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California Senate Leader Celebrates Earth Day with Focus on Legislation

By Don Perata
President pro Tem
California State Senate

April 22 is the 38th Earth Day, an annual event started in 1970 to bring awareness and response to acute environmental conditions. In the three-and-a-half decades since, environmental awareness has grown, both in California and around the world.

California has long been a leader in tacking environmental problems, and we've continued to set the national standard with legislation in the last year on greenhouse gas emissions, among other areas.

Global warming, carcinogens in the environment and air pollution are just a few of the challenges we must address for the health of our communities and ecosystems. Coal power is the dirtiest greenhouse polluter there is. Last year I authored SB 1368, a sweeping global warming bill that closes a gaping loophole in our state's energy laws. Currently California's utilities purchase about 20% of their energy from out-of-state suppliers, mainly sparsely-regulated coal plants. SB 1368 doesn't prevent them from buying energy out of state, but it says that energy needs to follow the same standards as what we generate in California. That effectively puts much more stringent regulations on coal production throughout the Western United States.

I am now working to bring similar legislation to other states that import large amounts of coal energy from outside their borders-Oregon and Washington. I also recently spoke before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the benefits of regulating coal power nationally.

This year in the State Senate, we are following up with a full battery of legislation to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming:

- I have introduced Senate Bill 660 to establish the California Office of Climate Change Research Assessment. It's time to centralize our research in this important area and plan on how to counter the effects of climate change.

- SB 240 requires the California Air Resources Board to reduce the carbon content in our state's transportation fuels 20% by the year 2020. Carbon is a key greenhouse-causing agent.

- SB 494 ensures that half the new vehicles sold in this state are certified to run on alternative fuels by 2020. This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee this Monday, April 23rd.

- SB 140 looks into an underutilized technology, bio-diesel. Currently the diesel formula used in our trucks and trains is made from all fossil fuels, but this bill directs the California Air Resources Board to study the possibility of adding some food oils to the mix. If the study shows it is possible, the state would require its diesel to eventually have 5% bio-diesel. This bill is set to be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee this Monday, April 23rd.

- SB 411 allows the existing cap on required renewable energy purchases to increase from 20% to 33% of the energy utilities buy.

- SB 375 requires our state's transportation and urban infill development projects to comply with California's new targets to curb global warming. This bill also is set to be heard in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee this Monday, April 23rd.

- SB 9 & SB 19 target industrial emissions from ports, diesel trucks and heavy construction equipment, using funds mandated by the voters under Proposition 1B.

Have a marvelous Earth Day and let me know if you think there is more we should be doing.

Posted on April 22, 2007

Comments

In celebration of Earth Day, TrafficBulldog.org spent the day studying the List of Discrete Early Actions for AB 32 Californias Global Warming Solutions Act. What is interesting is what is missing .... any plan to support carpooling.

TrafficBulldog.org was represented at yesterdays Pubilc Workshop on Discrete Early Actions for AB 32 California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

http://trafficbulldog.org/news.php?nid=16

What is interesting is that there is no mention of Carpooling or Rideshare in documents as yet. There was an early FAQ brochure on the climate site stating how they would NOT be pushing carpooling, but that has been taken down.

Central Issue:

New Vehicle purchases represent 20% of the states / local governments sales tax revenues, and Gasoline taxes (per gallon and sales tax) add up as we use about 16 Billion gallons of gas in this state each year.

Central Question:

Can the state break its addiction to the tax revenue long enough to be more realistic in Solving Global Warming?

Carpooling represents the most cost effective solution for consumers. Please support it.

http://TrafficBulldog.org is a commuter advocacy group committed to helping people form carpools and cool the planet.

Posted by: TrafficBulldog.org at April 24, 2007 10:08 AM

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