Tag Archives: Mustafa Ali

Who’s Behind This Anti-California-Ruling Media Blitz?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened: David Roberts, aka Dr. Vox, penned an article that essentially spent 1,000 words arguing for and against California’s “all three-story houses must have solar” ruling, only to end up with a shruggy emoji to say, “Who knows how it will go?”

  • Since the article itself offers little in the way of serious argument (it’s a wordy listicle), I want to focus instead on the media blitz that has produced pieces like this.
  • It will be interesting to see when it comes out – and it will – who is behind the slew of negative coverage of the decision.

    • California ruling

    SolarWakeup’s View:  For whatever reason, the California Energy Commission’s decision to require all new three-story (or fewer) homes to have solar on them has unleashed something of an unexpected backlash, even in unexpected places.

    It even showed up at the Center for American Progress panel on climate change that I wrote about earlier, when Amy Harder asked climate activist Mustafa Ali if the California ruling would be a good idea for the low-income communities with which he works (he said it depends on the structure of the law).

    Leaving aside the fact it only applies to new homes, what the heck was the point of the question? Couldn’t everyone benefit from lower electricity bills?

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    And see, that’s the kind of digression on which opponents of the ruling, who are currently lurking around just out of sight but who are pushing this anti-solar narrative nevertheless, want solar advocates to focus. It’s like a blitz in the NFL: the goal is to overwhelm the blocking scheme with so many pass rushers that the one person they should be focused on gets through to sack the quarterback.

    I believe the current anti-solar blitz, focusing on the California ruling, is designed to distract from how revolutionary and visionary the idea is and how it could become more prevalent across the country if the California ruling succeeds (which it will) in lowering carbon emissions and making life healthier for the state’s citizens.

    So let’s not get distracted, OK, Dr. Vox? I know you just want to help, but allowing yourself to be distracted by the big shiny bauble the anti-solar crowd is waving in your face is NOT helpful.

    More:

    California will require solar panels on all new homes. That’s not necessarily a good thing. (Editor’s note: It’s almost UNIVERSALLY a good thing.)

    Panel Says We Will Win The Climate Change Battle (Their Mouths To Universe’s Ears)

    Panel Says We Will Win The Climate Change Battle (Their Mouths To Universe’s Ears)

    By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

    What Happened: The Center for America Progress (CAP) held its IDEAS conference yesterday, and the most interesting discussion with Amy Harder with Washington Governor Jay Inslee, progressive activist Tom Steyer and Senior Vice President of Climate, Environmental Justice & Community Revitalization, Hip Hop Caucus Mustafa Ali.

  • Washington State has one of the most progressive solar policy structures in the United States, and Inslee says he believes that progress will continue in the form of the first carbon tax, which is on the ballot as an initiative in his state.
  • Steyer said – again – that he believes the only way climate change will be defeated is as part of broader coalition that wins elections and makes a strong pitch for community solar.
  • Ali made the critical point that the United States must fight climate change in a way that doesn’t just push it to underservered, low-income communities.

    • climate change

    SolarWakeup’s View:  At yesterday’s Center for American Progress (CAP) Ideas Conference, Axios reporter Amy Harder sat down with Washington Governor Jay Inslee, progressive activist Tom Steyer and Senior Vice President of Climate, Environmental Justice & Community Revitalization, Hip Hop Caucus Mustafa Ali, to discuss climate change. What ensued was a fascinating discussion that lasted about 10 minutes and I’m sure will be its own video at some point, like CAP did last year (right now it’s smack in the middle of an eight-hour video of the entire conference).

    Several interesting things did come out of the discussion, including:

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  • Inslee is either running for president in 2020 or at least broadening his national profile so he can be part of the next Democratic administration. Oh, and he touted Washington’s work on climate change, including a carbon “fee” that will be on the ballot in November, which he believes will pass overwhelmingly.
  • Steyer, who in case you haven’t been paying attention is backing two critical pro-solar initiatives in Michigan and Nevada, said he believes climate change can’t be a stand-alone issue and that it has to be part of a larger progressive agenda to bring a coalition of people to the polls in November.
  • Ali focused on the importance of making sure underserved and low-income communities aren’t left behind in the climate change battle, saying the overall benefits – cleaner air and water, for example – should also be tied to jobs in those communities (which allowed Inslee to pipe up and tout his own state’s solar plan which, he says, invests money specifically to address the problems Ali highlighted).

    • The whole discussion is interesting and worth your time. I did a nice thing for you and shared the link that starts at the beginning of the panel. So go watch it now (and listen especially to Ali – his points are important additions to the discussion and are critical to its success).

    More:

    CAP IDEAS Conference discussion of climate change: