Capitol Voice August 2025

By Miguel Miguel

We’re writing with an important request: please let the California Public Utilities Commission know what you think about gas utilities’ proposal to conduct hydrogen blending experiments on Californians – and charge their customers over $200 million for it. You can weigh in as a member of the public (not as a representative of Sierra Club) at an in-person hearing in August (schedule below) or by sending in a public comment today.

Hydrogen blending can increase explosion risk and health-harming nitrogen oxide pollution (NOx). Utilities shouldn’t waste their customers' money on this false solution when we know electrification is a far safer, cheaper, more energy efficient way to decarbonize our buildings.

The Public Utilities Commission needs to hear from all of us.

Take Action Now to Fight Greenwashing

Find the schedule for in-person hearings below:

By Gabriela Facio

The State of California is a place of captivating beauty and further bolstered by the communities that inhabit it. From our redwood forests to desert basins, from our coastal cities to agricultural valleys, this state has long led the way on making the impossible into a reality across the spheres of environmental and social change. But today, we find ourselves at a difficult juncture where we are faced to address the climate crisis in a way that not only considers our present needs, but establishes a prosperous future for generations to come.

For over a century, the oil industry has left its mark on California not only across its landscapes, but in the health and safety of all people. From massive drilling fields in Kern County to the coastal refineries in Richmond and Wilmington, oil has been a defining force in shaping environmental policy, land use, and political power in our state. That legacy is far from progress but rather one marked by pollution, illness, and exploitation. Communities in particularly Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income neighborhoods have borne the brunt of oil’s toxic practices. It is in these communities where we see asthma rates are the highest in the state and concentrated cancer clusters form near refinery stacks. This is a legacy set where children grow up breathing some of the most polluted air in the country and are asked to normalize their experience.

Even with the progress we’ve made, the systems that have long protected the fossil fuel industry are still deeply entrenched and now are resurfacing in troubling ways. Despite California’s climate commitments, oil interests continue to shape policy behind the scenes. Governor Newsom’s recent request for updated oil production data, while framed as routine, has raised widespread concern that our state may be preparing to increase in-state drilling. At a time when we should be cutting ties with fossil fuels, these quiet signals suggest the door to expansion is still open.

These kinds of decisions are becoming more and more common, and they’re happening without the transparency or accountability that Californians expect. Instead of taking the time to fully review projects that could seriously impact our health, air, and water, we’re seeing a clear shift toward cutting corners. The most alarming is how the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, is being chipped away to benefit the very same groups it was meant to defend from. This law was put in place not to slow progress, but to make sure it protects people and their environment, especially those living near refineries and drilling sites. That process is being bypassed, leaving many residents without a voice and sending the message that our concerns don’t matter and that this is needed in the name of expediency, which trades justice for convenience. This is not the kind of California we should accept.

At Sierra Club California, we believe this moment requires more than small policy suggestions and instead requires structural change. Transitioning away from fossil fuels means challenging the very systems that have enabled pollution and environmental injustice to persist. It means no new drilling, no expanded refineries, and no rollbacks of hard-fought protections. It means standing with communities who’ve carried the burden of this industry for generations and ensuring they are centered in building what comes next. That shared urgency is what motivates volunteers across California to take action. Together, we are organizing to end this destructive cycle and build something better, something rooted in justice, sustainability, and community care. Sierra Club California is proud to be part of that movement, and we know real change happens when people come together to demand it.

Our campaigns reach into every corner of environmental advocacy. From pushing for refinery shutdowns and fighting for clean transportation to defending CEQA and advancing climate equity, this work is powered by volunteers who strategize, meet with legislators, speak at hearings, and talk to their neighbors. Now more than ever, we need your voice and your commitment. Whether you're drawn to policy, grassroots organizing, education, or direct action, there is a place for you in this movement.

Climate change is a crisis unfolding around us every day and it is our shared responsibility to address it. We are entering an era where recovery from disaster is becoming routine and rebuilding is no longer the exception but the expectation. The climate disasters we see are not normal and are part of a pattern driven by decades of delay, deregulation, and fossil fuel dependence. If we don’t act with urgency and resolve, we risk accepting a future dependent on oil companies that have no regard for future community prosperity. Let’s stand for justice. Let’s build community. Let’s say no to more oil and yes to the California we know is possible.

Want to be part of the movement for a fossil-free California?

Contact:
Karen Maki
California Executive Committee Chair
karen@karenmaki.com

Learn more: 
https://www.sierraclub.org/california/volunteer 

California in the Crosshairs

By Miguel Miguel

On Saturday, July 26, chapter leaders, Executive Committee members, Steering Committee representatives, and conservation campaigners from across the state gathered for a powerful summit, titled “California in the Crosshairs – United We Stand.” This convening was more than a meeting. It was a time to share in the commitment that our collective strength, relationships, and the clarity of our mission must guide us through a time of extraordinary challenge and change. To those of you who were able to join us, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks. Your participation and your commitment to showing up made this gathering an unforgettable experience. And to those who could not attend, I want to share what you missed and why it matters that we continue to show up for one another and for this work.

We are entering an era that calls for deeper coordination and faster mobilization. The Trump administration has returned with fewer constraints and aggressive tactics. At the same time, California’s own political establishment is advancing policies that weaken core environmental protections like CEQA. These forces pose a real threat to the state we love and the people who live here. This meeting made clear that we can no longer rely on past victories to carry us through. It was a meeting to recommit to action, to learn from one another, and to build a new kind of power grounded in solidarity and accountability.

As the new Director of Sierra Club California, I had the opportunity to speak to the group about where we are, how we got here, and where I believe we need to go. It was deeply energizing to be in a room of experienced organizers and community leaders who are not only aware of the scale of the crisis we face, but are ready to take bold steps together. In our time together, we discussed how the weakening of CEQA is already being felt in permitting decisions, water infrastructure planning, and public land use. 

Throughout the day, we heard from powerful voices including Senator Monique Limón, who reminded us of what is still possible in Sacramento when we organize with clarity and persistence. We also heard a powerful message from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, whose video message called on us to defend democracy while advancing environmental justice. Organizers helped moderate panels on climate and fossil fuels, public lands and forest health, and the future of water and coastal protections. These conversations were wonderful presentations that catalyzed ideas for collaboration across the Sierra Club. Each one prompted further discussion about how our chapters can share tools, amplify one another’s victories, and plug into statewide organizing efforts with greater coordination.

Breakout sessions gave participants the space to identify not only the challenges facing us in the next 90 days, but the deeper structural barriers that are slowing our progress. We heard about campaigns that are already seeing results, like the Santa Lucia Chapter’s Earth Action Hour and our digital team’s success in applying pressure on federal land sales. Overall this time served as a way of identifying gaps in our capacity, such as the need for more rapid-response infrastructure, better internal communication, and shared policy resources between chapters.

For those of you who could not be there, your voice is still needed just as much. The strength of Sierra Club California depends on active, interconnected chapters that feel empowered to lead and collaborate. This gathering was not the end of something, but the beginning of a deeper alignment across our statewide network. Whether you are new to the movement or have been leading for decades, there is a place for your leadership in what comes next.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharpening our priorities and identifying new tools we need to launch strategic campaigns that call for local and statewide participation. Sierra Club California will continue to advocate for our environment but we cannot do this alone and we should not try to.

Let this be your invitation to step more deeply into the work by reaching out to your chapter leaders. Join our statewide strategy conversations and even consider what action you can take in the days ahead to protect the places and people you care about.

Thank you for all you do, and for all you will do.