part of
crafting the Principles of Environmental Justice and the coming
together of voices and presence of communities impacted by
environmental injustice. Key to my commitment is addressing
environmental racism, i.e. Racism in the way communities of color,
poor, elderly and indigenous people are exposed to emissions from
greenhouse gas emitting facilities; racism in the way environmental
policies perpetuates disparate exposures through exclusion from
protection and unequal methods with regard to enforcement of
environmental regulations.

I am submitting this letter to express my opposition to your
proposal to include international offsets as part of California’s
cap and trade program.  The climate crises is urgent and life
threatening. The crises at hand requires critical thinking and
action.  Critical thinking that is inclusive and addresses
sustainability and responsible development in a way that
significantly moves the needle toward halting global warming. I
find it disturbing how industry and climate deniers are able to
have so much influence on how climate policies are crafted. I’m
disturbed by how maintaining corporate profits takes precedent over
human health. Finally, I am disturbed that the voices of those
directly impacted are excluded in this process.

I appeal to you to not pursue an international offset program. The
details of why are spelled out clearly in a letter signed by
organizations that include the Indigenous Environmental Network,
the No REDD in Africa, the California Environmental Justice
Alliance, the Just Transition Alliance to name a few. Instead of
spending time, energy and tax dollars on a program that satisfies
profit margins for industry; I along with millions living on the
front lines of the climate crises seek a shift toward policies and
action that mandate emission caps for industry. We seek action and
policies from you that ultimately reduces our reliance on fossil
fuels, coal and gas. Scientific studies have found that current
governmental policies including the COP 21 Agreements are not
sufficient to keep global warming to below 1.5 degrees; this
includes policies such as cap and trade. 

Crafting protocols to “fix” international cap and trade negative
practices is flawed, unrealistic and environmentally racist.
Garnering the political will to mandate caps and striving toward a
future where reliance on fossil fuels, coal, and gas is reduced
will be challenging, but is ultimately what needs to be done.  Take
the political leadership necessary to meaningfully and
significantly halt the warming.

Signed, 
Pamela Tau Lee
San Francisco, California

*Identification
UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Center for Occupational and
Environmental Health, retired
Asian Pacific Environmental Network, co-founder/past chair
Just Transition Alliance, training and education lead
Grassroots Global Justice member/ COP 21 delegate
Chinese Progressive Association – SF, board chair