I am a neurologist from Richmond/ Oakland.
The climate crisis is a public health
crisis fueled by our use of fossil fuels. The crisis is now getting
ever more severe in the form of PM2.5 and other pollution exposures
from fossil fuel emissions and increasing wildfire exposures that
will only get worse with increasing temperatures from rising
greenhouse gases. As documented, this disproportionately affects
frontline communities.
(1. California Legislative Analyst Report
April 2022 Climate Change Impacts Across California-
Heath describes
these health harms in detail) (2. CARB Inhalable
Particulate Matter and Health– suggest estimates in the 5,400
deaths annually based on ambient air quality)
These are desperate times that require very
aggressive measures
to avert an even more severe health crisis
which will test the very fabric of human survival with increasing
population displacement, water and resource depletion and political
instability. California is looked on as a leader in the US and
world and we need to take the bold action to protect health here
and humanity more broadly.
CARB’s purpose is to protect public
health – but this Scoping Plan fails to do so. It falls way
short of even meeting modest goals for zero emissions for medium
and heavy vehicle emissions by 2045 outlined by Governor Newsome
and fails to enact the necessary emissions reductions overall
required to avert an increasing climate health crisis.
A Few Examples:
-
No new
infrastructure for fossil fuels should occur rather than increases
as proposed
-
Aggressive and
real reductions in emissions must occur rather than hoping that
uncertain solutions like carbon capture will offset persistent
emissions.
-
California needs
to phase out all oil and gas extraction and petroleum refining
faster than recommended in this proposal.
The health harms of extraction are
excessive and disproportionately affect frontline communities.
As a
neurologist, I experience the consequences of excessive exposures
on people of color and social disadvantaged near our local
refineries in West Contra Costa County – increased Stroke/
Cardiopulmonary disease, increased asthma in our children and
increased incidence of dementia and parkinson’s disease to
name a few.
We need to start first with frontline
communities/ sacrifice zones:
-
Communities near
refineries like West Contra Costa County need to be aggressively
protected from emissions
-
Imperial, Kern,
San Bernardino, Orange and Los Angeles counties scored an "F" on
the American Lung Association's report card for air
quality.
-
A minimum setback of 3,200-foot that encompasses both
new and existing oil and gas sites will bring frontline
communities one step closer to environmental justice.
Please take the bold steps necessary to
help us turn away from an increasingly grim future by moving more
aggressively to meet our climate goals and protect everyone
including our frontline communities.
Thank you,
Bret Andrews, DO
Neurologist, Richmond/Oakland