California has taken another bold step in its quest to redefine air quality standards—not through scientific innovation, but by filtering everything through the increasingly fashionable lens of “racial equity.” The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is on the hunt for “community experts” to help the state develop its Racial Equity Lens, a tool designed to align air quality efforts with progressive ideals of racial and social justice. It’s the latest chapter in the state’s ongoing saga of transforming basic governance into a platform for ideological virtue signaling.
CARB’s job posting paints a lofty vision: a future where everyone in California, regardless of race, breathes clean air and enjoys climate change solutions equally. To achieve this utopia, the agency is recruiting five “passionate community leaders and racial justice experts” to validate their Racial Equity Lens. This process, charmingly referred to as “ground truthing,” involves comparing the agency’s data with “real-world observations” from the communities they aim to serve. Essentially, CARB wants to make sure its theories play well in the real world—or at least appear to.
The commitment isn’t exactly full-time, nor is it lucrative. Successful applicants will attend four meetings and complete associated tasks between March and June for a grand total of $2,500. While the pay isn’t much, the job does come with the promise of being part of a grand progressive experiment. CARB insists this initiative stems from a 2020 resolution to integrate racial equity into every aspect of its actions, conveniently reinforced by an executive order from the governor requiring state agencies to embed equity strategies into their operations. Because nothing says climate action like a new layer of bureaucratic buzzwords.
The job description itself is steeped in the kind of language one would expect from such an initiative. Candidates are encouraged to bring “lived experience” and “leadership uncommon in government bodies.” Translation: community organizers and activists should feel right at home. The emphasis is clearly on lived experience over traditional expertise, and applicants with personal or professional histories tied to racial equity or environmental justice are strongly encouraged to apply. Who needs air quality scientists when you’ve got activists armed with anecdotes?
In true California fashion, the program is open to a select demographic. While a CARB spokesperson was quick to clarify that applicants of all racial backgrounds can apply, the job targets residents of “disadvantaged and low-income communities” in urban hubs like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Tribal government members also make the cut. On the surface, the effort appears inclusive, but critics might argue it’s just another example of California using public funds to prioritize ideology over actionable results. As CARB’s Racial Equity Lens moves from pilot exercises into full implementation, one thing seems clear: the air might get cleaner, but the policies driving it are getting murkier.
