Some media appearances from me this week on a range of energy, housing and rail topics:
- “Greater LA” on KCRW radio in Los Angeles covered the conspiracy theory that auto companies dismantled the vast Los Angeles streetcar network in favor of freeways, interviewing me for the segment based on my Railtown book.
- CalMatters reported on a new state legislative analysis of California’s renewable energy program, finding significant emission reductions and many research gaps, which helps deflate a Republican proposal to pause the program (with some quotes from me).
- KPCC’s AirTalk radio program featured a live discussion on Wednesday on the proposed “California Green New Deal” legislation, which in part seeks to boost affordable housing and a just transition for workers out of fossil fuels. I was joined on the program by Sylvia Chi from the Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics.
With the legislative session just beginning, I expect the media to continue to focus on the numerous proposals to address our ongoing energy and climate needs. Happy Friday!
The controversy over the Trump Administration’s effort to claw back billions from the California High Speed Rail project riled up the media, including Fox News, which featured a brief comment from yours truly:
I also spoke with KPCC radio’s AirTalk program yesterday about the fiasco, along with Los Angeles Times reporter Ralph Vartabedian and USC engineering professor James Moore. While both guests have been consistent critics of the project, even they sounded surprised by the Trump move and doubtful that it would hold up.
Finally, StreetsBlog USA weighed in, noting that highway projects don’t get this level of funding scrutiny and that media reports have been slanted against the project in this spate of recent coverage. I offered some comments to them about the unprecedented nature of this attempted funding rollback.
Now we’ll have to stay tuned to see how California responds to this federal move, including potential litigation.
