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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been developing these rules for several years as part of its multifaceted strategy to achieve the goals of AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gas emission reduction program.  Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/02/11/california-leads-on-reducing-methane-emissions-from-oil-gas-operations/#ixzz40U7HsATq

A cap-and-trade bill proposed last month by California state Sen. Bob Wieckowski also would set aside hundreds of millions of dollars for the California Climate and Clean Energy Research Fund. The bill is headed to a Senate committee hearing, which hasn't yet been scheduled.

On Tuesday, the Humane Society of the United States introduced a ballot initiative called the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act, which calls for a requirement that all pork and veal sold in California be produced without restrictive crates, and that all eggs produced and sold in the state be cage-free. It would make California the only state other than Massachusetts, which passed similar legislation last year, to have such regulations on farm animal welfare.

More than 4,800 fuel-cell electric vehicles were registered in California as of May, and 36 retail stations were open to the public with 28 more funded, according to a California Air Resources Board report released July 31. An estimated 47,000 fuel-cell electric vehicles are expected to be on the roads by 2024.

Since 2014, oil companies reported that they used more than 20 million pounds and 2 million gallons of chemicals in their operations, including at least 16 chemicals the state of California classifies as carcinogens or reproductive toxicants under the state's Proposition 65 law. That recycled wastewater was then sold to irrigation districts largely in Kern County. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has allowed the practice for at least four decades and only recently required the oil companies and water districts to disclose the details. EWG detailed its findings in a report released Wednesday, two days before a public meeting of an expert panel convened to study the practice's safety. Although scientists don't know whether using oil field wastewater to grow crops poses a health risk to people who eat the food, the water board has refused to halt the practice until the expert panel releases its findings.

Despite a recent auction that left many emissions permits unsold, the California cap and trade system has been a big success, helping the state reduce emissions back to just about 1990 levels while growing its economy.

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) wants manufacturers to find alternatives to three chemicals contained in consumer product

California Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday announced an executive order establishing the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction target in North America - a goal to reduce emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. PG&E said it applauds the new goal and says it is attainable "with the right structures."

Starbucks has announced it will stop sourcing and manufacturing its Ethos Water in California due to the drought.

Starbucks has announced it will stop sourcing and manufacturing its Ethos Water in California due to the drought.

Walmart is the latest company under pressure to stop sourcing its bottled water from drought-stricken California.

California's new environmental rules, which will mean much tougher efficiency standards for buildings and greater use of renewable energy, are good news for the state's businesses, some experts say. Many large new-energy and infrastructure projects will be needed to meet the mandates, and that means money and jobs. "The most important thing the businesses need is a market signal," said Steve Chadima, director of California initiatives for Advanced Energy Economy

California legislators are considering tough emissions proposals that would double buildings' energy efficiency, require 50% renewable energy use by state utilities and halve gasoline consumption by 2030. The oil industry is launching a major PR offensive to derail the effort, but Gov. Jerry Brown says he's determined to implement the policies. "It's absolutely necessary if we are to have any chance of stopping potentially catastrophic changes to our climate system," he said. 

The Toro Company, with its irrigation business based in California, is helping the state's golf courses meet the mandated 25 percent statewide reduction in water use.

This month, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control announced its first three "priority products" under the Safer Consumer Product Regulations:

The Coca-Cola Company has partnered with NRG eVgo, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., to join Governor Jerry Brown's call to have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roads by 2025. Coca-Cola will provide electric vehicle (EV) charging at seven of its facilities across California. eVgo will install and manage the charging stations to provide workplace charging for Coca-Cola employees with EVs.

It may not come as a complete surprise, but the U.S. Energy Information Administration has confirmed that California leads the country in electric vehicle adoption. However, all-electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles still represent a small percentage of new vehicle sales.

California could ditch fossil fuels altogether by midcentury at a cost of $1.1 trillion, and would earn back most or all of that price tag through climate benefits and fuel savings, a new report suggests. Going 100% renewable would also save 10,000 lives and $100 billion in health care costs due to reduced pollution, the report found

Plastic bag manufacturers have filed a second ballot initiative related to the California plastic bag ban.

The largest solar-powered desalination plant in the US is planned in Fresno County, an inland area in California where the water contains natural salt and needs to be treated. The project, which could get underway next year, will create enough drinking water for 10,000 homes

"Shasta Lake, the largest reservoir in California and a critical source of water for Central Valley farms and cities from the Bay Area to Bakersfield, reached 100 percent of its historic average Sunday as billions of gallons continued to pour in from drenching downpours."