After the Governor delivered his State of the State speech this morning, reactions have been coming in. Here’s what I have collected so far. Keep checking back as I will continue to add them as they arrive.
If your agency or organization has a response to be added, please email it here. Individuals may respond by leaving a comment on this post.
Please note these are in alphabetical order.
From Food and Water Watch:
““By allowing fracking to happen in California, Jerry Brown’s actions are in direct conflict with his rhetoric today on water conservation and climate change,” said Food & Water Watch California Director Adam Scow. “Brown’s current water and energy policies mismanage the people of California’s water supply, and this – not his ‘green’ talk – will be what defines his legacy.”
“California is facing both a water crisis and a climate crisis, both of which would be made worse by fracking,” said Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Governor Brown has a huge opportunity to tackle both these challenges by banning fracking. A ban would prove he is a strong leader when it comes to protecting Californians.”
“With the recent drought declaration, the writing is now truly on the wall. It’s far past time for Governor Brown to protect our state’s climate and precious water resources by banning fracking today,” said David Turnbull, Campaigns Director of Oil Change International.
“Having just declared a drought emergency, it’s time for Governor Brown to face the facts and recognize that digging up and burning California’s reserves of dirty shale oil is only going to make this crisis worse,” said Ross Hammond, senior campaigner, Friends of the Earth.
Full statement here: Large Show of opposition to fracking at today’s State of the State
From Senator Ted Gaines:
““We should have a separate State of the State just to talk about water. Our reservoirs are puddles and the Sierra snowcaps are nowhere to be seen. This is a crisis. We need a massive investment in new water storage and we need it now, not delayed by decades of environmental lawsuits or Delta Smelt deliberations. This is a growing state and our infrastructure needs to grow along with our people. ”
Full statement here: Senator Gaines Responds To Governor Brown’s 2014 State Of The State Address
From Assemblymember Dan Logue:
““Water needs to be our top priority this year. We are looking at potentially the driest winter in 500 years. Reservoirs are drying up, farmers are losing their crops, and it’s just getting worse. Our economy is reliant on an adequate and healthy water supply. We need to work with Governor Brown to find long-term solutions to ensure proper allocation and usage of water throughout the state.” …
“Right now, it is imperative that we do everything to mitigate the effects [of the drought],” said Governor Brown in the State of the State. “We need everyone in every part of the state to conserve water. We need regulators to rebalance water rules and enable voluntary transfers of water and we must prepare for forest fires. As the State Water Action Plan lays out, water recycling, expanded storage and serious groundwater management must all be part of the mix…We can take this drought as a stout warning of things to come.” …
Full text here: Logue Responds to Governor’s 2014 State of the State Address
From the Regional Water Authority:
“”We applaud Governor Brown for his call to do everything possible to mitigate the effects of the drought. Calls by the Governor and water providers in the Sacramento region to reduce water use by 20 percent or more must be takenseriously. The Sacramento region has significantly reduced its water use over the past decade, and now’s the time to sharply continue that downward trend.
“However, more must be done over the long term–beyond a Bay Delta Conservation Plan–to ensure the state’s water supply reliability. Today, we are facing unprecedented conditions, and these conditions foreshadow a water supplyscenario for the Sacramento region that is projected to happen more frequently under future climate scenarios.
“Sacramento-area water providers have invested substantially in water efficiency, groundwater management, conjunctive use and habitat improvements over the past two decades to address our region’s co-equal objectives of reliable water supplies and a sustainable environment. These investments make the region better prepared to face dry periods. However, additional planning and investment is needed.
“We urge the administration to further develop its California Water Action Plan to detail opportunities and funding for water projects that will would add flexibility and resiliency into the system, especially during dry years. Such opportunities could include increased interconnection between agencies, expanded use of recycled water, more groundwater storage and production, greater use of surface water in wet years and changes to the way the system is operated in order to ensure reservoirs like Folsom are able to serve the needs of local people and the environment.
“We look forward to working with the administration on these important endeavors.”
Full statement here: Regional Water Authority Statement on State of the State 012214
From Assemlbymember Anthony Rendon:
““Thanks to the Governor and the work of the Legislature our state is on the road to a strong recovery. However, failure to address California’s drought and ongoing water crisis threatens to undermine our hard-fought progress. We need to pass a water bond this year to fund the investments in water infrastructure that the Governor mentioned to alleviate the impact of the current drought, prepare better for the next drought, and spur shovel-ready job growth while protecting our state’s vital agribusiness and food production sector. The Assembly has convened the most transparent process in crafting a fiscally responsible and earmark-free water bond proposal that deserves to be considered by the state’s voters this year.”
