California Governor Jerry Brown Thursday vowed that California will fight any backtrack in climate change policies. Brown told an audience of scientist that California, the nation’s most populous state, will press forward with efforts to reduce emissions that lead to climate change.
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“We’ve got the scientists, we’ve got the lawyers and we’re ready to fight,” the California governor said to thousands of scientists. “And we will persevere, have no doubt about that.”
Governor Jerry Brown’s remarks help to reinforce California’s status as a political counterweight to Donald Trump and the Republicans—and the likely leader in the resistance to a Trump’s controversial policies, including a rollback of regulations on power plants and other emitters.
Many at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration fear that climate change research could also be cut, including satellites that the space agency uses to monitor the climate.
‘California will launch its own damn satellite’
“If Trump turns off the satellites,” Mr. Brown said, “California will launch its own damn satellite. We’re going to collect that data.”
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Donald Trump famously called climate change a hoax and has said he that would withdraw President Barack Mr. Obama’s climate rule cutting power-plant carbon emissions. Additionally he has picked a number of climate change deniers to join his administration including to head the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Department.
In 2015 Governor Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation mandating that by 2030 50 percent of California’s electricity will come from renewable sources.
Mr. Brown told the meeting of scientists that they would also need to stand up against the new Trump administration.
“It’ll be up to you as truth-tellers, truth seekers to mobilize all your efforts to fight back,” Brown said. “This is not a battle of one day or one election. This is a long-term slog into the future and you are there, the foot soldiers of change and understanding and scientific collaboration.”
Later in the speech Governor Jerry Brown took a swipe at former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who before becoming Trump’s pick for Energy Department secretary tried to poach jobs from California. “Rick, I got some news for you,” Brown said. “California is growing a hell of a lot faster than Texas. And we’ve got more sun than you have oil.”
