Groundswell: CLCV Blog

Firefighters, public health and safety advocates, green building professionals and environmentalists agree: It's time to get toxic chemicals out of our homes and buildings.

The good news is that a bill that will reduce Californians' exposure to toxic, ineffective flame retardant chemicals passed the state legislature and, just days ago, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

Lead is toxic. It poisons humans and wildlife alike. So why is lead ammunition still allowed in California?

Right now, Governor Jerry Brown is considering whether or not to sign a bill passed by the California Legislature to ban lead ammunition in hunting in the state. He should do the right thing by signing AB 711 into law.

Lead is a known toxin that has already been removed from nearly everything including paint, gasoline, and pencils. But it persists in ammunition, threatening California condors, mountain lions, bald eagles and golden eagles among others.

Yesterday afternoon, the California Assembly voted 47-17 to pass the one remaining fracking bill SB 4. Then the Senate voted: 28-8 in favor. We recently asked for SB 4 pass, and so did you – but not like this.

UPDATE (Sept. 10, 2013): Although the state Senate passed AB 976 on Friday, September 6, the bill failed concurrence in the Assembly and is now a two-year bill.

Californians love our coast, and for good reason: the Coastal Act has protected it for all of us, rich, poor and in between for four decades.

The California Coastal Commission is charged with implementing the Coastal Act, which was passed in 1976 to protect the state's 1,100 mile coastline and public access to the coast. Its mission is: "To protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of...