From Restore the Delta:
“There is a better way to manage our water. First, we need to export a safe yield of water from the Delta without repeatedly depleting the watershed. Second, we need to reinforce levees to ensure that the water that can be shared from the Delta is secure for all Californians. Third, we need to retire drainage-impaired agricultural lands on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. This will ultimately be cheaper than building the peripheral tunnels, and it will end the cycle of poor water management decisions made by state officials to enrich a few hundred corporate agribusinesses. Last, we need to put unemployed Californians back to work by investing in smaller local water projects throughout the state that will actually create new water. Independent reports on water conservation projects show that recycling, groundwater clean-up, and conservation programs will put twice as many people to work for each $1 million spent than a big project like the peripheral tunnels.”
Our response to State of the State address by Governor Brown
From Senator Andy Vidak:
I applaud the governor on his call for fiscal discipline and his commitment to local control of our schools. It’s encouraging that the governor mentioned the need to expand water storage and provide clean drinking water for our disadvantaged communities. I hope this is an indication of leadership, not delay, on a water bond that fully funds water storage on this November’s ballot.
From Senator Lois Wolk:
“I applaud the Governor’s message that California must remain on a path of fiscal discipline, and share his desire to continue to pay down our state debt and build our state surplus. I also share the Governor’s concern regarding the drought and the importance of taking immediate steps as well as investing in long-term strategies to better manage future droughts, which may be more frequent as a result of climate change. There are a number of noncontroversial actions and ready-to-go projects we can implement now, including wastewater recycling, groundwater storage, regional and local water supply development; delta ecosystem restoration and stronger levees to improve water delivery. Of course, the simplest and most immediate part of the solution is for all Californians to improve our own water conservation practices, as well as making the investments in the most efficient technologies for both urban and agricultural users.”
STATEMENT_ Senator Wolk issues comment on Governor’s State of the State
From the Sierra Club:
Statement from Kathryn Phillips, director, Sierra Club California:
“Governor Brown made his strength as a leader clear this past week when he declared a drought emergency in California. He touched on important specifics as to how he plans to guide us through this crisis in his State of the State speech this morning.
“However, he missed a vital opportunity to call for a moratorium on one of the biggest threats to California’s water security: fracking. So-called advanced oil extraction techniques, fracking and well stimulation, pollute millions of gallons of water with harsh, toxic chemicals, leaving the water unusable. Our limited fresh water should be reserved for supporting agriculture, quenching the thirst of city dwellers and providing flows for endangered fish and wildlife.
“Expanding production of fossil fuels contradicts California’s commitment to addressing climate disruption. It diverts investment from clean energy to dirty fuels that are at the heart of the climate problem.
“Governor Brown should follow in the footsteps of New York’s Governor Cuomo and impose a moratorium on fracking until there is clear evidence that the practice is not harmful to public health or the environment.”
From the Union of Concerned Scientists:
In his annual State-of-the-State Address, Gov. Jerry Brown issued a call to action for California to “do everything possible to mitigate the effects of the drought” and prepare for future water shortages in the midst of a changing climate.
“We do not know how much our current problem derives from the build-up of heat-trapping gasses, but we can take this drought as a stark warning of things to come,” the governor said. “The United Nations Panel on Climate Change says – with 95 percent confidence – that human beings are changing our climate. This means more droughts and more extreme weather events, and, in California, more forest fires and less snow pack.”
To deal with the current drought — among the worst in California history — the governor called for increased conservation, expanded water storage, improved groundwater management and watershed restoration. In addition, he called for investments in safe drinking water, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Below is a statement by Adrienne Alvord, California and Western States Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“The governor has made it clear that California, already a leader in battling climate change, must ramp up progress in reducing global warming emissions as the state faces increased droughts, more wildfires and a dwindling snowpack. Scientific evidence supports the governor’s position that these threats will intensify unless we take actions to slow the pace of climate change and reduce its impacts.
“I was particularly gratified that the governor called attention to the need to reduce the amount of gasoline used by Californians. The Union of Concerned Scientists believes reducing oil consumption is key to addressing climate change and has a plan to cut our projected oil use in half that will save money, protect our health, and lower global warming emissions—all with solutions available today.
“I applaud the governor for his continued commitment to California’s efforts to fight climate change and his plan for addressing the state’s critical water shortage.”
From the Water Replenishment District:
“The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) strongly supports Governor Brown’s recent drought emergency declaration, and we encourage all of the 4 million residents that rely on our groundwater resources to redouble their conservation efforts. Water is a terrible thing to waste at any time, but that is especially true during one of the worst droughts in history,” said WRD Board President Rob Katherman.
“WRD will continue to maximize locally produced and stored groundwater supplies in order to minimize the need to purchase imported water from the Colorado River and the Northern California Delta, as this drought will likely increase costs and demand for imported water resources,” concluded President Katherman.”
WRD Continues Responsible Management Of Groundwater And Local Water Resources During Drought
