SR 98

WHEREAS, The Senate recognizes the important role of the Amazon region as a carbon sink; and

WHEREAS, Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, a part of the Amazon region located in Ecuador, is recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having one of the greatest levels of biodiversity per-square-meter in the world; and

WHEREAS, Indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon, such as the Huaorani and Taromenani, often observe traditional practices and lifestyles which are heavily dependent on the natural environment; and

WHEREAS, Oil development has led to road construction and settlement that pushes deeper into Yasuni National Park; and

WHEREAS, Road construction and settlement for oil extraction in Ecuador places strains on forest sustainability, wildlife populations, and the independence of indigenous peoples, especially those living in voluntary isolation; and

WHEREAS, Oil transportation and pipeline infrastructure in Ecuador is often outdated and built over seismic fault lines; and

WHEREAS, Many oil spills in Ecuador likely go unreported or improperly cleaned; and

WHEREAS, Indigenous people in Ecuador have asserted that they are not duly consulted about projects, such as oil extraction, that will exploit their ancestral lands; and

WHEREAS, Ecuadors own courts have repeatedly recognized violations of indigenous rights to consult on development projects; and

WHEREAS, Substantial protests in Ecuador in June of 2022 were driven, in part, by demands for new regulations on oil development; and

WHEREAS, Over 17 percent of crude oil imports into California are from Ecuador, the largest foreign source; and

WHEREAS, Almost 50% of all oil drilled and exported from the Amazon goes to California, more than any other region in the world; and

WHEREAS, Civil unrest against the Ecuadorian government in the Spring of 2022 caused a two-week shutdown in crude oil production that negatively impacted the flow of crude oil to California, and our states over-reliance on foreign crude oil jeopardizes Californias energy security; and

WHEREAS, California produces 391,000 barrels of oil per day and consumes 1.8 million barrels of oil per day; and

WHEREAS, California, due to its strict regulatory environment and hostility towards an industry that provides thousands of jobs and reliable energy to power our economy, is dependent on oil imported from Ecuador; and

WHEREAS, Oil extraction in Ecuador has been linked to environmental degradation and violations of indigenous rights; and

WHEREAS, According to a scientific study by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, by 2023, port ships will be the number one source of pollution in the Los Angeles basin; and

WHEREAS, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires a substantial reduction in Californias greenhouse gas emissions; and

WHEREAS, California oil producers are the most heavily regulated oil producers on the planet and must comply with myriad environmental laws while also complying with greenhouse gas emission restrictions, which dont apply to the importation of oil; and

WHEREAS, It makes no sense that all crude oil imported into California is exempt from all California climate mitigation laws by which California oil producers must abide, and therefore imported oil is not climate compliant; and

WHEREAS, California has a demonstrated interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to curtail climate change

WHEREAS, Reducing Californias reliance on imported oil and replacing the imported oil with oil extracted and produced within the state, in order to meet Californians demands, will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing dependence on Ecuadorian oil and the deforestation of the Amazon; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California,That the Senate calls on the State of California to take steps toward domestic energy independence and eliminate our reliance on Ecuadorian oil, in the interest of the Amazon region, the health of its environment and native peoples, and the reduction of global greenhouse gas emission levels; and be it further

Resolved, That the state should continue to support and oversee the responsible production of fossil fuels within the state, which will ensure the state continues to have a reliable form of energy to power the economy.

Resolved,That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.