On today’s show, I speak to Dr. Michelle Merrill of Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island about their upcoming event Scientist Speak Out Rally and Teach-In.  We’ll switch gears and speak to The Climate Center’s Woody Hastings (Phasing Out Polluting Fuels Program Director) on the latest effort by the environmental justice community and beyond to urge the Newsom administration to prioritize the people of this state over fossil fuel profits.

Leaked Language from Newsom’s Office:

SEC. 7. Section 21080.80 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 21080.80.

(a) This division shall not apply to the approval by the Geologic Energy Management Division of a notice of intention under Section 3203 to commence drilling a new well, to the extent this division would otherwise apply, if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) Approval of the notice of intention is not part of a project for which there is already a certified, complete, and valid environmental impact report or an adopted, complete, and valid negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration.

(2) The wellhead for the new well to be drilled is located within an established oil and gas field, as identified by the Geologic Energy Management Division.

(3) The wellhead for the new well to be drilled is not located within a health protection zone, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 3280.

(4) Activities approved under the notice of intention for a new well will not require an individual take permit for species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.) or the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code).

(5) Activities approved under the notice of intention for a new well will not require a streambed alteration permit pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 1600) of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code.

(6) The wellhead location for the new well to be drilled has no cultural or historic resources present, as determined by a qualified archeologist based on a pedestrian ground surface survey demonstrating no cultural or historic resources are present at the site.

(7) (A) Before the new well is drilled, two other wells, as defined in Section 3008, shall be plugged and abandoned.

(i) One of the wells to be plugged and abandoned shall have a wellhead located in the same oil and gas field as the new well, as determined by the Geologic Energy Management Division.

(ii) The other well to be plugged and abandoned shall have a wellhead located in a health protection zone, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 3280.

(iii) A well that has already been identified in any idle well elimination plan described in Section 3206 shall not count for the plugging and abandonment required pursuant to this paragraph. A well plugged and abandoned under the requirements of this paragraph shall not subsequently count for compliance with an idle well elimination plan described in Section 3206.

(B) The notice of intention submitted for the replacement well shall identify the two wells that have been plugged and abandoned in accordance with Section 3208 and that satisfy the conditions in subparagraph (A). Plugging and abandonment of both wells shall be completed after January 1, 2026, and before commencement of work under the notice of intention for the new well.

(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2036, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2036, deletes or extends that date.

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On today’s show, I speak to 350 Bay Area Action’s Lead Organizer Zoe Jonick and Reclaim Our Power’s Policy Organizer Emi Yoko-Young on California Senate Bill 332 the Investor-Owned Utiities Accountability Act.  We’ll switch gears and speak to Ecology Center’s executive director Martin Bourque on Plastic Free July and California Senate Bill 54 Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.

Ecology Center Webinar:  https://ambr-recyclers.org/2025/07/webinar-unrecyclable-by-design-the-problem-with-flexible-film-plastic-packaging/

The post Power and Plastic appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, a bailout for California oil refineries? I’ll speak to Consumer Watchdog’s founder and executive director Jaime Court about the pushback from 50 plus environmental and public interest groups. We’ll switch gears and commemorate 10 years of U.S. Right To Know with co-founder and managing editor Stacy Malkan. In lieu of news headlines, we’ll be back after this reflection on the question, freedom for whom.

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On today’s show, I’ll spend the hour exploring the sponsorship and public relations side of the fossil fuel industry’s attempts to stay relevant and powerful.  I’ll speak to investigative reporter Rebecca John on her latest piece in DeSmog entitled, “Reveal: Now There’s Proof That The Fossil Fuel Industry Uses Cultural Sponsorships to Block Climate Action”.  We’ll switch gears and speak to Staci Roberts-Steele, executive director of Yellow Dot Studios about how they are pushing back against the false fossil fuel narrative.

The post Cultural Sponsorships & Parodies appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, Mycelium Youth Network’s outside educator and storyteller, Marcy Brown is back to spread the word about their latest community event “Community Day of Action” on Saturday, June 28th.  We’ll switch gears and speak to Evlondo Cooper of Media Matters for America on his latest study entitled, “How Broadcast TV News Covered Environmental Justice in  2024”, released on June 16th.

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On today’s show, we will hear the remaninder of my conversation with U.S. Right to Know investigative journalist Pamela Ferdinand about all the plastic in our bodies.  We’ll switch gears and have a conversation with policy advocacy director for CA Environmental Voters Melissa Romero on the closure of the Valero’s Benicia refinery and how the oil industry is trying to use that closure as a means to gut environmental protections and more.

The post Pamela Ferdinand and Melissa Romero appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, investigative journalist for U.S. Right To Know, Pamela Ferdinand on her recent article entitled, “Plastics may disrupt the body’s clock, raise risk of chronic disease”.  We’ll switch gears and speak to founder and executive director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network on their upcoming virtual online summit from June 23-28.

The post U. S. Right to Know and WECAN International appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, an update from Paul Paz y Mino, deputy executive director with Amazon Watch on anti-Chevron day and an environmental justice delegation visiting from Equador, and the looming possibility of Santa Barbara offshore drilling with the Center for Biological Diversity’s Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner.

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Today’s episode of A Rude Awakening is preempted by special programming for KPFA’s 2025 Spring Fund Drive.

Brian Edwards-Tiekert speaks with photographer and author Josh Jackson, an advocate for public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Through his Forgotten Lands Project, he employs storytelling and visual narratives to inspire engagement with California’s unknown landscapes. His latest book is The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California’s Public Lands.

To support our mission and receive Josh Jackson’s book The Enduring Wild as a thank-you gift, please donate here or call (800) 439-5732 (800-HEY-KPFA).

The post Special Spring Fund Drive Programming: Josh Jackson on California’s Incredible Public Wilderness appeared first on KPFA.

Today’s episode of A Rude Awakening is preempted by special programming for KPFA’s 2025 Spring Fund Drive.

Brian Edwards-Tiekert interviews Jeff Miller, the founder and Executive Director of the Alameda Creek Alliance. Miller also works with the Center for Biological Diversity on media, outreach, writing endangered species listing petitions, and biodiversity issues. His latest book is Bay Area Wildlife: An Irreverent Guide.

To support our mission and receive Jeff Miller’s book Bay Area Wildlife as a thank-you gift, please donate here or call (800) 439-5732 (800-HEY-KPFA).

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