Eight California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland, want billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies, alleging they caused major climate problems, like rising seas and extreme weather.
If there is a philosophy behind the president's policy other than his reflexive impulse to nullify his predecessor, it's that corporations should decide how they're regulated. That the automakers can't agree on an answer reveals the folly of this ideology.
Gov. Gavin Newsom made it official in declaring a statewide emergency to make additional resources available. But no one in the vast area affected by evacuations and blackouts had to be told they were living in a disaster zone.
Fifty years after the Santa Barbara oil spill, we can trace how that crisis shaped California institutions, attitudes and relationships with the environment.
Beginning Wednesday, business and political leaders will showcase their detailed plans at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. The challenging promises and boldface names are badly needed.
