Capitol Voice March 2026

By Sierra Club California

We’re excited to share the launch of The Climate Dispatch, the official Sierra Club California podcast produced by the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter in partnership with Stranded Astronaut Productions. The show explores the climate issues shaping communities across California, from plastic pollution and housing to climate migration and environmental justice.

Each episode features conversations with experts, advocates, and community leaders while uplifting local stories, community struggles, and the solutions emerging across the state.

Episode One: Does a Butterfly Need a Visa?

Migration has always been a part of life, whether you’re a butterfly, a whale, or a human being. But as the climate crisis accelerates, more people are being forced to leave their homes due to wildfires, floods, and shifting ecosystems that destabilize communities and local economies. 

This first episode explores the deep connections between climate change and migration, the sustainable practices immigrant communities have long championed, and the importance of community resilience as we face a changing climate.

The episode features:

• Special co-host Sabrina Claros
• Isaias Hernandez, environmental storyteller
• Jose Miguel Ruiz, CultivaLA
• Amanda Pantoja, Green Latinos

Each episode also closes with music from emerging artists: Episode One features Zena Carlota.

Listen now: sc.org/climatedispatch

Tune in and join us as we explore the stories, challenges, and solutions shaping California’s climate future.

By Molly Culton

California’s coastline is home to one of the most ambitious ocean conservation efforts in the world: a statewide network of marine protected areas (MPAs). Often described as the ocean’s equivalent of parks and wildlife refuges, these protected zones safeguard marine habitats, help fish populations recover, and preserve biodiversity for future generations.

Now, a new interactive story map is helping Californians better understand potential changes to that network and what those changes could mean for the future of our coast.

Why Marine Protected Areas Matter

California’s MPA network was established through the Marine Life Protection Act, creating more than 100 protected areas along the state’s coast. These areas protect ecosystems ranging from kelp forests and rocky reefs to deep underwater banks and coastal estuaries.

Marine protected areas serve several important functions. They provide safe habitats where marine species can reproduce and grow, they help maintain healthy ecosystems, and they support long-term sustainability for fisheries and coastal economies. Studies from California and around the world have shown that well-designed protected areas can lead to larger fish populations, healthier habitats, and more resilient ocean ecosystems.

A New Tool to Explore Proposed Changes

The new storymap created by Environment California Research & Policy Center offers a visual guide to petitions proposing modifications to California’s MPA network. The interactive tool allows users to explore specific locations along the coast and see how proposed changes could affect existing protected areas.

Some of the petitions seek to strengthen protections. These proposals could expand protected boundaries, increase safeguards for vulnerable habitats, or improve conservation outcomes in areas where ecosystems are particularly sensitive. Meanwhile, other proposals could reduce protections in certain locations, potentially opening areas to additional human activities that conservation advocates say could impact marine ecosystems.

The Adaptive Management Process

Proposals to change marine protected areas are part of California’s adaptive management approach. Rather than remaining static, the MPA network is periodically reviewed to ensure it continues to meet conservation goals while reflecting new science, environmental changes, and community input.

During this process, state agencies and the California Fish and Game Commission review petitions and evaluate whether changes would improve or weaken protections for marine ecosystems.

Public participation also plays a key role. Tools like the storymap help residents, advocates, scientists, and policymakers better understand the potential impacts of proposed changes.

What’s at Stake

California’s coastal ecosystems face increasing pressures from climate change and ocean warming to pollution and habitat degradation. Strong marine protections can help ecosystems remain resilient in the face of these challenges. Protecting marine biodiversity is also closely tied to coastal economies. Tourism, recreation, fishing, and outdoor experiences all depend on a healthy ocean. For many communities, the coast is not only an economic resource but also a cultural and environmental treasure. As discussions about potential changes to marine protected areas move forward, understanding the proposals and the places they affect will be critical.

To stay involved and learn more about petitions that may affect your community, visit Environment California’s story map: https://environmentamerica.org/california/center/resources/resource-storymap-of-proposed-changes-to-californias-marine-protected-area-network/
 

Extreme is now the new Normal

By Miguel Miguel

California is no stranger to heat, but in recent years, record-breaking temperatures and longer heat waves have pushed the state into a new reality where extreme heat is not just uncomfortable, but dangerous.

Across the state, heat is increasingly tied to some of California’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges: poor air quality, energy reliability, and the safety of homes and workplaces during extreme weather. In response, lawmakers in Sacramento are advancing a new wave of legislation aimed at protecting Californians from rising temperatures while accelerating the transition to cleaner energy.

Heat Is Becoming One of California’s Deadliest Climate Risks

Climate scientists warn that heat waves in California are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense. Rising temperatures have already increased by more than a degree across much of the state and are expected to rise significantly further in the coming decades. 

Extreme heat doesn’t just raise temperatures, but it amplifies other environmental threats. Hotter weather can worsen smog and ozone pollution, strain the electric grid as demand for air conditioning spikes, and disproportionately harm vulnerable communities, including seniors, outdoor workers, and people living in poorly insulated housing.

Recognizing these risks, California officials have developed an Extreme Heat Action Plan that focuses on public health protections, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term climate resilience. But policy makers say that planning alone isn’t enough. Legislative action is increasingly seen as necessary to protect residents from worsening heat.

New Legislation Targets Cooling, Energy, and Air Quality

A growing set of bills in the 2025–2026 legislative session aims to tackle extreme heat from several angles, especially by improving how homes use energy and access cooling.

One major focus is building electrification. Lawmakers have introduced legislation that would make it easier for homeowners to replace gas appliances with electric alternatives such as heat pumps. The proposed Home Energy Choice Act (AB 2313) would give homeowners the option to electrify their homes when utilities replace aging gas service lines, helping households adopt modern electric appliances instead of reinvesting in fossil fuel infrastructure. 

Heat pumps are particularly important in the context of extreme heat. Unlike traditional furnaces, they provide both heating and cooling, helping homes stay safe during hot weather while also reducing pollution from burning natural gas indoors. Advocates like Sierra Club California know electrification can improve indoor air quality as well. Gas appliances are a significant source of indoor pollution, including nitrogen dioxide, which has been linked to respiratory illness and other health problems.

Protecting Residents During Extreme Heat

California lawmakers have also passed legislation aimed specifically at protecting people from dangerous heat conditions. A recent package of laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom focuses on expanding access to cooling technologies like heat pumps, improving local planning for building electrification, and establishing stronger indoor temperature standards to protect residents’ health. These policies are designed to reduce both climate pollution and heat risk, since buildings are the state’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Preparing for a Hotter Future

Extreme heat is expected to become one of the defining climate challenges facing California in the coming decades. Rising temperatures will affect public health, energy systems, and air quality especially in communities that already face environmental and economic burdens.

The legislation emerging in Sacramento reflects a growing recognition that addressing extreme heat requires a multi-layered approach: cleaner energy, safer buildings, better urban planning, and policies that prioritize the most vulnerable residents. As California continues to confront the realities of climate change, lawmakers are increasingly focused on a simple goal in ensuring that every Californian can stay safe, healthy, and cool in a hotter world.