Californians and Butte County forward climate change legislation

By Jessica Allen

Above: Butte County “No on 23” coalition members campaigning in Paradise. 8/25/10

Chico Conservation Voters is a grassroots political organization that supports environmental candidates and issues in Chico and Butte County.

The final results of the November 2010 election show that California and Butte County vote progressively. California defeated Proposition 23, which received support from only 38.4% of voters statewide. With 5,746,399 voters (61.6%) rejecting Prop 23, the “No on 23” voters composed the largest pool of agreement for any candidate or initiative on the ballot. The anti-Prop 23 movement garnered more votes than Governor Jerry Brown (5,204,499), U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (5,004,091), or the voter-approved “Budget Reform” Initiative, Prop 25 (5,055,550). California voters have spoken; we have once again confirmed the solidarity that exists when it comes to preserving and defending our environment.

In a country that has recently and dramatically shifted to the right, our state has effectively shut out much of the corporate influence that is seizing the nation. Our ability and willingness to organize, from the state level down to the smallest townships, led to our triumph over the oil interests attempting to roll back our clean energy standards. In our efforts to preserve AB 32, Californians amalgamated, forming a new sort of coalition, one that is not built solidly upon party lines or special interest conglomerates. In Butte County, where the electorate’s conservative tendencies are taken for granted, we challenged the status quo as 54% voted against Prop 23. In a county that voted for nearly every Republican candidate on the ballot, we proved that global warming is not a partisan issue. We have also demonstrated that there is a great amount of potential and dedication within our community. As we move forward into a future likely to be fraught with many environmental challenges (particularly regarding water), the skills and participation of our citizenry will prove itself to be our greatest asset.

With a common goal and a sense of individual and collective responsibility, California took the first great step toward solving the problem of global climate change. We acknowledged that we have a problem, and despite the poor economy, have elected to move forward with our plan of action. Having accomplished what the federal government has been unable to, we can only hope that our willingness to squarely address climate change leaves behind a trail of success within the clean energy sector, creating incentive for the rest of the country to follow.

From the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of the Environmental News.