California would target certain harmful emissions under new legislation being introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara in an effort to boost public health while battling global warming.

Known as short-lived climate pollutants, the emissions include diesel exhaust and methane from agriculture. Focusing on these pollutants has been a key topic of conversation at the United Nations summit on climate change because they’re considered a way to make quick progress toward reducing greenhouse gases while providing a clear health benefit.

Citing Congress’ refusal to take action on climate change, California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León has joined more than 300 state and local lawmakers from across the nation who have signed a letter to President Obama supporting the goal of drawing 50 percent of the nation’s energy from renewable sources by 2030.

The 50 percent goal echoes California’s recently enacted law that mandates half the state’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

At the Paris Climate Change Conference, the world’s nations are pledging their first real steps toward addressing catastrophic climate change. Yet in this country, Republicans in Congress are already vowing to block President Obama’s program, while their presidential candidates scorn scientists’ alarm. Even if Democrats hold the White House in 2016, inaction and obstruction will remain the order of the day in Washington.

Top California Democrats like State Senate leader Kevin de León often claim that the state’s economy is humming right along — and not weighed down by their ambitious new clean energy requirements. So, it’s not a surprise that De León, author of the state’s most recent clean energy law, touted California’s strong job growth during a recent speech abroad about climate change. De León, D-Los Angeles, spoke about California’s role as a leader in the fight against climate change to members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. In the end, we rate the claim Mostly True.

I first started thinking about pensions when I attended a news conference about the fast-growing success of the global divestment movement. The idea of divestment is to get large investment funds to take money out of fossil-fuel companies, undermining both the financial interests and social license of these industries. The divestment movement announced the number of institutions committed to divestment now numbers more than 500, including universities and cities around the world.