After debuting his legislation at the Paris Climate Talks last year, California State Sen. Ricardo Lara last week introduced a new bill that would greatly reduce short-term air pollutants such as black carbon, fluorinated gases, and methane by 2030. Senate Bill 1383 would require the State Air Resourced Board to to "approve and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants to achieve a reduction in methane by 40%, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030."

Audubon California is watching this bill closely because we understand that these pollutants are driving climate change while also creating immediate public health challenges for communities. Audubon research shows that 170 California bird species are threatened by climate change. Moreover, this same air pollution that creates public health problems in people also creates immediate health issues for birds and habitat.