California's Billion Dollar Water Mistake That's Been Hidden Since the 70s - Edward Ring

Guest:

Edward Ring – Director of Water & Energy Policy, California Policy Center

Guest Bio: 

Edward Ring is the Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center and a founding member of the think tank. He is also the author of The Abundance Choice: Our Fight for More Water in California. With decades of experience analyzing state infrastructure, environmental policy, and governance, Edward offers a data-backed and often controversial lens on what’s fueling California’s decline — and how to fix it.

Show Summary

What if California’s biggest environmental crises — from water shortages to wildfires — were actually manmade policy failures? In this compelling episode, Edward Ring unpacks the unintended consequences of the state’s well-meaning but often disastrous legislation. From banning dredging that would increase water flow, to mismanaging forest land and outsourcing oil refining to countries with no environmental standards – he exposes how California’s current path is both ineffective and regressive. Whether you agree with his take or not, this episode will leave you thinking differently about California’s future.

Chapters

00:00 – California's Environmental Crises Are Manmade

01:12 – Meet Edward Ring: Policy Expert and Author

03:02 – How Dredging Could Solve the Water Shortage

05:28 – Water Management Is Being Politicized07:41 – Wildfires: Mismanagement vs. Climate

10:35 – The Myth of Net Zero and Global Emissions

13:15 – Why California's Energy Policy is Failing

15:42 – CEQA's Role in the Housing Crisis

18:30 – The Downside of Green Energy Dogma

21:00 – The Case for Common-Sense Infrastructure

23:25 – Why Refinery Closures Are Hurting California

26:00 – Can We Have Both Growth and Conservation?

28:45 – How Policy Reform Could Restore Affordability

31:20 – Final Thoughts on California’s Path Forward

Connect with Edward

Twitter: https://x.com/edring

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-ring/

Website: https://californiapolicycenter.org/people/edward-ring/

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and join the conversation on Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #stateofgoldpodcast

Connect with State of Gold

• X: https://x.com/realjonslavet
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateofgold/about
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofgoldpodcast/?hl=en
• Website: www.stateofgold.com