A few weeks ago, Gov. Jerry Brown and his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, jointly celebrated the 10th anniversary of Assembly Bill 32, the legislation that launched California’s war on greenhouse gases.
“This is a big idea, and it takes a big mind to get around it,” Brown said – a not-so-subtle dig at those who question California’s crusade.
“It’s not the stuff of normal politics,” Brown said later, adding, “This is not about the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. This is about human existence. It’s about survival.”
The ceremony was staged just a month after Brown signed Senate Bill 32. While he heralded passage of the measure that was AB 32’s successor, the new bill didn’t include an extension of “cap-and-trade,” the state’s program of issuing and trading carbon emission allowances, that the Democratic governor wanted.
AB 32’s goal was to reduce California’s carbon footprint to the 1990 level by 2020, and it scheduled cap-and-trade to end that year. It appears the state will meet the target, largely due to a mandate on electric utilities to shift from coal and natural gas generation to wind, solar and other renewable sources.
SB 32 extends California’s commitment at least to 2030, with a very ambitious new goal of a 40 percent reduction from the 1990 level.
The Air Resources Board and other agencies are drafting strategies to reach that goal. And while cap-and-trade may be one of those strategies, officials also see other ways to get there, especially if cap-and-trade expires. They include a more intensive shift by utilities, persuading motorists to buy millions of low- or no-emission cars, forcing oil companies to produce fuel that uses much less petroleum, and cracking down on specific industrial emissions.
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