California has managed a remarkable feat over the past 20 years. Even as its economy has grown to overtake Germany’s as the fourth-largest in the world, the state’s consumption of gasoline has declined by almost 15 percent, and consumption of petroleum diesel has fallen by around two-thirds. This has happened due to some of the world’s most aggressive climate policies, including a tax on carbon em...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights California’s successful reduction in fossil fuel consumption through aggressive climate policies, while also exposing the vulnerabilities created by its growing dependence on imported oil. The Trump administration’s intervention to restart the Sable pipeline and expand offshore drilling frames the crisis as a national security issue, emphasizing California’s exposure to geopolitical disruptions. Meanwhile, environmental groups and state leaders ...