There's More Where That Came From...
California is among the most environmentally-responsible states in America, but it still falls short in addressing the severity of climate change's impact.
Key sectors like environmental justice, waste management, chemical usage, and urban and rural transportation remain divisive in the plight for a comprehensively sustainable society.
This must change. Environmental work is interdisciplinary and expansive, allowing for innovation at every turn.
| Name | Section | Oversight | Departments | Helpful for... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) | Chemical | Regulating pesticide sales and usage, promoting reduced risk pest management strategies, evaluating human health risks from pesticide use, and controls compliance | Health and Safety, Enforcement, Pest Management, Licensing, Mill Assessment, Food Safety, Endangered Species Project, Databases | Implementing sustainable pest management practices, peer-reviewed research into human and animal health effects from pesticide use, and the environmental justice component of pesticide impacts |
| The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) | Chemical | Uses scientific evaluations as guiding actions towards enhancing Californian's health. Dealing largely with Prop 65 (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986), OEHHA ensure the responsible use of potential toxins | Air, biogas, biomonitoring, children's health, ecotoxicology, human right to water, pesticides, synthetic turf, wildlife | Conducting further research into measuring chemical levels in Californian's bodies, state-specific climate change indicators, physician-related opportunities in the chemical safety field, and food safety information |
| California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) | Chemical | Provides regulating protection from harmful toxic substances by restoring contaminated sites, enforcing hazardous waste laws, and encouraging safer manufacturing and implementation of chemical products | Hazardous waste, electronic waste, tracking and regulations, Brownfields, school safety, biomonitoring | Getting involved with environmental justice and tribal relations projects, comprehensive understanding of chemical's harmful consequences, working with communities, businesses, and consumers |
| California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) | Transportation | Cabinet-level agency focused on the state's transportation issues | Board of Pilot Commissions, California Department of Transportation, Highway Patrol, High-Speed Rail Authority, Transportation Commission, DMV, Office of Traffic Safety | Enforcement and safety inquiries, environmental policy relating to state transportation, freight and rail impacts on the environment, and tribal relation questions |
| California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) | Transportation | CalTrans mission is to provide a safe, integrated transportation system to support California's economic and social livability. | Six primary programs: Aeronautics, Highway Transportation, Mass Transportation, Transportation Planning, Administration, and Equipment Service Center | Adopt-A-Highway program, research to improve CA's transportation systems, analysis of the environmental impacts of highway movement, fixing state roadways, and safety programs |
| California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (Cal Recycle) | Waste | A coalition of the state's recycling and waste management programs striving for reduction, recycling, and reuse goals. | Administrative and finance, division of recycling, materials management, waste permitting and compliance | Responsible for the recycling of electronic waste, organic management, medical sharps (good to know information for the Cover-19 vaccine!), solid waste landfills, and composting |
Ready to Make a Difference?
Clean, mass transit options will be transformative in the way we interact and operate within cities. California is behind in the push for cross-state, group transportation options, but we're almost there.
For Bay Area-related news, check out
350 Bay Area
for their upcoming plans for surrounding areas.