"California will launch its own damn satellite."
December 14, 2016 5:59 PM   Subscribe

With Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as one of the few people in the incipient Trump Cabinet who even acknowledges climate change, and Trump planning to shut down climate science, and building enemy lists of federal workers, California Governor Jerry Brown stands up at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union to proclaim that "truth will prevail". And promises a California space program if necessary. Video.
posted by SandCounty (66 comments total) 44 users marked this as a favorite
 
You know, if anything would accelerate the separation between the wealthy coasts and the less-wealthy middle of the country, it would be things like this, because California could certainly pull it off, and probably leave the rest of the country in the dust.

I mean, imagine California's private high-tech economy plus all the state support and tax breaks it needed to succeed.

No wonder Tim Cook and Elon Musk got extra Trump time this afternoon.
posted by rokusan at 6:05 PM on December 14, 2016 [10 favorites]


the incipient Trump Cabinet

NOAH: So I guess I should upgrade it from "potential" to...
RIP RILEY: Incipient?
NOAH: Oooh, nice!
ARCHER: No! Do not upgrade that mutiny! Noah, I will tell you when it's time to upgrade the damn...
[Grenade flies through window]
ARCHER: ...mutiny. OK, so, what comes after "incipient"?
RIP RILEY: In progress.
NOAH: Nailed it!
[Grenade explodes]
posted by indubitable at 6:10 PM on December 14, 2016 [4 favorites]


<3 Jerry
posted by entropicamericana at 6:13 PM on December 14, 2016 [6 favorites]


Jerry: If they're going to keep calling me "moonbeam" 40 years later, I might as well do some space shit.
posted by JauntyFedora at 6:16 PM on December 14, 2016 [77 favorites]


Calexit to near orbit, eh? At least our national anthem will be better.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:16 PM on December 14, 2016 [4 favorites]


Mod note: This seems like a reasonable topic to split out, but it absolutely needs to stay fairly specific and not veer into general election/Trump-related reaction. Thanks.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 6:29 PM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


Bravo Jerry! You've always been ahead of your time!
posted by monotreme at 6:30 PM on December 14, 2016 [3 favorites]


I worry that the next round of CA politicians coming up won't be able to keep up what Jerry Brown is up to. Newsom? Villaraigosa? Garcetti? Harris, if she leaves the Senate, might have the best shot. I don't really see a super deep bench, here.
posted by tclark at 6:33 PM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


Take Oregon with you! We even have a Governor Brown too.
posted by lisa g at 6:34 PM on December 14, 2016 [8 favorites]


There was a talk on climate change making the Internet rounds a few weeks ago that suggested that it's actually pretty much inevitable that one of the countries that will be dramatically affected by even a small rise in sea level will decide to take matters into its own hands in the next few years, because it's actually pretty cheap to take some of the actions that would provide at least temporary relief. Basically, whether or not California actually launches its own climate data satellite, as soon as Bangladesh decides it has to, all it needs is to scrape together a few billion dollars (1% of its GDP or so) and rent a high-atmosphere plane to seed the stratosphere with sulfur because they have everything to lose and no one could really stop them. The US federal government has shown it's not going to lead on this, but there are still other entities out there with agency.
posted by Copronymus at 6:46 PM on December 14, 2016 [9 favorites]


i hope its called "CASA"
posted by raihan_ at 6:52 PM on December 14, 2016 [31 favorites]


Jerry has plenty to be pissed about in a Trump admin, but why bust on Texas? They generate more renewable energy from wind than California does from solar. And CA does plenty of fracking too.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:54 PM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


Calexit to near orbit, eh? At least our national anthem will be better.

We would call ourselves The California Republic, and we wouldn't even need to change our flag.
posted by sideshow at 7:06 PM on December 14, 2016 [4 favorites]


He reminded the scientists that he earned his nickname, Governor Moonbeam, in his first governorship for proposing that the state launch its own communications satellite, and even had an ex-astronaut on his payroll as a space adviser. “I didn’t get that moniker for nothing,” Brown said.

Damn straight.
posted by Guy Smiley at 7:07 PM on December 14, 2016 [3 favorites]


Man, if we are doing atmospheric geoengineering, go with the latest research and use calcite.

