California Pushes Ahead with a Carbon Cap, Ahead of Schedule
November 24, 2009 | Posted by Derek Walker in Policy
California has the world’s eighth largest economy and a well-earned reputation as a global trendsetter on environmental policy.
It should come as no surprise that Californians are out of the gate on the most urgent environmental challenge of our generation: building a clean energy future that protects the world from catastrophic global warming.
Given that the countdown to Copenhagen is underway and the White House and Congress are weighing proposals and priorities, California’s leadership-by-example means more than ever.
Today, the California Air Resources Board unveiled a conceptual outline – a Preliminary Draft Regulation (PDR) [PDF file, 800K]- of what will become a mandatory, multi-sector cap-and-trade program to take effect on January 1, 2012. The program will set an absolute limit on sources of 85 percent of the state’s pollution, dialing back pollution levels by 15 percent between now and 2020. California leaders project that a final cap-and-trade program will be adopted by the state’s environmental agency in October 2010, two months ahead of the statutory deadline.
Today’s action is another step on the path to a clean energy future that will create economic opportunities and environmental benefits for all Californians.
The stage was set for today in 2006, when Governor Schwarzenegger signed the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The bill’s passage inspired several other states to adopt similar measures and led seven U.S. states and four Canadian provinces to commit to a regional cap-and-trade program called the Western Climate Initiative.
Get more details on the announcement from our press release, and keep tabs on the California cap-and-trade process on Air Resources Board's site.
5 Responses
Comment from Megan
November 24th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I definitely think California is setting a relatively good example as far as environmental protection, alternative energy, and green living are concerned.
The irony is, LA is still the dirties city I have ever lived in … though I certainly hope that effective plans are underway to remedy that as well.
Comment from Berthold Klein
November 24th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
You poor saps- the E-mails from the British University that shows that they doctored the data and the Fact that the greenhouse gas effect was disproved in 1909 by R.W. Wood still does not convince you that Man-made global warming is a political hoax. Global climate change has nothing to do with CO2 or any other supposed ghg's. California want to destroy itself for the sake of a fairy-tale just like the rest of Holliwood the world of fiction.
Comment from Single Russian Lady
November 25th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Thanks for sharing it…
Comment from astroknott
November 25th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
This is sad. Real science has been perverted by ideologues. Google "climategate". As many of us have known all along this has been a giant scam to push leftist ideology. Now we have absolute PROOF of the extent of the fraud. I would almost call it a conspiracy of vast proportions. The fraud is now exposed for all with eyes to see and yet the mindless march toward a leftist utopia, all to "save the planet", continues unabated. There is no "science" in "global warming" only leftist propaganda. Science is not about consensus, it's about facts. Gravity doesn't exist because of consensus, gravity exists because of observable and undeniable facts. Can we please get politics out of science?
Comment from Paul
December 1st, 2009 at 11:11 am
If California is the lead learner and example setter….. they must also the first to see thier states economy crumbling into the ocean. Hmmm…. spending too much????
Pull your heads out of those beautiful sand beaches of yours and look around you.
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