The Inland Empire will likely see a piece of the the state's newest $15 billion dollar investment into reducing the impacts of climate change.
735 million dollars of the package, signed by Governor Gavin Newsome last week, will go towards a clean transportation strategy. This means money for things like electric cars, buses and trucks. Today’s gas and diesel run versions are not only big greenhouse gas emitters, but they cause dangerously unhealthy air in places like the Inland Empire said Adrian Martinez, attorney for the non-profit environmental law organization Earthjustice.
“As one of the largest population centers in the state, I think the Inland Empire is going to see a significant amount of funding coming to communities," said Martinez. "And I think what we’ll see is more electric cars, trucks and other equipment operate throughout the Inland Empire and that’s necessary to make it safe to breath.”
The next step, said Martinez, would be to see strong regulations on industries that benefit from the use of heavy-duty trucks, like logistics, to get to zero emissions transportation and clean air successfully.
Some parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties will also likely see state investments in preparing vulnerable communities to better cope with climate change. The state package also includes money for sustainable agriculture projects and resilience against wildfire and drought.