| September 10, 2007 |  |
CA Assembly to Vote on Low Carbon Fuel Standard
CA Assembly to Vote on Low Carbon Fuel Standard
The California Assembly is expected to vote on a low carbon fuel standard bill this week. If the bill passes, Gov. Schwarzenegger will have until October 14 to sign it into law. The standard would enshrine in law the governor’s long-term goal to reduce global warming pollution from transportation fuels and create additional environmental and air quality safeguards.
The proposed standard is a logical outgrowth of actions already taken by the governor and the Air Resources Board. In January 2007, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued an executive order to reduce global warming pollution from California’s transportation fuels at least 10 percent by 2020. The Air Resources Board, meanwhile, committed to adopt a low carbon fuel standard under its early-action measures for California’s global warming law. If the proposed bill becomes law, it would require future governors and agencies to continue developing cleaner alternatives to petroleum-based fuels.
“California can lead the rest of the country on building a market for low carbon fuels, such as certain biofuels,” said Patricia Monahan, deputy-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) Clean Vehicles program. “The governor and the Air Resources Board have been moving forward on low carbon fuels and this law would keep that momentum going.”
Currently the state relies on petroleum-based fuels for 96 percent of its transportation needs, and the transportation sector accounts for more than 40 percent of California’s annual global warming emissions.
The proposed bill would strengthen the state’s current clean fuel efforts by addressing potential unintended consequences. To protect air quality, for example, the bill would ensure alternative fuels are at least as clean as today’s gasoline and diesel. It also would provide safeguards to avoid biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, food price increases, and water pollution.
“Ethanol and other biofuels can be a staple in our low carbon diet,” Monahan said. “But producers need to make biofuels smartly and sustainably if they’re going to live up to the hype.”
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
