First Name | Tamara |
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Last Name | Szabo |
Email Address | tamarafalke@gmail.com |
Affiliation | Citizens' Climate Lobby |
Subject | Please Stop Incentivizing Factory Farm Gas |
Comment | Dear Governor Newsom and Members of the California Air Resources Board, I am writing to express my deep concern about the current state of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and to implore you to take immediate action to address the environmental injustices embedded in the program. Including factory farm gas in the LCFS: 1. Incentivizes more corporate factory farms, harming family farmers, rural communities, and our environment. 2. Creates additional overproduction of commodities, pork and milk, increasing supply and further pushing down market prices paid to independent family farms. 3. Pays foreign multinational meatpackers, like Chinese-owned Smithfield and Brazilian-owned JBS, for their pollution. 4. Commoditizes methane production, which would fuel more methane producing practices. The LCFS has been manipulated by powerful corporations, particularly Big Ag and Big Oil. It has become the nation's largest and most lucrative pollution trading scheme for factory farm biogas, perpetuating harmful practices rather than serving its environmental objectives. It is driving the construction of more factory farms and factory farm biogas projects in states far from California, causing severe harm to our air, water, public health, rural economies, and overall quality of life. Please consider and prioritize the following reforms to the LCFS: 1. Eliminate "avoided methane crediting" in 2024. 2. Address inaccuracies in the Life Cycle Assessment that ignore associated up and downstream greenhouse gas emissions from factory farm gas production. 3. Remove the 10-year "grace period" for factory farm gas producers. 4. Stop double counting by allowing factory farm gas projects paid for and claimed by other programs to sell LCFS credits as well. CARB holds a pivotal opportunity this year to adopt new rules that align the LCFS with California's environmental justice commitments. Environmental justice, zero emission, and climate advocates have presented a clear alternative to the current policies that heap lavish rewards on the biggest polluters through the Comprehensive EJ Scenario. CARB should adopt those recommendations to stop moving California climate policy in the wrong direction. Please lead the charge in demanding a future free from the clutches of Big Oil and Big Ag. By prioritizing the well-being of Californians over corporate profits, we can reform the LCFS to protect communities most affected by its current flaws. Your decisive action in this critical matter would demonstrate a commitment to bold climate action rooted in justice. Please stop exporting your bad policy to our front doors. Thank you. |
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted | 2024-02-19 03:23:53 |
If you have any questions or comments please contact Clerk of the Board at (916) 322-5594.