California has found another way to turn governance into a progressive showcase, this time by reimagining air quality through the lens of “racial equity.” The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has launched its latest initiative, aiming to align air quality policies with the trendy ideals of social justice. Rather than focus on measurable scientific advancements, CARB is diving headfirst into what it calls a Racial Equity Lens—a tool designed to ensure that clean air policies align with progressive goals. It’s a classic case of prioritizing ideology over practicality.
According to CARB, the Racial Equity Lens will help create a future where everyone, regardless of race, enjoys clean air and the benefits of climate policies equally. To achieve this lofty vision, the agency plans to hire five community experts, a term loosely defined to include racial justice advocates and local leaders, to validate their approach. Dubbed “ground truthing,” this process involves checking CARB’s data against “real-world observations.” Translation? They want to ensure their theories resonate with certain communities—or at least that they sound good on paper.
This groundbreaking work doesn’t come with groundbreaking pay. The role requires participants to attend four meetings and perform a handful of tasks between March and June for the princely sum of $2,500. While the compensation is hardly enticing, CARB markets the position as a chance to contribute to a grand social experiment. The initiative is rooted in a 2020 resolution pledging to embed racial equity into every aspect of CARB’s work, bolstered by a gubernatorial executive order mandating equity strategies across state agencies. Because clearly, what California’s climate policies were missing was a heavy dose of bureaucratic jargon.
The job posting itself reads like a script for progressive theater. Applicants are encouraged to have “lived experience” and leadership “uncommon in government bodies.” This is code for community organizers and activists who prioritize storytelling over technical expertise. The focus is unmistakably on identity and personal narratives rather than traditional qualifications. After all, who needs seasoned air quality scientists when anecdotes and activism are apparently sufficient to reshape policy?
In keeping with California’s penchant for targeted inclusivity, the program prioritizes residents from disadvantaged urban areas like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, along with tribal government members. While CARB maintains that applicants of all backgrounds are welcome, critics see this as another example of the state funneling public funds into ideological projects with questionable outcomes. As the Racial Equity Lens shifts from development to implementation, the intent might be to clear the air, but the policy’s effectiveness—and its underlying motivations—remain anything but transparent.
