Can California Save the US From Trump's Stone Age?

Californians don't dig coal.

Yes it can! Or, at least if you listen to New York Times columnist and bestselling author Tom Friedman. Although Friedman meanders a bit getting to the point--blasting Trump for advocating environmentally and socially backward policies along the way--he ultimately ends up there. In his version of events, the "California effect" in which most companies choosing to operate in that state have to meet higher environmental and social standards, usually meaning that they adopt similar standards nationwide, saves the rest of America from Trump's degeneracy:

I believe California’s market size, aspirational goals and ability to legislate make it the most powerful opposition party to Trump in America today. How so? Trump wants to scrap Obama-era standards requiring passenger cars to average about 51 miles a gallon by 2025; today it’s just under 37 miles a gallon. But as The Los Angeles Times recently noted, under the Clean Air Act, California “can impose emissions standards stronger than those set by the federal government, and a dozen other states have embraced the California rules.”

Overall, California is said to show that a better America is possible that is economically, socially and environmentally progressive:

Also, notes Energy Innovation founder Hal Harvey: “California has a renewable portfolio standard requiring that 50 percent of all electricity come from wind, solar and other renewables by 2030. Another 15 percent already comes from existing nuclear and hydro — so our grid will be 65 percent decarbonized in 13 years...”

As Kevin de León, leader of the California State Senate, told me: California has far more clean energy jobs than there are coal jobs in all of America, and California’s now nation-leading growth rate in jobs gives the lie to everything Trump says: You can have gradually rising clean energy standards, innovation, job creation and G.D.P. growth — all at the same time...

California is also leading the resistance to Trump’s draconian immigration policies, with a web of initiatives embracing tighter border controls while also creating health care, education and work opportunities for illegal immigrants who have been living here responsibly and productively.

Another thing I would point out is that California was in very sorry shape--especially financially--at the start of the millennium. The legendary Governor Jerry Brown deserves a lot of credit from getting the state going again.

If the US had elected Jerry Brown--it's had many chances--instead of Donald Trump, I think the rest of the world would be much less worried about being dragged back into the Stone Age. We can only hope Friedman is right about the present. I'd only that Brown is actually the opposite of Trump in being fiscally conservative instead of trying to super-size budget deficits:

Brown knows better than anyone, presiding over a state that proudly adheres to the popular stereotype of California social liberalism, but not to the more damaging one of Democratic profligacy. Brown is the rare progressive who can balance the books, who can sell fiscal restraint to Bay Area liberals and gay marriage to Orange County evangelicals.