On Monday, April 22, we will celebrate the 49^th anniversary of Earth Day, a recognition of our support and commitment to the environment. As Californians, it's in our DNA to do what's best for our planet. We adopted the nation's first vehicle emissions and energy efficiency standards; enacted policies aimed at preserving the wilderness and coastline; and invested in clean technology. Reducing and recycling waste are also second nature to us.

This Earth Day, I'd like to share with you my key legislative proposals for the year that bolster our state's credentials as an environmental leader:

AB 40 requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to come up with a strategy that moves the state toward clean cars by 2040. The urgency of global warming requires us to take aggressive steps to cut back on fossil fuels.  The transportation sector is our primary source of greenhouse gas emissions - and where we can make the biggest dent in our fight against climate change.

AB 161 makes e-receipts the default business practice in California. Paper receipts would still be available by request. This move could save millions of trees and billions of gallons of water. Paper receipts are also a public health risk, as they're often coated with chemicals like BPA that are harmful to our bodies just by simply touching them.

AB 792 requires plastic bottle manufacturers to phase in the use of recycled materials and get to 100% recycled content by the year 2035. China has stopped taking much of our recycling waste. Plastics will outnumber fish in our oceans by 2050 if we don't take steps to reduce plastic waste.

AB 1046 calls on the ARB to annually forecast the state's progress toward getting five million clean cars on the road by 2030. If we are in jeopardy of missing that goal, the ARB could consider changes to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) incentive program, which has not seen a rate change in more than five years.

I continue to work hard to ensure our environment remains healthy and sustainable for our children and grandchildren to enjoy for generations to come.

Happy Earth Day,

Phil Ting
Assemblymember, 19th District