Now Can We Stop Pretending California is "Green"?

With half the state yet again in flames, I find myself of two minds with respect to the residents of California. On the one hand, my heart aches or this latest crop of Californians to lose their homes in this month's out-of-control brush fires.  On the other  hand, it amazes me that, despite seeing these same fires every few months, so many Americans continue to cling to the fantasy that California is a 'green' state. 

That California routinely burns to the ground from groundwater abuse, and yet so many residents of that state imagine themselves on the cutting edge of the sustainability revolution, is one of the greatest feats of collective self-delusion in the history of the United States -- as if dropping a brick in your toilet tank, driving a Prius, and wearing organic t-shirts constituted a sustainable economy.  Well, this resident of the Great Lakes region has some advice to the Golden State:  Americans everywhere will continue to have sympathy with all those who suffer in your fires, but if you want us to take your claims to being 'green' seriously, start getting your suicidal groundwater abuse under control, California.

Admittedly, my irritation with California stems in part from the number of West Coasters, these days, giving advice to Detroit about greening the auto-industry.  I know, I know:  the Big Three auto makers are the three biggest obstacles to serious progress on new energy and resource stewardship in American industry.  If GM, Ford and Chrysler were teenagers, I would say ground them and take away their cell phones until they agree to a national compact to transform the auto industry.  Washington and Michigan should do more than hold their feet to the fire -- they should throw the Big Three in the dungeon until they get some sense.  But, honestly:  advice from California?  People who live in burning glass houses should not throw stones.

One of the Californians who gets it right is Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.  Judging from the level-headed and respectful way this long-time California Congresswoman has approached the auto industry crisis, I would vote for giving Pelosi a Great Lakes region seal of approval (if such an award existed).

Speaker Pelosi's plan consists of three basic goals that seem darned close to the balance of environment, economy, and equality advanced by the sustainability revolution:

• Restructure the automobile companies to ensure their long-term economic viability;
• Meet standards for fuel efficiency that ensure the competitiveness of U.S. autos, including new fuel-efficiency standards;
• Deploy advanced vehicle technologies required to compete in the domestic and global market.  (link)

The only thing missing from Speaker Pelosi's proposal for the auto industry is a clear sense that a long-term plan for Detroit must have two distinct steps.  First, Washington and Michigan should step up to make sure the Big Three do no collapse from short-term cash flow problems, thereby preventing catastrophic job losses that could tip the entire Midwest into a a full-on economic depression.  Second, Washington must leverage the combined force of the legislative and economic branches to compel the Big Three to embrace sweeping reform towards sustainable practices -- vis-à-vis fuel use, production, and labor.  Prevent a depression, then transform the industry.  If those two steps are followed, the auto industry has the potential to radically change from problem child to ideal citizen in the wider movement towards a sustainable economy.

Meanwhile, the same kind of tough talk we hear directed towards Detroit's auto industry needs also to be directed towards California's reckless water practices.