Tag Archives: Wildland firefighting
Big Oil Lobbying & Wildland Firefighting Cuts + SF Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Interim Housing & Author Ruth Whippman — Your Call 10am PT & State Of The Bay 6pm PT

On today’s Your Call One Planet Series, we discuss a new analysis by Last Chance Alliance that shows the Oil and gas companies spent a record $38 million in 2024 to fight climate and environmental justice policies in California.

That brings the annual price tag for last year to $38 million, shattering the annual state lobbying record for the industry by 45%, which stood at $26.2 million in 2017. Spending by two groups alone, Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and Chevron, broke the previous record, coming in at $31.6 million in 2024. WSPA and Chevron accounted for 83% of the industry’s expenditure.

To talk more about the report, we’ll be joined by:

  • Ryan Schleeter, communications director for The Climate Center
  • Christina Scaringe, California Climate Policy Director at the Center for Biological Diversity Climate Law Institute

Later in the program, we’ll talk to Mark Olalde, award winning reporter covering the environment for Propublica, about how Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the federal government have left the country’s wildland firefighting force unprepared for the rapidly approaching wildfire season.

According to Propublica, the administration has frozen funds, including money appropriated by Congress, and issued a deluge of orders eliminating federal employees, which has thrown agencies tasked with battling blazes into disarray as individual offices and managers struggle to interpret the directives. The uncertainty has limited training and postponed work to reduce flammable vegetation in areas vulnerable to wildfire. It has also left some firefighters with little choice but to leave the force, their colleagues said.

Then on State of the Bay at 6pm PT, we’ll delve into the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and DignityMoves CEO Elizabeth Funk. Why has it proven so tough to tackle? And could building more interim housing be the key to turning things around?

Then we’ll meet San Francisco’s new District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood.

Finally, we’ll hear about challenges facing today’s boys from Ruth Whippman, author of the book BoyMom.

Tune in at 91.7 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area or stream live at 10am PT for Your Call and then again at 6pm PT for State of the Bay. What comments or questions do you have for our guests? Call 866-798-TALK to join the conversation!