>If we can get a carbon cap and trade system in place, I'd be ecstatic.

Most western countries do have one in place so it can happen in California too.

>I just think it's naive that people think it's big corp lobbying congress to keep that from happening. People would freak out.

I am not too familiar with your local situation. What I was trying to say is that every time this is presented as an individual decision and sacrifice instead of as a communal one, it discourages change.

>I was celebrating when gas prices exploded in CA this last year, assuming more people would switch to renewables. Literally the opposite happened. The gov't started mailing out checks to people to help them afford gasoline.

The last year has been a bit of an exception because of the war and inflation. The EU has felt it even more I think despite being less dependent on private vehicles.