Dear California Friends,

With tough budget times and increasingly partisan battles in Sacramento, we now have to work harder than ever before to make environmental progress -- forging a new energy economy, promoting sustainable water management and protecting public health in California. Gov. Schwarzenegger set the record for vetoes this year, rejecting dozens of environmental bills, most notably bills that would have set the most aggressive target for renewable energy in the country. State legislative leaders just released a package of water policy bills intended to break the cycle of conflict and environmental damage that has plagued California's water management system for decades. The policy package under consideration would improve efficiency, reduce dependence on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, provide groundwater monitoring, improve water rights enforcement and more. With California in its third year of drought and the Delta in crisis, the state must act quickly to improve how we manage water for our people, farms and natural systems.

In a special legislative session NRDC's water team is leading efforts to ensure a sound policy package to solve California's water woes -- from revitalizing the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to improving reliable supplies for people, farms and nature. Read more about recent progress on this front.

Annie Notthoff, California Advocacy Director
Felicia Marcus, NRDC Western Director

October 1 marked the beginning of the revival of the San Joaquin River, as water was released down the dry riverbed for the first time in more than half a century. As a result of a settlement won by NRDC in 2006, water releases from the Friant Dam will improve water quality and habitat for wildlife along more than 60 miles of dry riverbed. Restoring flows to the river will also allow for the reintroduction of salmon, scheduled to occur in 2012, giving hope to commercial salmon fishermen in California who have struggled for the past two years due to record-low adult salmon populations.

With water and drought continuing to fuel debate in the West, this historic restoration is a testament to the ability of farmers, fishermen, state and federal agencies, and environmentalists to work together to solve one of California's biggest water resource challenges. Restored flows will allow future generations to enjoy a vital public resource, create jobs by restoring the ailing salmon industry, and benefit millions of Californians who rely on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for their water supply.

Read more about the San Joaquin River restoration effort.

In September, the California Energy Commission released its proposed efficiency standards for new televisions sold in California. Once adopted, these will be the most efficient standards in the world, reducing the energy use of new TVs by 30 to 50 percent and saving Californians almost one billion dollars per year in the form of lower electricity bills. These standards will also push the industry to incorporate more efficient TV designs and ensure that every model sold in California is an efficient one.

NRDC energy expert Noah Horowitz actively participated in the CEC proceeding, and we look forward to the commission adopting the proposed standards when it votes later this fall. New efficiency standards for televisions will reduce global warming emissions by nearly three million tons per year, continuing California’s role as a world leader in energy efficiency.

Learn about making your TV more energy efficient and compare the efficiency of your computer and TV here.

Earlier this month, seven U.S. governors and 30 international leaders gathered in Century City to discuss progress made during the past year at the state and local levels to address climate change. Panel topics at the Governors' Global Climate Summit 2 included "On the Road to Copenhagen," which focused on the role of governments working together to enact strong limits on carbon pollution locally and spur international action at the Copenhagen meetings this December. Deforestation, water security, public health impacts and the growing effects of climate change on arable farming land were prominent breakout panels during the summit.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, journalist Tom Friedman and several prominent representatives from the United Nations spoke during the three-day summit. The signing of an agreement between California and the Jiangsu Province in China to jointly reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency investments closed the summit. Read more about the California-Jiangsu agreement here. NRDC's delegation included Barbara Finamore, director of our China Program, along with David Doniger, Felicia Marcus, Audrey Chang, Peter Miller, Gina Solomon, Coretta Anderson and Nancy Golden.

As someone who is always looking for ways to increase the efficiency of everyday tasks, it is no wonder that Lara Ettenson found her niche advocating for strong energy efficiency policies in California. Lara works to ensure that California's efficiency programs continue to be a model around the world. She participates in proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission and works with energy utilities and other stakeholders. Lara also leads the energy group of the California Green Stimulus Coalition, a coalition of dozens of environmental, social justice and labor groups that helps shape how federal stimulus funds are spent and monitored in California. These topics are of great importance to Californians given the current economic crisis, unemployment rates, high energy costs and the state's unprecedented efforts to curb climate change.

Most recently, with significant help from her energy teammates in the San Francisco office, Lara helped shape the California Public Utilities Commission decision to award investor-owned utilities $3.1 billion over the next three years to capture significant energy savings. This decision will avoid the need to build three large power plants over the next few years and will create tens of thousands of jobs. Task forces will also be created to develop new financing mechanisms for energy efficiency projects, and to bring more energy efficiency services to low-income households.

Lara holds a master's degree in public administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University and a master of arts degree in education from San Francisco State University. Prior to working for NRDC, she worked on renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy education projects for the New York City Economic Development Corporation in Manhattan and taught elementary science in Marin County for five years.