Environment

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Measure HHH: LA’s Homelessness Reduction Bond

A Case Study of What’s Wrong with California Government In 2016, generous Angelenos approved Measure HHH, the $1.2 billion Homelessness Reduction and Prevention, Housing and Facilities Bond aimed at combatting Los Angeles’ homeless crisis. At the time, there were more than 30,000 people living on city streets or in shelters. ...
Blog

Will Californians Ever See Relief from Rising Gas Prices?

On Feb. 21, the price of a gallon of gasoline reached $4.68 in Bakersfield, a record high for the city – which happens to sit almost in the middle of the county that pumps 75% of all oil produced in California. Not that Kern County motorists can drive to the ...
Blog

California Should Embrace Nuclear in Race to Meet All Renewables Mandate

DOWNLOAD THE PDF California is the first state to surpass a million plug-in electric vehicle registrations. It’s a proud moment for those who are determined to eliminate fossil fuel vehicles. But it’s not the grand achievement they think it is. At the end of 2021, 663,014 electric cars and 379,125 ...
California

CEQA: The high cost of good intentions

By Chris Carr and Ken Broad California is in a quagmire due in no small part to the weaponization of CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. We are not providing the physical infrastructure befitting the world’s 5th-largest economy and leading crucible of innovation. Too often, critical projects don’t get built, ...
California

New Report Shows How “CEQA Gauntlet” Hinders Housing, School, Infrastructure, Climate Projects

With 3,000 prospective UC Berkeley students facing rejection due to a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit, the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute today released “The CEQA Gauntlet,” a new research project detailing how CEQA adds expense and delay to – and in some cases halts – critical California projects including ...
California

Watch Videos from 2022 PRI California Ideas in Action Conference

Conference Theme:  Saving California As PRI’s new book Saving California suggests, market-based reforms can help solve California’s biggest policy problems and even advance the goals of the state’s most progressive legislators. Come hear policy experts and real life changemakers discuss reforms that could push the state onto a better track and ...
Blog

Living With The Climate Karens

A recent Politico headline over a story that should have never been written read: “​​Soak up the February sun? Not without climate change guilt in California.” From there, it got worse. Lead paragraph: “Californians are lounging in parks, wearing shorts to the beach and dining al fresco without heat lamps ...
Blog

The Fight for Greater Transparency in Public Schools

One of the big fallouts of the COVID pandemic has been the revelation of what is being taught in the regular public schools.  Some of the most publicized revelations have occurred in California. Last year, it came to light that the Santa Clara Office of Education had conducted a series ...
Blog

The Cost Of Going Green Keeps Going Up

About that transition to all-renewables energy sources by 2045: Californians who are already punished by record-high electricity prices should be prepared to pay more than ever over the next two decades. Either that, or leave, a choice that many have already made and many more will. Recently published research by ...
Agriculture

Practical Life Skills Answer to Food Waste Woes

Inflation across the United States is still surging (up 7% from a year ago). Rising food costs are of concern as well: a 6.5% increase across the board – with a 16% increase for meat and dairy and a whopping 25% for red meat. Despite rising grocery bills, the U.S. ...
Blog

Measure HHH: LA’s Homelessness Reduction Bond

A Case Study of What’s Wrong with California Government In 2016, generous Angelenos approved Measure HHH, the $1.2 billion Homelessness Reduction and Prevention, Housing and Facilities Bond aimed at combatting Los Angeles’ homeless crisis. At the time, there were more than 30,000 people living on city streets or in shelters. ...
Blog

Will Californians Ever See Relief from Rising Gas Prices?

On Feb. 21, the price of a gallon of gasoline reached $4.68 in Bakersfield, a record high for the city – which happens to sit almost in the middle of the county that pumps 75% of all oil produced in California. Not that Kern County motorists can drive to the ...
Blog

California Should Embrace Nuclear in Race to Meet All Renewables Mandate

DOWNLOAD THE PDF California is the first state to surpass a million plug-in electric vehicle registrations. It’s a proud moment for those who are determined to eliminate fossil fuel vehicles. But it’s not the grand achievement they think it is. At the end of 2021, 663,014 electric cars and 379,125 ...
California

CEQA: The high cost of good intentions

By Chris Carr and Ken Broad California is in a quagmire due in no small part to the weaponization of CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. We are not providing the physical infrastructure befitting the world’s 5th-largest economy and leading crucible of innovation. Too often, critical projects don’t get built, ...
California

New Report Shows How “CEQA Gauntlet” Hinders Housing, School, Infrastructure, Climate Projects

With 3,000 prospective UC Berkeley students facing rejection due to a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit, the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute today released “The CEQA Gauntlet,” a new research project detailing how CEQA adds expense and delay to – and in some cases halts – critical California projects including ...
California

Watch Videos from 2022 PRI California Ideas in Action Conference

Conference Theme:  Saving California As PRI’s new book Saving California suggests, market-based reforms can help solve California’s biggest policy problems and even advance the goals of the state’s most progressive legislators. Come hear policy experts and real life changemakers discuss reforms that could push the state onto a better track and ...
Blog

Living With The Climate Karens

A recent Politico headline over a story that should have never been written read: “​​Soak up the February sun? Not without climate change guilt in California.” From there, it got worse. Lead paragraph: “Californians are lounging in parks, wearing shorts to the beach and dining al fresco without heat lamps ...
Blog

The Fight for Greater Transparency in Public Schools

One of the big fallouts of the COVID pandemic has been the revelation of what is being taught in the regular public schools.  Some of the most publicized revelations have occurred in California. Last year, it came to light that the Santa Clara Office of Education had conducted a series ...
Blog

The Cost Of Going Green Keeps Going Up

About that transition to all-renewables energy sources by 2045: Californians who are already punished by record-high electricity prices should be prepared to pay more than ever over the next two decades. Either that, or leave, a choice that many have already made and many more will. Recently published research by ...
Agriculture

Practical Life Skills Answer to Food Waste Woes

Inflation across the United States is still surging (up 7% from a year ago). Rising food costs are of concern as well: a 6.5% increase across the board – with a 16% increase for meat and dairy and a whopping 25% for red meat. Despite rising grocery bills, the U.S. ...
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