On Wednesday, a federal judge will decide whether Oakland’s 2016 ordinance outlawing large-scale storage and handling of coal within the city will prevail, or whether a suit brought by the port developer will go forward. This legal contest may set a precedent for other cities that may wish to prevent development of fossil fuel infrastructure.
Almost all of our laws concerning rights of transportation and “freedoms” for various types of commerce were written long before we became aware of the grave danger that fossil fuel combustion poses to the earth’s climate and its inhabitants.
While Oakland’s action is based on immediate danger to the health and safety of the city’s citizens, all levels of government should take seriously their responsibility to help prevent the climate catastrophe that we now know is brewing. They must reflect on whether new fossil fuel infrastructure is really needed, or whether the transition to renewable energy can be managed with existing infrastructure.
Allen Carroll
San Jose
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