Also, as a Texan born current Californian, I sure loved seeing those West Texas wind turbines when driving to visit family. ERCOT is doing some good work integrating renewables. Georgetown is going for complete renewables. Need to be doing more, of course. Texas is the biggest CO2 emitter of the states by far. I imagine it's not so great on methane emissions either. Still, I'm proud at what the state has achieved so far.

I want all states to take up the call. Many are. Keep with what state utilities are doing at UtilityDive.
posted by Mister Cheese at 7:12 PM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


California Governor Jerry Brown stands up at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union to proclaim that "truth will prevail".

It's cute that you think the Trump administration will care about truth, Governor.
posted by vverse23 at 7:18 PM on December 14, 2016 [2 favorites]


I used to be all "remember that it's actually red countryside, blue cities, even in the reddest states", but this year, yeah, I'm kinda feeling the Cascadia vibe. Let's join up. We can call the resulting country "Calscadia".
posted by egypturnash at 7:28 PM on December 14, 2016 [8 favorites]


I do love my state (and it's democratic supermajority).
posted by Sophie1 at 7:30 PM on December 14, 2016 [8 favorites]


Sell it as sending those coastal lefties into space and you'll get red state support.
posted by adept256 at 7:35 PM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]


It's cute that you think the Trump administration will care about truth, Governor.

I'm not sure he thinks they do. It just seems he thinks it will prevail regardless.
posted by Juffo-Wup at 7:36 PM on December 14, 2016 [13 favorites]


i hope its called "CASA"

The recruitment poster really does write itself, doesn't it?
posted by rokusan at 7:39 PM on December 14, 2016 [4 favorites]


We would call ourselves The California Republic, and we wouldn't even need to change our flag.

New California Republic, surely.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:04 PM on December 14, 2016 [13 favorites]


You beat me to it, tobascodagama. I'm going to get me a NCR flag and start flying it.

California is the best.
posted by Justinian at 8:26 PM on December 14, 2016 [3 favorites]


This seems like a good place to sound-board an idea I had recently: It's like the Peace Corps, but domestic, and for left-wing people.

Left wing people in California sign up and agree, if their number comes up, to move to a swing state, establish residency, and vote in their elections. We send you off with a packet of information about residency requirements, the location of your polling place, etc. I assume we'd arrange occasional legal-weed care packages to remind you of home.

After two years you come back and enjoy our great state, secure in the knowledge that you did your part and that someone else has replaced you to keep that swing state swinging blue.

Then all we need to do is figure out in advance how many people we need to send to each swing state to keep the burden minimal.

Bonus: this will take some pressure off of the California housing market. Everyone wins!

I'm.... uh..... not entirely joking about this. Memail me.
posted by ngc4486 at 9:28 PM on December 14, 2016 [31 favorites]


I'm sure that Oregon and Washington will pitch in too. Left Coast! Pacifica Aeronautics and Space Administration?
posted by montag2k at 10:09 PM on December 14, 2016 [6 favorites]


An Opportunity for States and Cities - "States will play a much bigger role going forward. If federal legislation in healthcare, labor, environment, etc. is rolled back that creates an opening for States to step in. That may be an opportunity as much or even more than a threat. We can have more variety of policies which at a time of great change will produce more information."

Saving climate data - "So, scientists are now backing up large amounts of climate data, just in case the Trump administration tries to delete it. Of course saving the data publicly available on US government sites is not nearly as good as keeping climate programs fully funded! New data is coming in all the time from satellites and other sources. We need it - and we need the experts who understand it."

If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite! - "First we're downloading stuff. In the longer term we will try to make this stuff publicly available. And we will try to coordinate with the Climate Mirror project..."
posted by kliuless at 10:21 PM on December 14, 2016 [10 favorites]


Yay Jerry!
posted by samthemander at 10:27 PM on December 14, 2016


I've had some fun trying to figure out who'd be on the Republic of Pacifica's money. Ishi, Cesar Chavez, Gertrude Stein, Chief Seattle, Harvey Milk, James Beckwourth, John Muir, Buck Owens...
posted by Guy Smiley at 10:29 PM on December 14, 2016 [5 favorites]


Emperor Norton
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:40 PM on December 14, 2016 [15 favorites]


Take Oregon with you! We even have a Governor Brown too.

