CA Prop 4: Kind of Environmental – Serene’s Synopsis 90
As the US 2024 election looms ahead, all eyes are on the presidential candidates. However, there are many other important decisions to make on election day, including the various propositions being voted on in each state, including Proposition 4 in California. Prop 4, is the Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure, and if approved, it would allocate $10 billion in bonds for investments in water, wilderness, energy, and farming infrastructure. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that the cost to repay the bond would be an estimated $400 million annually for 40 years.
The category that would take in the most funding is Drought, flood, and water supply with $3.8 billion, which centers on managing water supply, flood preparedness, and the restoration of rivers and lakes. The ballot measure reports that “[m]ore than 60 percent of California’s rivers and streams fail to meet federal clean water standards, and more than 1,000,000 Californians still lack easy access to safe, affordable, and clean drinking water,” which the funding plans to address. It would make water more available by optimizing water use efficiency, cleaning and using “at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030,” collecting rainwater, and cleaning brackish groundwater.
$1.5 billion would be allocated to prevent fires and maintain forests, and $1.2 billion would be used to attend to marine and coastal land. The rest of the funds would be dedicated to Land conservation and habitat restoration, Energy infrastructure, Parks, Extreme heat, and Farms and agriculture, in decreasing order of funding.
This proposition also requires that at least 40% of the revenue be spent on projects that benefit low-income communities or areas hurt by global warming or climate events, and that all spending be documented by the secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. This would be accessible to the public on the organization’s website and include information on each project, their progress, and funding details.
This measure is the only proposition on this year’s election regarding the environment, but there are plenty of votes to be cast that can affect the future of global warming in other areas like elected officials.
I am not opposed to spending money on public infrastructure, but I can’t help but wonder whether all of these categories should be combined in the same proposition. Of course, all of these initiatives are set to benefit California residents, but that’s typically the case when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars in general. Prop 4 feels like it’s marketed as an environmental cause, and while some of this money would be spent on sustainable practices, it seems more focused on public infrastructure and adapting to the changing climate, rather than preventing it. I feel as though that money can be spent more wisely; instead of spending money to address crises caused by climate change, such as marine restoration, we should be focused on preventative measures like decarbonizing the energy sector. Although some issues do warrant immediate response, such as forest fire prevention, it is most efficient to stop global warming at the source. Less than 9% of the funds from this bill would go towards energy, all of which would go toward wind turbine and battery development and transmission lines. None of this funding would go to other energy sources that have the potential to provide us more efficient energy, such as nuclear or superhot rock. I get that investments in new technology can be risky and controversial, but think about the long-term. Are wind turbines really the end game?
Back to the framing of this proposition, since park services are receiving $700 million of the $10 billion awarded, why is it the first word of the Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure? Not to say that parks are a primary environmental concern, but the presentation of this measure seems a little strange to me.
Either way, I will be voting yes on Prop 4 this November, because although I find the branding questionable, I support the social and environmental investments it aims to make. I also appreciate that citizens would be able to track the progress and spending of the bond money on the Natural Resources Agency website.
Finally being eligible to vote is exciting, but it comes with undeniable responsibility. Having this privilege means we must do the research, whether that be on presidential candidates or state propositions. Many make the argument that their vote “doesn’t matter” because of the scale of elections, and although that logic is flawed, it makes voting on propositions even more appealing in my opinion. Far fewer people vote on propositions than the presidential election, so a single vote is more powerful. I know that new generations have consistently poor turnout, and I want to do the research not only to make educated decisions, but also to encourage others to exercise their right to vote as well. Knowing about these topics lets me share my findings with others, and who cares if it persuades them to vote the same way I do as long as it gets them to become more educated on the way their nation is being run. I encourage you to research all of the propositions on your ballot, which is pretty easy at https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page. I’m not telling you how to vote, but just that you should, or at least know what you aren’t voting on.
Also: maybe I should mention that suffrage shouldn’t be considered to be a “privilege” as I called it, because I believe everyone should have the right to vote, but it’s just not the case. I also believe everyone should have the right to drink clean water, but that doesn’t change the fact that many people do not, and I appreciate that I do.
All information used in this article, including the official ballot measure text, is found here:
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/ballotpedia/ – Ballotpedia is known for “very high” factual reporting
https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_14,Stem_Cell_Research_Institute_Bond_Initiative(2020)