Surprise Attack on California's Environmental Laws--And What You Can Do About It

Most of the actions complained of by the business leaders signing the June 21st letter are actions taken by the Attorney General, to make certain that everyone actually does what the California Environmental Quality Act requires – to reduce or avoid environmental harm. In fact, despite the complaints contained in the June 21st letter, CEQA’s purpose and the goals of AB 32 are in complete harmony.

CEQA is our single strongest environmental law, and it requires, as a general principle, that an environmental impact review be carried out when any proposed governmental action might have a significant negative impact on the environment. It also requires that feasible mitigation measures be implemented when negative impacts are identified. We know that continued emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will almost certainly have a negative impact on existing water supplies, agriculture, wildlife and wildlife habitat, our forests, public health, and the California economy. AB 32 acknowledges this in its initial findings and declarations:

Global warming poses a serious threat to the economic well-being, public health, natural resources, and the environment of California …

Global warming will have detrimental effects on some of California’s largest industries, including agriculture, wine, tourism, skiing, recreational and commercial fishing, and forestry. It will also increase the strain on electricity supplies necessary to meet the demand for summer air-conditioning in the hottest parts of the state.

The California Environmental Quality Act requires governmental agencies to consider what can be done to eliminate or reduce the impacts of projects that might otherwise make global warming worse, and it calls for “feasible” (and that means economically feasible) mitigation measures.

Californians, including California businesses, need to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in order to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming, and we need to do it now! That’s what AB 32 requires, and that’s what CEQA requires!

The June 21st letter from California business leaders is essentially asking you to repeal AB 32’s goals and CEQA’s purpose. Shame on that idea!

PCL trusts that you will repudiate this ill-advised and selfish call to repeal CEQA where global warming is concerned. We must not delay and defer our efforts to confront the global warming crisis."

Please contact Governor Schwarzenegger and the leaders of the California Senate and Assembly. Urge them to publicly repudiate this attack on California’s best environmental laws.

Here’s what they need to hear:

Business advocates have demanded that California leaders weaken CEQA, our premier environmental protection law.

They want a free pass on global warming pollution, endangering California's ability to fulfill its new global warming program.

Do not bow to this attack. Uphold your promise to the people of California. Let us know that you will protect the California Environmental Quality Act and the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

Call today:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
(916) 445-2841

Senator Don Perata, President pro Tem
California State Senate
(916) 651-4009

Speaker Fabian Núnez
California State Assembly
(916) 319-2046

Then stay tuned.

Gary Patton is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testified in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.