SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) Climate change poses a serious threat to public health, natural resources, the environment, and the economic well-being of California. Adverse impacts of climate change have led to increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as drought, heat, fire, and flooding.
(2) Potential further impacts include the exacerbation of air quality problems, a reduction in the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra snowbank, a rise in sea levels resulting in the displacement of thousands of coastal businesses and residences, damage to marine ecosystems and the natural
environment, and an increase in the incidences of infectious diseases, asthma, and other health-related problems.
(3) As droughts and fires have become more severe, ecosystems have become stressed, negatively impacting the quality of California water, air, and soil. With California’s growing population and economy, climate change will further strain water supplies and electricity generation capacity throughout the state.
(4) This will have detrimental effects on some of California’s largest industries, including agriculture, wine, tourism, skiing, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry unless steps are taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants, and other contaminants, and clean and efficient energy and transportation solutions are generated.
(b) It is the intent of the
Legislature to do all of the following:
(1) To minimize current and future risks posed by climate change to human health and safety, quality of life, economic growth, ecosystems, and the natural environment.
(2) To support climate change adaptation and resilience.
(3) To spur innovation and new technologies that neutralize or remove contaminants and emissions from the environment through research and development projects that do any of the following:
(A) Contribute to permanent and safe sequestration of greenhouse gases and carbon storage.
(B) Contribute to permanent and safe removal of criteria air pollutants.
(C) Contribute
to a clean, reliable, and affordable electric grid.
(D) Contribute to clean, reliable, and affordable transportation solutions.
(E) Address water quality and reliability issues that reduce environmental impacts in an affordable manner, including, but not limited to, promoting improved water quality, improved water supply reliability, or reduced flood risk and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat in an affordable manner.
(F) Address soil quality issues in an affordable manner, including, but not limited to, addressing crop, plant, and soil health and quality, animal production, and other agricultural sector-related issues that enable a sustainable environment.
(4) To address cross-cutting research needs that augment and fill gaps in current research.
(5) To implement, across multiple sectors, projects that do the following:
(A) Contribute to permanent and safe sequestration of greenhouse gases and carbon storage.
(B) Contribute to permanent and safe removal of criteria air pollutants.
(C) Contribute to a clean, reliable, and affordable electric grid.
(D) Contribute to clean, reliable, and affordable transportation solutions.
(E) Address water quality and reliability issues that reduce environmental impacts in an affordable manner, including, but not limited to, promoting improved water quality, improved water supply reliability, or reduced flood risk and enhancing fish and
wildlife habitat in an affordable manner.
(F) Address soil quality issues in an affordable manner, including, but not limited to, addressing crop, plant, and soil health and quality, animal production, and other agricultural sector-related issues that enable a sustainable environment.