Laura Deehan has been the State Director for Environment California since 2021 and part of the public interest network since 2021. Ted asks her right up front: What is the state of California’s environment? Laura starts with her love of California, the beauty of the state, its wonderful coastline, mountains, deserts, and great valleys. Having grown up in Scotland, she marvels at the weather and our wonderfully diverse environment.

But she makes clear that there are serious issues to address: We still have some of the worst air quality in country. We are still battling water pollution issues. We are facing big impacts of climate change… heat waves, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and more havoc. That said, she notes that California is a leader in solving problems. The public is engaged and aware. There is lot of support for solutions… things like investing in clean energy and electric vehicles. She underscores her strong conviction that California is a leading state, at the vanguard of tackling big environmental problems.

The conversation then focuses on Environment California’s advocacy of coastal protection. She’s just led a delegation in Sacramento celebrating the 21st Ocean Day, where surfers, divers, community activists and others, “brought the ocean” to the State’s capitol! The delegation of lobbyists was also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act of 1976. She noted that, “it stopped crazy development ideas along the coast”… from numerous nuclear plants, lots more oil and gas drilling, and rampant development shoreline hotels. Thanks to the Act, and the will of the people, instead we have public access of our beaches and no private ownership of beaches and our precious coastline.

Also part of the agenda for Ocean Day’s lobbying was standing up against new Trump administration proposals for expanding offshore oil drilling, albeit wildly unpopular in California. State legislative actions are strategically being developed to restrict bringing any new drilling’s oil onshore.

On a positive note, her coalition is supporting expansion of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Just like parks, MPAs have basic rules: Enjoy but don’t take. MPAs were established by the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999 and there are now 124 MPAs off the California coast. They were created as an interconnected network to preserve and restore marine ecosystems. Laura stresses that there is so much more to be done given the threats facing ocean life. There has been a loss of 90% of large fish globally to due overfishing and the impacts of marine heat waves. In the last decade, California has lost almost 90% of its kelp forest habitat… with cascading impacts. Laura points out that kelp forests absorb 20 times more carbon dioxide than terrestrial forests.

The conversation then digs into offshore wind. Environment California has been pushing for 100% renewable power in the State. Laura explains that when sun sets, utilities have typically fired up gas plants to meet consumer demand as solar power drops off. But that’s exactly when the winds pick up, especially 25 miles offshore. California has an enviable offshore wind resource. Offshore wind alone could meet all of the State’s energy needs. Environment California is part of coalition called Offshore Wind Now which passed AB 525, a bill that helped set goals for offshore wind deployment… 25 GW by 2045. The Coalition supports lease sales and investments in port upgrades to bring this power ashore.

Ted asks who is opposing offshore wind and Laura makes clear that oil interests are working to discourage offshore wind. The fossil fuel interests are actively undermining support in communities, bolstered by President Trump’s dislike of wind. In fact, just last week, Laura laments that Golden State Wind took the buyout option that Trump offered to abandon its offshore wind lease. Taxpayer money is being used to reverse progress. In fact, the wind developers who take the buyouts have promised to spend same amount of money in fossil development. But Laura remains optimistic: Fully 80% of Californians want offshore wind. There is lots of enthusiasm for this clean energy resource.

At the end of discussion, and in response to Ted’s question on how Environment California prioritizes its advocacy and community organizing, Laura focuses on the things that we all agree on: She finds it interesting that even in such a polarized moment, we all want clean air, we want water that is safe to drink, and we want livable communities for our children. So Environment California is particularly focused on areas that have widespread support, as well as areas where it can activate Californians to effectively take a stand and to engage the will of the people who choose to make the Golden State their home.

Photo credit: James Rivas