…about being environmentally-friendly.
The question is why?
Photo courtesy http://www.frontpageonline.com
According to NOAA, in February the planet set a new record for the hottest month on record and, for the first time, “average temperatures over land in February were a mind-boggling 4.16 F/2.31 C above normal, the first time the significant and symbolic 2 degree Celsius bar has been topped.” (2 degrees Celsius is the internationally-agreed upon level to keep global warming below. Above that, dangerous and possibly uninhabitable warming is expected).
What does this have to do with a local Culver City election? Everything.
The last time Culver City residents elected someone of questionable environmental standards, we elected Sebastian Ridley-Thomas to the State Assembly. Ridley-Thomas, with a substantial oil industry donor base, was one of the so-called “corporate Democrats” in Sacramento who helped kill off the petroleum portion of the ground-breaking California state climate change bill, SB-350, last summer.
Especially at this moment in history, we must not put another person in power who puts corporate profits ahead of the best interests of his or her constituents.
In 2012, for just one example, Göran Eriksson opposed an effort by the City Council to create a citizen’s advisory committee on fracking (see Culver City Observer article). Regardless of the actual merits of the proposal, he actively spoke against creating another layer of protection against the oil industry that controls the Inglewood Oil Field that lies above us and continues to threaten the health of Culver City and its residents. That is worth noting from someone who otherwise doesn’t have much of a voting record. On his website and in the League of Women Voters forum last week, he says he is in favor of “firm guidelines” for oil drilling. For those of us who have been working on stopping extreme oil extraction in and around Culver City, those words are code meaning he is an oil industry apologist. We need someone willing to be tough to protect us from extreme oil drillers, not coddle them with guidelines.
On his website, Eriksson further sings the siren song of the fossil fuel industry by calling for the use of “renewable natural gas.” Again, this is yet another smoke screen that tells an actual environmentalist Eriksson is a fossil fuel industry apologist. Instead of promoting and building infrastructure for fossil fuels, we need to be closing the tax loopholes the natural gas industry enjoys — all while paving the way for more energy efficiency and investments in truly clean renewable energy sources that are good for our environment, our health, our communities, and our economy.
For another example, on his Eriksson for City Council 2016 website, in the third paragraph, Göran Eriksson calls himself a “lifelong environmentalist.” Yet he also very publicly opposed Culver City’s plastic bag ban (Eriksson on Why Council Is Sending the Wrong Message – The Front Page Online), an initiative that has successfully cleaned up Culver City neighborhoods of blight and continues to keep plastic bags out of Ballona Creek and therefore out of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Plastic bag bans have been considered such effective public policy that they have been implemented by 88 municipalities in California alone. In his commentary, Eriksson states that “Since the County implemented their plastic bag ban, they have done studies where they concluded that the use of produce bags that you find by the fruits and vegetable displays, has gone up 40 percent. That was not included in the County’s EIR.” This statement is categorically false because, as a call to the LA County Department of Public Works has shown me, that study he is quoting does not exist.
A further search shows that Eriksson has apparently deleted another blog he wrote opposing the plastic bag ban. The link to the article by Eriksson, entitled, “Single Use Plastic Bag is Far More Practical” still exists on ink and ashes_ May 2013 – Culver City.
If he’s actively hiding his position on the plastic bag ban, what else is he hiding?
In my opinion, especially after hearing from all the candidates at last week’s League of Women Voters forum at City Hall, if we want to elect truly environmentally-progressive members of the Culver City Council, we need to follow the lead of the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), and Bike the Vote, and vote for:
Meghan Sahli-Wells – “Councilmember Meghan Sahli-Wells has been a strong environmental advocate and a thoughtful and effective leader for Culver City,” said LALCV President Tom Eisenhauer. “On the City Council, she has been an extraordinary force for pro-environment priorities vital to quality of life in Culver City – like water conservation, active transportation, affordable housing, services for the homeless, and comprehensive oil drilling regulations.”
Daniel Lee – From “What Distinguishes Daniel Lee” Op Ed:
“Early on, Mr. Lee won the endorsement of the Culver City Democratic Club and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
“Later he added the endorsement of the Sierra Club and the Culver City Community Coalition. Now, the campaign can count the endorsements of Culver City’s federal and state representatives, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Culver City) and state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Culver City). Here is one factor that distinguishes Mr. Lee from the other candidates who have been endorsed by Rep. Bass and Sen. Mitchell: Both elected officials donated to Mr. Lee’s campaign as well.”
Thomas Small – “The Board of the LALCV is proud to endorse Mr. Small because of his passion for sustainable urban design, linked with smart transportation,” said LALCV Vice President Stephanie Molen. “Thomas will be a strong environmental leader on the Culver City Council, fighting for a strong sustainable future for the city.”
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We’re moving into an uncertain future where we will need strong leaders who understand and actively address climate change, drought and our other looming environmental disasters.
We must actively oppose those like Göran Eriksson who would pretend to support the environment when they clearly do not.
There is far too much at stake.
stopclimatecrazies 