Bid to suspend California Global Warming Law Qualifies for November Ballot

[villager]

Source: LA Times

Bid to suspend California Global Warming Law Qualifies for November Ballot

California headed for a high-stakes battle over global warming Tuesday, as an oil industry-backed measure to suspend the state's aggressive climate-change law qualified for the November ballot.

The fight will pit the state's powerful environmental organizations and clean-tech businesses against the oil and manufacturing industries. It also arrays many conservative political leaders, including the GOP nominee for governor, Meg Whitman, against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fellow Republican who regards the global warming law as a key part of his legacy.

Whitman has said she would suspend the global-warming law for one year but has not endorsed the initiative.

The measure, launched six months ago by Texas oil giants Valero Energy Inc. and Tesoro Corp., comes as the industry has fallen under intense scrutiny in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

Under California's law, known as AB 32, the state is setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, oil refineries and other industries, and will probably require that a third of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020, up from about 15% today. New rules under the law would encourage sales of more fuel-efficient cars.

Supporters of the law say it has spurred a large market for solar, wind and other clean energy sources.

But backers of the ballot effort, who are calling their measure "the California Jobs Initiative paint the climate law as "an energy tax." Their initiative would halt enforcement of the law until unemployment in the state, now over 12%, sinks to 5.5% for at least a year.

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-initiative-20100623,0,3859850.story?track=rss

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Really, if this passes, why continue to hold out even the slightest hope for such an easily panicked, manipulated species? :shrug:

But -- time to add a Valero boycott to your BP boycott!

[msongs]

1. "sponsored by big oil" - good luck passing that one after PG&E went down in flames nt

[villager]

2. Maybe -- though I've seen Big Timber defeat forest protection in this state

...with the bogus cry of "jobs..."

[arcane1]

3. Two things that really fucking piss me off:

1. that oil companies in Texas can participate in California elections

2. they can use bullshit names like "California Jobs Initiative"

[villager]

5. California initiative titles are almost always lies...

n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. We saw through Prop. 16 --

we'll see through this effort.

[stopbush]

6. You left out the good part of the article

courtesy of Jerry Brown:

Although the gulf oil disaster could turn undecided voters against the measure, proponents already face a steep hurdle in the wording that will describe the ballot. The title was set by the office of state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, a supporter of AB 32 and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. It will be described on the ballot as follows: "Suspends air pollution control laws requiring major polluters to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming until unemployment drops below specified level for full year."

The ballot wording goes on to say the measure "requires the state to abandon implementation of comprehensive greenhouse-gas-reduction program that includes increased renewable energy and cleaner fuel requirements, and mandatory emission reporting and fee requirements for major polluters such as power plants and oil refineries, until suspension is lifted."

Pretty good wording that exposes this oil company BS for exactly what it is.

[villager]

7. Now if only voters would read that, instead of responding to the "save our jobs!" ads...

...they'll be inundated with...

[KamaAina]

8. Saturation ad campaign begins in 3... 2... 1...

:boring:

[FBI_Un_Sub]

9. PG&E, Big Oil, TeaBaggers

And the election will be when the GM VOLT EV hits the streets, and the Nissan Leaf has major market penetration, and Toyota and Honda start showing "plug in" hybrids.

[Ed Barrow]

10. bump