Think how pissed off the State of Jefferson people would be. They finally get their secession and it's still lefty.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 11:37 PM on December 14, 2016 [3 favorites]


Truly, California uber alles.
posted by quinndexter at 1:16 AM on December 15, 2016 [7 favorites]


Eh, California always gets the press. Merkley, Wyden, and DeFazio (D, Oregon) have been raising stinks since day 1 and doing a heck of a lot of work and speaking out.

Anyway California needs the two states north of it for survival (crops – Oregon's less hurt by drought) and tech. People may have heard of Redmond in the latter regard.
posted by fraula at 1:27 AM on December 15, 2016


This made me so happy. I so love my state.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:08 AM on December 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


Left wing people in California sign up and agree, if their number comes up, to move to a swing state, establish residency, and vote in their elections. We send you off with a packet of information about residency requirements, the location of your polling place, etc. I assume we'd arrange occasional legal-weed care packages to remind you of home.

I moved to Michigan. Where's my weed?
posted by LionIndex at 5:24 AM on December 15, 2016 [7 favorites]


I do love my state (and it's democratic supermajority).

Right here with you in that regards. We here in MA have a Republican governor but the legislature is a veto proof majority of Ds.

I still miss Cali though and want to head back there.
posted by Talez at 6:33 AM on December 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm grateful to Jerry Brown for speaking up in an inspirational and constructive way like this. One of the hardest things since the election has been how little Democratic leadership there has been. I keep looking for someone to rally around.

A California Space Program isn't as crazy as it sounds. I mean, people are funding satellites with Kickstarter campaigns. CubeSats are in the realm of $100,000 to build and launch. You need a lot more to do, say, high volume optical imagery. But you don't need a NASA-sized budget to get remote sensors up in low Earth orbit.
posted by Nelson at 7:49 AM on December 15, 2016 [4 favorites]


States are the future of progressive thought at this point. For instance, when Republicans repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing (which I guarantee is the actual plan), it may come to bear that New York and California and Illinois will roll their own, maybe inviting neighboring like-minded states to join in. I mean, why not? We have the tax base (which will get bigger under Trump when he cuts taxes for the 1%), we have the population to make universal insurance work. Just like we have the technology to make renewable energy work. The midwestern red states would suffer comparatively, but hey, that's what they voted for.

I'm not suggesting that California or New York secede (just as it was ridiculous when Texas thought about seceding under Obama) but the funny part is, if we tried to do it, Republicans would actually be on board - because they have no clue how fucked they'd be without us.
posted by fungible at 8:06 AM on December 15, 2016 [5 favorites]


why bust on Texas? They generate more renewable energy from wind than California does from solar.

I don't have numbers handy, but isn't that a gross measure that comes from the fact Texas is simply so huge? In terms of green energy as a percentage of all energy produced in the state, I think Texas is like 46th out of 50 or something.

Like, it'd take 100x as many wind-farms to offset all that oil and fracking.
posted by rokusan at 8:19 AM on December 15, 2016


Left wing people in California sign up and agree, if their number comes up, to move to a swing state, establish residency, and vote in their elections.

Is it OK to talk about Operation Colorado openly now? I thought that still had to be kept to the secret socialist international internet still.
posted by bonehead at 8:21 AM on December 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


"When Republicans repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing (which I guarantee is the actual plan), it may come to bear that New York and California and Illinois will roll their own, maybe inviting neighboring like-minded states to join in. I mean, why not?"

That's how Canada got their national single-payer health care system. It started in Saskatchewan, and proved irresistible. I could definitely see that happening here. Start it in Vermont and California, and it eventually spreads across country.
posted by jetsetsc at 8:23 AM on December 15, 2016 [11 favorites]


For instance, when Republicans repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing (which I guarantee is the actual plan), it may come to bear that New York and California and Illinois will roll their own,

Frankly, that's the kind of crazy idea that I'd expect from a hard-left activist like Mitt Romney.
posted by atrazine at 8:26 AM on December 15, 2016 [8 favorites]


I have an NCR patch on my courier bag*, so I'm ready.

