Milestones: A battle for hearts and minds is won

An attack on climate action repelled

We’ve seen it happen too many times: The oil industry draws on its deep reserve of lobbying money and blocks attempts to slow global warming.

In 2010, the industry is ready to pull out its playbook and reverse one of the biggest climate wins of the new century: California’s Global Warming Solutions Act. But this time, environmental advocates, including Environment California and CALPIRG, flip the script.

Act I: The Global Warming Solutions Act

Passed in 2006 with support from Environment California and CALPIRG, the Global Warming Solutions Act is the first in the nation to limit carbon and other climate-changing emissions economy-wide.

Four years later, clean energy use in California doubles, reducing the state’s carbon emissions and attracting $9 billion in clean technology investments.

Act II: Trouble comes to town

The oil industry, of course, is no fan of the act. Two Texas-based oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, launch a ballot initiative campaign to repeal the act on the November 2010 ballot.

The companies and their financial backers (including the Koch brothers) pour $10 million into Proposition 23, which, if approved by voters, would allow oil refineries and other polluters to put another 169 million tons of pollution into the air. Oil lobbyists write the text of the proposition; oil money pays for the signature-gathering required to put it on the ballot; and oil funds pay for the ads designed to persuade Californians to approve it.

However, something funny happens on the way to another defeat for outgunned environmentalists.

Act III: Californian chooses the climate

Together with an expansive coalition, Environment California and CALPIRG Students work to counter the industry’s advertising blitz, highlighting the Global Warming Solutions Act’s pollution cuts and positive economic impacts. The groups target young voters — the generation that will be most affected by climate change, and who overwhelmingly support clean energy and strong climate action.

Staff and student volunteers cover more than 40 college and university campuses across California, reaching half of the state’s students. A key partner in the effort is Van Jones of Green For All, who helps rally students at UC Berkeley alongside Environment California’s Dan Jacobson.

By Election Day, 1,000-plus volunteers hold more than 370,000 face-to-face conversations, gather more than 160,000 pledges to vote No on Prop. 23, and make 20,000 get-out-the-vote reminder calls.

Prop. 23 goes down in a landslide: 61% no to 39% yes, the largest margin for any of nine statewide ballot measures in 2010. It’s not just a win; it’s a statement: In California, climate action is here to stay.

About this series: PIRG, Environment America and The Public Interest Network have achieved much more than we can cover on this page. You can find more milestones of our work on climate change below. You can also explore an interactive timeline featuring more of our network’s climate change milestones.