Families and farmers deserve priority in California’s climate future

Climate change is not a distant threat. It’s a daily reality affecting the health, food supply, and livelihoods of all Californians.

The farmers and ranchers I work with are acutely facing the worsening effects of climate change. In recent years, floods have washed away farms, extreme heat waves have decimated harvests, and wildfires have damaged crops and killed livestock. These climate impacts are driving up the cost of food for everyone.

That’s why every Californian has a stake in how the next 20 years of climate policy will be decided this month when lawmakers finalize the terms for extending the state’s Cap-and-Trade program.

Created in 2006 and operating since 2012, Cap-and-Trade was intended to help Californians cope with the rising costs of climate change by requiring the state’