Walters: Governor plays climate warrior, compromiser and coy candidate

Gov Gavin Newsom still insists he hasn t decided to run for president in But after persuading California s voters to gerrymander the state s congressional districts to grab more Democratic seats he embarked on a flurry of appearances that had the distinct aroma of a political campaign He did an interview on CNN jetted off to Texas to crow about California s passage of the Proposition gerrymander at a rally of Democrats specific chanted about a candidacy and then headed to Brazil as the self-appointed U S delegate to a context change conference boycotted by President Donald Trump Related Articles Gov Newsom says the senators who struck the shutdown deal aren t alarmed enough about Trump Uncertainty looms in Bay Area amid realizable end to authorities shutdown What went wrong for California Republicans in the Proposition fight Newsom s CARE Court helping fewer than expected in Bay Area Elias Newsom s presidential star rising after state s Prop win Oh yes and Penguin Random House released that in February it will release Newsom s memoir of growing up in San Francisco founding a business and segueing into politics titled Young Man in a Hurry A Memoir of Discovery It will cost just No presidential campaign is complete without an autobiography describing how the candidate overcame walls of birth and circumstance to become a dedicated general servant As Newsom surfaced in Brazil on Monday Politico journalist Camille von Kaenel filed this analysis of the governor s purpose The California governor s task at United Nations environment talks in Bel m Brazil this week isn t to negotiate sweeping framework changes or break into closed-door talks reserved for nations It s to put on a show proving his state is still cutting emissions despite President Donald Trump s rollbacks nudging governments and businesses to do the same and reminding the world that the U S might one day pick the conditions agenda back up perhaps under a President Newsom There is however a subtext to Newsom s claim to be a situation change warrior In latest months he s tiptoed away from the aggressive decarbonization programs he had championed earlier clearly trying to minimize impacts particularly costs on consumers Living costs loomed large in last year s presidential campaign One example is Newsom s effort to stop the planned decommission of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and several gas-fired generators in Southern California when it became evident that taking them off-line could lead to shortages in electrical power and foreseen blackouts Another is this year s -degree flip on the petroleum industry Newsom had spent months demonizing refiners for price-gouging but when two refineries reported plans to shut down raising the possibility of sharp gasoline price hikes Newsom shifted to maintaining fuel supplies and encouraging oil production to stave off imports We are all the beneficiaries of oil and gas No one s naive about that Newsom declared So it s invariably been about finding a just transition a pragmatism in terms of that process Still another example is what happened just a minimal days ago in Southern California After years of squabbling over carbon emissions from ships and equipment at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach the logistics industry and the regional air quality board appointed by Newsom reached a compromise The ports are a major source of emissions in the smog-sensitive region and the South Coast Air Quality Management District had been pressing them to shift from gasoline- and diesel-powered equipment to electricity Cargo handlers complained that expensive retrofits could make the ports uncompetitive in global commerce potentially threatening thousands of jobs The agreement requires a three-phase multi-year transition to zero-emission machinery which disturbs environmental advocates and even specific board members Opponents who requested immediate action chanted their displeasure and were removed from the meeting before the vote The give-and-take of ideas and compromises in this process it mirrors exactly what a real-world transition to zero emissions looks like stated William Bartelson an executive at the Pacific Maritime Association It s practical it s inclusive and it s grounded in shared goals Dan Walters is a CalMatters columnist