California History and Environmental Challenges

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California faces environmental challenges, including water contamination, destruction of fisheries and habitats, and air pollution.

California has faced serious droughts, leading to water rationing and the use of low-flow toilets and showerheads.
Water contamination from agricultural chemicals poses a significant threat, causing health issues like cancer.
Managing water supply and preventing pollution are crucial.

The destruction of fisheries and habitats results from pollution, agriculture, urbanization, and natural population growth.
Agriculture has encroached on natural riverbeds, impacting animal habitats.
Damming rivers in the Sierra Nevada has altered ecosystems in the Central Valley, eliminating seasonal lakes and affecting bird migration routes (the flyway).
This habitat destruction has been institutionalized by agribusiness, making the environment commercially viable but less natural.

Air pollution is a major concern in California, especially in cities and the Central Valley.
The ring of mountains around the Central Valley traps pollution, leading to health issues like childhood asthma.
This issue dates back to the mid-1900s and is tied to car culture.
In the 1950s, Los Angeles experienced severe smog, prompting the enactment of laws like the Clean Air Act of 1963 to mandate pollution levels and emissions from vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board was created in 1967 to coordinate efforts to prevent pollution throughout the state.

California has dealt with environmental limits, including energy crises.
The 1970s saw an oil and gas shortage due to wars in the Middle East and an oil embargo, leading to gas rationing.
In the early 2000s, an electricity crisis occurred due to corruption at Enron Corporation, causing rolling blackouts.
California's large population necessitates conservation efforts.
The state implemented regulations for fuel, energy, and water efficiency, and the California Energy Commission promoted low-flow showerheads and Energy Star appliances.
California supported alternative energy sources starting in the 1970s, offering tax credits for solar and wind energy development.

California faces challenges related to its diversity, which has led to tensions.
The Watts riots in the 1960s and the 1992 Los Angeles riots are examples of these tensions. The LA riots were triggered by a police brutality case (Rodney King) and racial tensions, resulting in significant casualties and damages. $63$ people were killed, more than $2,300$ people injured, between $800,000,000$ and one billion dollars in damages and $12,000$ people were arrested and $1,100$ buildings were lost.
The same complaints from the Watts riots re-emerged during the LA riots, raising questions about progress made in addressing these issues.

Since the 1970s, governors have generally been moderate, with both Democrats and Republicans elected.
Democrats tend to be fiscally conservative but socially liberal (e.g., Jerry Brown).
Republicans are more willing to compromise with Democrats in the legislature (e.g., Arnold Schwarzenegger, who prioritized environmental issues).
Jerry Brown served as governor from 1975 to 1983 and again from 2011 to 2018 and supported the grape strike and farm worker movement (Cesar Chavez).
California governors since 1967: Ronald Reagan (Republican), Jerry Brown (Democrat), Republicans, Republican, Republican, Democrat, Republican, Democrat.
Gray Davis (Democrat) was recalled during the energy crisis.

California uses governing by initiative extensively since the progressive era.
Proposition 13, a conservative initiative, limits property tax hikes, basing them on the value at the time of purchase with a maximum increase of 2% per year.
Proposition 13 has affected California's budget, impacting higher education funding.
Proposition 13 is considered a “third rail issue,” although this may be changing.
Proposition 13 was led by Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann.
In 1994, the “three strikes” law was passed, leading to prison overcrowding and revisions to the law.
Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in California’s prisons due to overcrowding.
Also in 1994, Proposition 187, designed to deny undocumented immigrants state-funded services, was passed but later declared unconstitutional in 1997.
In 1998, Proposition 227 (English Language Initiative) mandated that all schools in California could only teach in English and was in place until 2016 when it was repealed in proposition 58.

In 2000 and 2008, propositions to only recognize heterosexual marriage were passed but later overturned. Same-sex marriage was declared a fundamental right by the Supreme Court in 2015.
In 1996, California legalized medical marijuana (Proposition 215), followed by legalizing marijuana for everyone in 2016 with Proposition 64.

California faces problems but also has potential.
Current issues like the standoff between the state and federal government, the housing crisis, and constant fires are likely to be in future history textbooks.