http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/10/prop-23-ab32-california-climate-bill
The oil and gas interests (mostly from outside of California) are trying to torpedo, through a ballot initiative, California’s landmark “Global Warming Solutions Act,” passed in 2002, which was the first state-led initiative to take action on climate change. This legislation not only sparked 16 other states to follow suit in setting emissions standards, but it also paved the way for federal action in 2009 when the Obama administration set national standards for automobiles in both emissions and fuel economy. The oil interests are spending immense amounts of money in a campaign to get state voters to pass Proposition 23 to dismantle the act. And they are doing everything they can to win.
So, big oil -once again- wants to kill climate change legislation. And they will use big bucks and big lies to do it. Fortunately, other industries recognize this is irresponsible and foolish, as the article explains. What is especially significant about this campaign is the following:
“It would also mark the first time that an entire state of voters would get to decide whether or not to take comprehensive action on climate change. Never before has the decision on this kind of comprehensive plan been put directly to voters.
“But if AB32 goes down, it would “send the message around the country that no piece of environmental legislation is safe,” said Sierra Club’s Brune. “There’s always an oil company or a coal company that can come in and roll it back.”"
The United States and Canada need to do something about their woeful records on climate change. What is happening right now in California matters not only for residents of that state, but citizens of the world.
Jeremy Nathan Marks
