CEQA and I have been acquainted for about 3 decades. Hearing
during today's insightful discussion that today was the deadline to
comment on the CEQA analysis of the scoping plan, I have a couple
of thoughts to share even though I have not looked at one word of
this CEQA analysis.
Considering all the political angst surrounding CEQA processes
over the years, and our history of fossil fuel addiction...
This chapter of history starts with industries using fossil
fuels to facilitate various projects for profit and comfort, using
them in ways that are at best inconsistent and at worse outright
very harmful to the natural biological world. The results prompt
various regulations attempting to rein in and compensate for the
side effects of these various profitable projects, and now we are
in a situation where our economy is covered with hundreds of
bandaids.
So it's not surprising we have not been making much progress
towards various environmental goals. To the extent that this CEQA
analysis assumes we will continue with the same industrial and
commercial processes as were developed with the parameter of cheap
fossil fuel energy, it is not including the most effective and
sensible possible choice and path of action.
Our situation is analogous to that of a fat man with a closet
full of beautiful clothes, fine fabrics from every continent and
fiber, exquisitly tailored and accessorized, an outfit for every
occasion, etc., that this man is very very fond of. But for his
health, he has slimmed down, and now his clothes are far too big.
But he loves them just the same.
So he must choose between wearing his beautiful clothes that fit
him like a glove, that he has devoted much time and energy to
acquiring, by wearing many layers underneath, or balloons, or
something like a theatrical 'fat suit.'
Or he can bite the bullet and get some new clothes.