| August 31, 2006 |  |
California Enacts Nation's Toughest Global Warming Bill
Scientists and Economists Laid Groundwork for Legislation
BERKELEY, CA, August 31—The California Legislature today passed landmark legislation to create the nation's first economy-wide cap on global warming emissions, and Governor Schwarzenegger has agreed to sign the bill into law. The mounting scientific evidence gathered and produced by California's scientific community helped build the political will that led to this historic day.
"This bill marks a national turning point in the fight against global warming," said Jason Mark, California Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). "It sends a strong signal to the international community that Americans are committed to climate action despite Washington's intransigence."
Our Changing Climate, a scientific analysis developed by the state's California Climate Change Center in collaboration with UCS, demonstrated that if heat-trapping emissions are not reduced, California faces a future of poorer air quality, a sharp rise in extreme heat, a less reliable water supply, more large wildfires, and expanding risks to agriculture.
"California has a lot to lose from continued global warming but a lot to gain from taking action to lower emissions," said Dr. Amy Lynd Luers, UCS Climate Impacts Scientist and co-author of the new state report. "The mounting scientific evidence is the writing on the wall, and California policymakers have gotten the message."
Climate action can not only protect California from the most severe impacts of global warming, it can also boost the economy. A recent study by the University of California at Berkeley projects that meeting AB 32's emissions limits can boost the Gross State Product (GSP) by $60-74 billion and create 17,000-89,000 new jobs. Separately, UCS helped organize an open letter by 60 Ph.D. economists from across California, including 3 Nobel Laureates, urging them to accelerate climate action. The letter calls emissions caps a "particularly potent strategy" and warns that "the most expensive things we can do is nothing."
As the world's twelfth largest source of carbon dioxide, the chief global warming gas, California has a responsibility to act. And as the sixth largest global economy, California's efforts will reverberate around the globe as the state uses existing and new technologies to reduce emissions.
"With this groundbreaking legislation, California politicians have come together to lead the nation in taking action on global warming," said Dan Kalb, California Policy Coordinator for UCS. "This bill is a valuable template for other states and the federal government."
Our Changing Climate: Assessing the Risks to California, the UC Berkeley study, the economists' letter, and a summary of the legislation can all be viewed at http://www.climatechoices.org
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.
