Hello,
I am a medical student and researcher. I see the direct ways
that climate change negatively impacts our health,
disproportionately affecting communities with less power. The
scoping plan does not go far enough to address the significant
public health crisis we are facing with respect to climate change.
Below are some of the reasons why
The draft plan
does not demonstrate that California is on track to even meet the
legally mandated goal of at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse
gases by 2030.[2] Short-lived
climate pollutants are particularly unlikely to achieve a 40
percent reduction.
The draft plan will not keep global temperatures close
to what scientists say will avoid catastrophe. The
world has only ten years to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50
percent if we are to attain the goal. President Biden has committed
the United States to a 50 percent reduction by 2030. Yet the draft
plan admits that it may not achieve even 40 percent by
2030.
The draft plan drags out elimination of pollution that
disproportionately affects poor people and people of color.
But rapid elimination of GHG pollution costs less than
the health costs of continuing pollution.
[8]
Wang, T., Jiang, Z., Zhao, B. et al.
Health co-benefits of achieving sustainable net-zero greenhouse gas
emissions in California. Nat Sustain 3, 597–605 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0520-y.
See the critique of the plan by Danny Cullenward,
Ph.D.: https://carbonplan.org/blog/scoping-plan-comments