Great news: California's landmark ban on buying and selling shark fins will go forward!

Last summer, soon after the state law (AB 376) went into effect, a federal rule change threatened to preempt the law and provide cover for shark fin hunters.

Thousands of CLCV supporters and many others spoke up and submitted public comments to the federal agency proposing the change, telling the agency not to undermine California’s effort to end our state’s role in the destructive practice of shark finning. Read More >

The first year of the 2013-14 legislative session concluded in the wee hours last Friday morning.  In the final days of the session the legislature considered a number of CLCV's and the environmental community's priority bills, many of which we had been working on since the early days of the year with the help of our members and allies. Read More >

"But they're so convenient." Really?

[Updated May 30, 2013: Today the California state senate failed to pass SB 405, the statewide plastic bag ban. The bill's author, Senator Alex Padilla, vowed to bring it back and convince fellow lawmakers to support it next year].

The main, lame argument I hear in favor of the ubiquitous single-use plastic bag is that it's convenient. And that it's difficult to remember to bring your own reusable bags when you're out shopping. Even the most responsible environmentalists among us have occasionally arrived at the grocery store and realized we've forgotten our trusty reusable bag (you know, the ones with the logo of our favorite public radio station proudly displayed) and had to juggle a few items on the way home on our bikes or in our electric or biodiesel cars.

But compare that minor inconvenience to the mess caused by millions of plastic bags littered throughout our communities and scoring free attendance to a popular trash conference known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Read More >

Yesterday, Speaker John A. Pérez appointed our friend and colleague Assemblymember Anthony Rendon to serve as the next chair of the Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. Read More >