Fighting Global Warming in California
June 26, 2008
An article in the LA Times this morning by Margot Roosevelt, “State acts to fight global warming”, outlines the steps that the California Air Regulators are planning to take to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the state. In the hopes that other states in our nation will be inspired to set such plans in motion themselves, the blueprint sets goals which will decrease carbon emissions by 30%. Scientists have argued that emissions will need to be cut by 80% in order to keep the planet from a dangerous level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which will ultimately lead to dangerously high temperature increases. The article states that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has already endorsed the 80% goal in an executive order.
The state blueprint calls to make cuts in the following areas:
- Clean car standards
- Energy efficiency, appliances and green bulidings
- Utilities switch to more renewable energy
- Low-carbon fuel standard
- Measures to control high-warming gases
- Sustainable forests
- Vehicle efficiency measures
- Goods movement, including port restrictions
- Heavy/medium duty vehicles
- California Solar program
- High-speed rail
- Landfill methane control
- Additional reductions from cap-and-trade transactions
Standing in the way of this blueprint are a few roadblocks: resistance from the Bush Administration, 
legislative problems and opposition within the industry. Another concern is the use of a cap-and-trade market system. This means that “governments set a limit on overall emissions but allow some industries, such as coal-dependent utilities, to purchase pollution credits. The credits can be traded on the market. Heavy polluters could offset their emissions by paying to clean up other industries where costs are less prohibitive, or invest in other projects that decrease carbon.” Also of concern is the cost of implementing such a program. Industries are concerned with individual costs, fearing the worst. It could be an even trade though. For example, the DWP, who relies on coal for electricity, would be faced with huge sums to clean up pollution. That money would be better spent on making the switch to cleaner resources. The state could suffer great monetary losses in terms of the effects from Global Warming: water shortages, pollution and wildfires, yet save money on healthcare from improved air quality.
Keep an eye on your state’s attitude toward Global Warming. It takes everyone at home doing their part, but in order to change our ways and stop creating harmful greenhouse gases, we will all have to work together.
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According to Envirozine (Environment Canada’s on line magazine) a forest fire involving primarily conifers will produce approximately 13 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide for each hectacre (2.7 acres) burned.
About 1,420 fires were burning more than 356,134 acres (139,671 hectares), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
So, that’s (356,134 acres) x (13 million tons of CO2 / 2.7 acres) = 1,714,719 MILLION tons of carbon dioxide liberated into the environment.
Hmmmm…..now that’s 1.7 TRILLION tons of harmful carbon dioxides injected into our precious environment by the rubes in California, who claim to want to stop global warming, IN JUST THIS CALIFORNIA WEEK ALONE.
One thing for sure, California is incapable of managing it’s forests, which are an international resource, and is HARMING the environment by dumping carbon into the atmosphere.