To clear California High-Speed Rail for use on EXISTING train tracks between San Jose and San Francisco alone, the environmental review process produced a final report of 8,204 pages (456 hours of reading) and took almost 14 years to complete.
It’s annoying that even this project’s biggest advocates refuse to lift a finger to make it easier to actually complete. Just bogged down with environmental review, labor requirements, and bullshit side projects.
There should be exemptions for projects that impacting areas that are already urbanised or on developed land. There has to be time limits in place for the studies and for reviews for projects that are deemed to be something like a high value climate transition project.
The environmental movement has been completely co-opted. As an environmentalist I feel homeless. Are there any groups that exist anymore that are pro-environment and against this ridiculous level of bureaucracy which stifles green tech?
We need reform.