* containing mentats but no stimpaks, sadly.
posted by rokusan at 8:44 AM on December 15, 2016


I could definitely see that happening here. Start it in Vermont and California, and it eventually spreads across country.

This is also the model we're seeing with legalized marijuana. It started with a couple oddball states, but it really can't be stopped now, I don't think.
posted by rokusan at 8:45 AM on December 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


why bust on Texas? They generate more renewable energy from wind than California does from solar.

I don't have numbers handy, but isn't that a gross measure that comes from the fact Texas is simply so huge? In terms of green energy as a percentage of all energy produced in the state, I think Texas is like 46th out of 50 or something.


I think Texas initially went big on wind because the EPA said they had to do something to account for their air pollution and that was the cheapest RE at that point, this was back in the 1990s under one Governor George W Bush. They have continued to expand. According to wikipedia Texas and California are pretty equivalent in terms of how much electricity they get from RE once you exclude hydro (which is a normal thing to do since most of the hydro is old and it doesn't reflect modern growth).
posted by biffa at 8:50 AM on December 15, 2016


44 comments and no Callenbach?
posted by sonascope at 9:02 AM on December 15, 2016 [2 favorites]


People may have heard of Redmond in the latter regard.

Amazon and Microsoft are the 2nd tier of places people want to work. Plus, they both have offices in Palo Alto anyway.
posted by sideshow at 9:16 AM on December 15, 2016


adept256: "Sell it as sending those coastal lefties into space and you'll get red state support."

Jesus, that's 2 DK references. Not just California Uber Alles, but One Way Ticket to Pluto.

Countdown.
Get ready for the blast off!
And don't forget the hype!
We're going into space.

Distinguished scientists
A pesky senator
And monkey turds leaking from the lab
All brought to us play-by-play by Howard Cosell

You're going where no man has gone before
Because we owe you some favors
And besides you're bright
A little too bright
...
You're chosen for this great mission
Because you're hearty and strong
And make a lot of fuss
Especially around us
We like you better when you're far away

Have you noticed?
You're gong the wrong direction
We have,
But that's your problem
We planned it that way
We had to dispose of all of you so
We can spoil the final frontier
How dare you question our Star Wars plans
For the farce that they are?
posted by symbioid at 9:44 AM on December 15, 2016 [3 favorites]


It often feels like your voice doesn't matter as much at the national level when you're in a deep blue region like the Bay Area. Calling our reps (though I've been doing that for positive reinforcement) doesn't do too much because they already agree with me most of the time. So it's actually inspiring to hear stuff like this. I'm really glad Jerry Brown is Governor and that progress is in some ways inevitable despite the setbacks. Between this and the '99 Reasons why 2016 was a Good Year' post I'm feeling a lot more hopeful than I was a few weeks ago.
posted by TwoWordReview at 10:35 AM on December 15, 2016 [5 favorites]


Amazon and Microsoft are the 2nd tier of places people want to work. Plus, they both have offices in Palo Alto anyway.

Google, Facebook, and even Apple all have offices in Seattle these days too - the tech economy of the two areas only gets more entwined over time
posted by vibratory manner of working at 10:50 AM on December 15, 2016


Jerry has plenty to be pissed about in a Trump admin, but why bust on Texas?

Its specifically about him and Perry and this weird CA-TX pissing match that was leveraged by California conservatives as Clear Evidence Regulations Are Strangling California Because There Go Our Jobs. Perry being an energy secretary from a fossil-rich state (#1 in oil production) is not an accident of the incoming regressive administration; its a fair beat. "Fuck (Texas) Oil" is not "Fuck y'all Texans."
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:18 AM on December 15, 2016 [2 favorites]


The feds ultimately control who can send stuff into space, so while a nice idea, it's not really going anywhere.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:26 AM on December 15, 2016


Brown also taunted former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom Trump this week announced as his pick to run the Department of Energy. In particular, Brown said that nothing Perry could do would stop the state from switching to renewable energy.

