Kern County is the food and oil heart which long ago branded California as the “Land of fruits and nuts.” But now, California’s virtue-signaling politicians are intent on choking this economic powerhouse with climate-change edicts.
June 20, 2021 We’re alerting you to this Western battle because policies festering in Sacramento often go viral across America. Our source for this heads-up warning is an in-depth analysis by Joel Kotkin posted June 15 on the site Real Clear Energy. Title: The Killing of Kern County.
Joel Kotkin is the Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, California, and executive director of the Urban Reform Institute.
We encourage you to read his analysis, linked above. A few of his key points:
America’s fundamental power comes not just from Silicon Valley, but from ag regions like the Central Valley and oil-rich fracking fields in flyover country.
“The battle waged in Kern may sound the opening salvos of a greater conflict that could define the future of the United States for decades.”
While Governor Gavin Newsom resolves to shut down California’s historic oil and gas fields, its progressives “happily import oil from Saudi Arabia, which now supplies much of the state’s fossil fuel energy.” About 16% of California’s population is at risk of losing their jobs from this fervor to end oil and gas production.
“Like the energy sector, agriculture finds itself in the crosshairs of the greens, who link dry weather to climate but oppose the construction of new reservoirs, preferring to use runoff for natural areas like San Francisco Bay…”