Limits Are Set on Emissions in California: Landmark deal, break with Bush

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Limits Are Set on Emissions in California
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 30, 2006

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California would become the first state to impose a limit on all greenhouse gas emissions, including those from industrial plants, under a landmark deal reached Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats.

The agreement marks a clear break with the Bush administration and puts California on a path to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by an estimated 25 percent by 2020.

The bill still needs lawmakers' approval, but that appears likely, given that Democrats control the Legislature.

The deal gives Schwarzenegger a key environmental victory as he seeks re-election this fall....

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The bill would require the state's major industries -- such as utility plants, oil and gas refineries, and cement kilns -- to reduce their emissions of the pollutants widely believed to contribute to global warming....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Global-Warming.html?hp&ex=1156996800&en=8b5d82aa2991b0e6&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. If this bill has balls, kudos to Ahhnold - credit where credit is due .

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I've seen a lot of bashing on Arnold here in DU,

But this reminds me of our PM Jean Chretien, who may or may not have been involved in some scandal

BUT

As far as I'm concerned, Chretien made a very wise decision to keep us out of that farcical "Coalition of the Willing" thing

And that was the most important decision he had to make in his tenure IMO

and he did not falter

Maybe Arnold is learning ...

[Hekate]

2. KnR. Ahnold's doing the right thing; Calif still a leader on enviro issues

What the federal government won't do, the coastal states and major cities are doing. It's an important trend.

Hekate

[robcon]

3. We need a national plan.

This will probably result in jobs moving to other, less strict states. That's what happened when CA restricted emissions of volatile gases, such as those released by paint plants, years ago.

Since other states didn't have those strict regulations, several chemical plants moved out of CA, and emissions were not reduced - but CA lost jobs.

[hatrack]

4. Yes, they'll move those power plants to Nevada and Arizona

:eyes:

[FormerDem06]

5. I agree we need a national plan...

Something a little less restrictive than Kyoto. NC (where I live) has a committee to study global warming in the House and Senate. The state is democratically controlled, so this is not GOP fear-mongering (what I am about to type).

To conform to Kyoto, it was estimated that the state would LOSE 1.1 Billion in revenue every year and about (and that gap would grow as time went on). Also an estimated 60,000 jobs would flee the state if NC was the only state to establish Kyoto, and the rest of the states didn't.

So if NC is going to try it, I'd like for everybody else to do it too. It's not really fair to damage your own economy to environemntally friendly, if nobody else is willing to do the same.

[Downtown Hound]

6. As a Californian this makes me proud

But Ah-nold can still kiss my ass. This plan was in the works long before he even came to power and he's not doing anything any Democratic governor wouldn't in his place.

[Lisa]

7. such a large and powerful state doing this will really send a signal

I'm glad too, Downtown Hound! I only wish that British Columbia would have taken them up on this ... California was making noises about this a couple of years ago, and Oregon and Washington were interested too. There was a plan to have the west coast, from the Mexican border to the 60th parallel, sign a trans-border agreement on climate change. I'm sorry that BC's GOP-clone government was not more cooperative.

[Raine]

8. I'm a Californian

and I'll give a :thumbsup: to Arnie for breaking with chimp and going along with this!

[Jersey Ginny]

9. This is very important legislation. Cap and trade smart economics

It creates a commodities market for low CO2 production. It links itself with the European commodities market. It has global implications. It makes it profitable to be energy efficient and creative. Apparently, a 57 year old school teacher turned politician championed the CA legislation. I heard the story on NPR. I just bought solar panels for my house. The power company will pay me annually in NJ b/c I will be producing renewable, CO2 free energy which they need in the "cap and trade" commodities market for CO2.