Citing devastating economic consequences and a lack of real-world environmental impact, California Assemblyman Dan Logue has introduced legislation to suspend AB 32, the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
AB 32 directs the California Air Resources Board to impose numerous economic restrictions on the state with a goal of reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
Logue (R-Linda) says the time has come to stop punishing an already-reeling California economy with job-killing economic restrictions that will have little if any impact on global temperatures.
Economic Devastation
“The state’s economy has been ravaged by excessive regulation; AB 32 is essentially the final nail in the coffin,” Logue observed in a January 14 press statement.
“In the last year alone California lost 95,000 private-sector jobs and our manufacturing base has been devastated,” Logue added. “An independent economist stated AB 32 is a threat to our remaining 1.5 million manufacturing jobs. AB 32 will hurt our environment. AB 32 is a job-killer; businesses can’t comply and remain competitive, so they are leaving.”
No Effect on Environment
Logue noted any hoped-for impact on global temperatures will be quickly negated by the rapid growth in emissions in China, India, and other nations that refuse to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“China is experiencing an industrial revolution the world has never seen. They are creating wealth and prosperity while we move money around. China and India are also building 600 coal-fired power plants over the next few years, which, when in operation, will negate any gains achieved by AB 32 in a matter of days,” Logue noted.
Some environmental activists disagree. “The Air Resources Board analysis shows that by reducing our dependency on foreign oil and reducing pollution, there will be enormous cost savings, at the expense of petroleum-based fuel, and there will also be enormous savings from the reduction of adverse health impacts,” said Joseph K. Lyou, executive director of the California Environmental Rights Alliance.
“I think it’s crazy to roll back important policy to stop global warming,” Environment California advocate Bernadette del Chiaro added. “We’re going to create jobs by promoting clean energy at the state level by solving global warming.”
Jobs Created Elsewhere
Logue, however, pointed out the jobs from California alternative power mandates are largely being created outside the state.
“The left claims, ‘We will create green jobs like solar panels.’ Unfortunately, we are now importing solar panels from China, and those panels are being produced by plants powered by coal-fired plants ([creating] carbon emissions) and shipped to America,” Logue noted in his January 21 press statement.
Krystle Russin ([email protected]) writes from Texas.
