More than 300,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and we’ll lose many more without swift action. Call on your governor to commit to ramping up testing and ensuring results come back quickly.
More than 300,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and we’ll lose many more without swift action. Call on your governor to commit to ramping up testing and ensuring results come back quickly.
Public Health
CALPIRG calls on state leaders to ramp up COVID-19 testing to save lives
As of mid-December, California had only achieved 22 percent of the COVID-19 testing target that health experts agree is necessary for preventing isolated cases from becoming outbreaks, according to a CALPIRG scorecard.
Transportation
California commits to go all-electric on vehicles by 2035
Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring that all new cars and passenger trucks in California be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, and banning the sale of new gas-powered cars after that year. Coming as wildfires continue to rage across California and other western states, this is the country’s most ambitious plan for electrifying transportation.
Consumer Protection
California persists with new protections in face of fires, COVID-19
Included in the windfall of CALPIRG-supported legislative victories this year are a law creating a California consumer watchdog, a first-in-the-nation ban on 12 toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in California, and a law prohibiting flavored tobacco products in the state, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed hours after it passed the Legislature.
COVID-19
Tiered reopening plan for California is a step in the right direction
Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a tiered reopening plan for California, which uses county-by-county data on COVID-19 transmission to determine which areas need tighter restrictions on non-essential activities. CALPIRG supports this plan and is encouraging the governor to continue prioritizing public health and the recommendations of the experts in our state’s COVID-19 response.
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CALPIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund
McDonald’s announced a commitment to eliminate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging used in its restaurants by 2025. PFAS are linked to kidney and liver problems, high cholesterol, reduced immune system function, and cancer.
News Release | U.S. PIRG
Illiinois PIRG applauds passage of predatory lending reform capping usury ceiling at 36% APR. Measure sent to governor. Illinois will become the 18th state, along with the District of Columbia, that effectively bans payday loans.
News Release | CALPIRG
Every second, the equivalent of one dump truck filled with clothing and other textiles from around the world is sent to a landfill or incinerator. Perhaps even more upsetting, many of the clothes were never even worn. Clothing companies commonly destroy, incinerate or send to the landfill unsold and unused clothing, known as overstock, to make way for new merchandise.
Blog Post
With vaccines here, it may soon be time to reschedule vacations and other trips for later this year
News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund
At the start of 2020, toilet paper stockpiling and a run on hand sanitizer would have never crossed our minds. Unfortunately, we’ve lived in a different reality since then. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Californians have witnessed shortages of -- and price gouging on -- a range of household and medical products from disinfectant wipes to face masks. And a year later, even though most products are back in stock, CALPIRG Education Fund’s new report shows we’re still seeing significant price hikes on essentials on Amazon.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.