Watch: Why Supes' Anti-Oil Vote Matters; SB Homeless Shelter Mess, State St. Follies, Liquid Hemp Shocker
SB's Board of Supervisors set down a clear marker in the fight between climate advocates and the fossil fuel industry, and Nick, Josh and Jerry sort out the vote's political and policy implications
On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, ordered hurry-up reviews of all fossil fuel projects, expanded offshore oil drilling, froze spending for climate and clean energy investments, and attacked clean air standards requiring reductions in tailpipe emissions.
Then his climate-denying administration got really busy.
In the three-and-a-half months since (That’s all? Really?) his henchmen…toadies…policymakers have moved to dismantle nearly carbon pollution regulations that support the Clean Air Act; ordered that the “social cost” of carbon dioxide and other climate pollutants be deleted from consideration in regulation and policy making; canceled funding for the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which publishes the National Climate Assessment; omitted, for the first time since 2007, mention of climate change in the annual threat assessment prepared by U.S. intelligence agencies; ordered removal of words, including “changing climate,” “climate resilience” and “net zero,” from documents prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (which, icymi, they’re trying to abolish).
The list goes on. And on. And on…
It is in this context that Santa Barbara’s Board of Supervisors, voting 3-to-1 this week made the historic judgment to phase out onshore oil and gas operations in the county.
As a policy matter, it remains unclear exactly how, where and when this objective will be accomplished.
As a political matter, it could not be clearer that the supervisors drew a deep, wide line in the sand, repudiating the slimy, sooty, anti-science, poisonous, greed head energy strategy of the reality TV president’s administration.
“This is part of the Trump response,” said Nick Welsh, Indy columnist and executive editor.
The Angry Poodle joins ace podcaster and political writer Josh Molina and the genial host for a Three Amigos edition of Newsmaker TV this week, that leads off with a robust discussion of the extraordinary anti-oil vote, then segues into a conversation about the troubled operations of the city’s FARO House homeless navigation center.
In the latest chapter of the endless State Street Follies, we’ve got some well-reported, pointed commentary about paint shades and fabric swatches we’d prefer our favorite outdoor restaurants to adopt, and Josh teases a major looming shift in attitudes at City Hall about the wisdom of turning its main downtown corridor into a ghost town.
Plus: The fellas dive into the pluses and minuses of imbibing hemp infused beverages, featuring a special first-person report from Nick.
All this and more, right here, right now on Newsmakers TV.
Check out Episode 494 via YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and other platforms, and via Soundcloud here. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the show every weeknight at 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.