Suit Challenges HSR Funding: Says It Worsens Climate Change
06/23/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail |
Climate
Change
TRANSDEF, the
Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund,
announced that it filed suit
in Fresno County
Superior Court today challenging the Governor's
fallback funding scheme for High-Speed Rail (HSR).
HSR was included in the list of measures to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contained in the
Update to the Scoping Plan recently adopted by the
California Air Resources Board (ARB). The Scoping
Plan is California's master strategy for
responding to climate change.
TRANSDEF’s attorney, Stuart Flashman, commented: “As a former scientist, I was disappointed that ARB ignored the scientific evidence. The huge spike in cement production needed to build all the viaducts and trackways for the Governor’s high-speed rail line will result in greenhouse gas emissions far outstripping any potential benefit from the line. Including high-speed rail in the Scoping Plan runs directly counter to the legislature’s intent in AB 32 and violates the direct mandate of the law." Read More...
TRANSDEF’s attorney, Stuart Flashman, commented: “As a former scientist, I was disappointed that ARB ignored the scientific evidence. The huge spike in cement production needed to build all the viaducts and trackways for the Governor’s high-speed rail line will result in greenhouse gas emissions far outstripping any potential benefit from the line. Including high-speed rail in the Scoping Plan runs directly counter to the legislature’s intent in AB 32 and violates the direct mandate of the law." Read More...
Will Sen. De León Take HSR in New Direction?
06/22/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
A striking column by George Skelton
suggests that the incoming Senate leader,
Richard De León, could set a very different tone
with HSR, forcing the Governor to change the
project so it finally makes sense.
Superb NYT Opinion Piece on Climate Change
06/22/14 Filed in: Climate
Change
The New York Times today published an amazingly comprehensive and
compelling opinion piece by Hank Paulson,
the former Treasury Secretary. Paulson speaks to
his fellow Republicans, comparing the risks of
ignoring climate change to the risks created in
financial markets by ignoring the bubble there,
which eventually resulted in near-catastrophe.
Highly recommended!
Six Challenges to Fresno-Bakersfield FEIR
06/05/14 Filed in: High-Speed
Rail
TRANSDEF has collected the six petitions that
challenge the
Fresno-Bakersfield project level FEIR. The
show begins...