“We’ve got more sun than you’ve got oil,” he said.

posted by Room 641-A at 11:31 AM on December 15, 2016 [9 favorites]


I got this lovely vision of dozens of sci-sat laden rockets arcing south out of Vandy. Fly my beauties! But that'd require the air force to be on board, never mind the faa approvals. Lots of feds involved in launching rockets.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 6:39 PM on December 15, 2016


I mean, presumably they'd be paying SpaceX to take up a payload and not, like, building a new launch pad on the governor's lawn next to Schwarzenegger's old cigar tent.
posted by tobascodagama at 6:46 PM on December 15, 2016 [1 favorite]


That is if the Feds let them play with rockets.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:18 PM on December 15, 2016


Looks like Vice called some space lawyers about this here.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 3:23 AM on December 16, 2016


The federal government gives permission to other non-visible entities all the time—SpaceX and Blue Origin fall into the same category. To launch a rocket, California would need permission from the Federal Aviation Administration, which handles all launch permits.
This is where this effort is doomed. FAA chief Ted Nugent (or an executive order, or an actual law) will just refuse permits for climate-based satellite launches, or launches by whatever organization CA puts together to fund such a launch.
posted by dirigibleman at 6:27 AM on December 16, 2016


Doesn't matter. I'm sure ESA or one of the other space agencies would happily launch them.
They don't need to be launched from California.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 7:24 AM on December 16, 2016 [4 favorites]


The feds also control what can be exported.
posted by dirigibleman at 7:47 AM on December 16, 2016


We can build the satellites in the EU as well.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:10 AM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


Fort Churchill is still there.
posted by bonehead at 10:55 AM on December 16, 2016




Left wing people in California sign up and agree, if their number comes up, to move to a swing state, establish residency, and vote in their elections. We send you off with a packet of information about residency requirements, the location of your polling place, etc. I assume we'd arrange occasional legal-weed care packages to remind you of home.


Would this be in exchange for a stipend or guaranteed income of some kind? People leave rural areas to move to places like California because there are jobs there.

I'm originally from Louisiana (which I realize isn't a swing state, but bear with me here), and there are a couple reasons that moving back just isn't an option:

1. The already mentioned job issue.

2. Education. A kid is on the horizon. Why would I subject my child to Louisiana's miserable education system when I can live anywhere else in the US? My home state has a serious brain drain problem because almost anyone who has the ability to get a college degree of any kind tends to be tempted away by better opportunities out of state.

3. Racism. My partner is biracial. While people were cordial and we felt pretty comfortable on a recent visit to New Orleans, the answer is no. Just no. Why court ostracism and potentially even danger when we could live in "the liberal bubble" of a state where by and large being a white supremacist is seen as an extremist position and not the norm?

Assuming you're talking about anyone who isn't living in the most bubblicious of bubbles (white, childfree, wealthy), how the hell would this work?

Less progressive parts of the country should be working on attracting people. It shouldn't be on us to make sacrifices so as to prop up places that don't even want us.
posted by Sara C. at 9:33 PM on December 19, 2016 [5 favorites]


I will pop in at this late date to remind people the reason CA has a dem supermajority is because of a ballot measure a few years ago which redrew gerrymandered districts.
posted by benzenedream at 7:00 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'd love to read a reference on that, benzenedream. My understanding is the most recent California redistricting was more of an attempt to be fair than to be partisan. But as much as I love my Democrats, I don't exactly trust them on that either. Got a reference?
posted by Nelson at 8:02 PM on December 20, 2016


Propublica article : https://www.propublica.org/article/how-democrats-fooled-californias-redistricting-commission

I think the article is overkill, considering that both parties campaigned hard to kill the redistricting propoaition. Both parties opposed it since they were in perpetual stalemate with safe seats -- because of the 2/3 tax raise requirement, Rs could do nothing as long as they vetoed tax increases. Dems could blame the republicans for their inability to balance a budget. The current aituation is not perfect, but is better than it was prior to redistricting.
posted by benzenedream at 1:01 AM on December 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


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