Out-of-state energy interests are spending millions of dollars to propel a ballot initiative that would suspend California’s landmark law curbing greenhouse gas emissions, The New York Times reports.
Proposition 23, as the ballot initiative is called, is intended to block the greenhouse gas law, which is known as the Global Warming Solutions Act or AB 32. However, if a majority of California voters vote “no” on the November ballot measure, the global warming law will remain on track to take full effect in 2012.
Supporters of the ballot initiative have raised $7.9 million, out of a total of $8.2 million, from energy companies, which would view the law’s suspension as a major scalp. Most of the energy money comes from out-of-state donors, such as billionaire Kansas brothers Charles and David Koch, who together directed $1 million to the cause.
The state’s ground-breaking global warming law was passed in 2006. It mandates that the state reduce carbon and other emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which would be accomplished through caps on emissions for businesses and reductions on the amount of carbon in gasoline.
Proposition 23 would prevent the law from taking effect until California’s unemployment slips beneath 5.5 percent for four straight quarters, an event that has happened only three times in the past four decades. The current unemployment rate in California lies north of 12 percent, and hasn’t hit the 5.5 percent target since November 2007.
Proposition supporters say the global warming law, if allowed to go into effect, would force energy companies to raise prices and cut jobs.
As the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week, though, California business leaders are divided on the initiative, and the state Chamber of Commerce has decided to remain neutral.
Among the opponents of Proposition 23 is George Shultz, U.S. secretary of state during the Reagan administration and the co-chair of an effort to defeat the initiative. Passage of the initiative “would have big implications,” Shultz told The New York Times. “That is one reason why these outside companies are pouring money in to try to derail the same thing. At the same time, the reverse is true: they put this fat in the fire and if we win, that also sends a message.”
Does this surprise anyone?! Look at smear campaign against the science and (scientists) in regard to global climate change? Was it just by chance that “climategate” broke at the time of the Copenhagen Conference?
Truth and Justice and the American Way? Define it please.
Perhaps Dr. James Hansen could produce the Henrik ibsen play “An Enemy of the People”. He knows the role already…he’s lived it.
Another 10-20 years of inaction…the children of today will wonder why when they are adults.
The California Jobs initiative (CJI) is an oil corporation farce and fraud. There is no connection, whatsoever, between greenhouse gas emission reduction and the loss of jobs. This notion is an insult to the intelligence of the people of California. in fact, there is job growth in the clean, renewable energy industry. Chevron employs 65,000 worldwide and CJI is not going to change this. The only jobs created by the oil industry are clean-up jobs after oil spills and deep water, blow-outs and pump-handler jobs. CJI will make fantastic profits for the oil industry, increase air pollution, especially in communities around their refineries, and there will not be lower gas prices. Koch Industries, Valero and Tesoro are super Enrons. Since when did the oil companies start to show any concern for the unemployed and their families and for small businesses?
Earl,
In case you didn’t know the creation of concrete and steel require as a matter of physical law the emission of carbon dioxide.
You insult my intelligence.
Oil companies built our civilization. You are nothing but a pathetic green hack too stupid to actually make money so you tear down people who do.
Anon,
To understand the sleaze-side of the oil corporations, see the USA section of http://www.truecostofchevron.com
The oil companies, collectively, are similiar to a public utility, because there is no business competition to keep the price of gasoline down. Therefore, the oil companies have to be tightly regulated by the government, in the public interest, to ensure that there is no price fixing, no price gouging, no fraud, no excessive profiteering, no lax safety standards, no environmental destruction, no public health risks, no accounting tricks, no transfer pricing, no corruption, no collusion and no illegal tax loopholes.
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission is ineffective in controlling the oil corporations; therefore, the state government has to form a commission, to receive and investigate compliants, in the consumers’ interest, and to regulate the California oil industry, in the public interest. The price of gasoline has to be decide by the commission, and not decided by the fraudulent “round trip” trades of the “dark pool” trading on the Intercontinental Echange (ICE) in Atlanta. ICE operates outside US law and is owned by the international Big Oil/ big banking cabal.The price differential between the ICE price and the lower California price for gasoline has to be decided by the commission, in the public interest, and not decided by market manipulation and excessive speculation of outside interests. ICE is a super Enron. Oil is too critical a resource to be under the control of greedy stockholders and greedy corporations.
Strange how oil companies were the first on the bandwagon when there was public money in the UK for “wind energy”, and so did absolutely nothing to dispel this hysterical nonsense on global warming until …
… until it hits them in the pocket!
No wonders so many people believe the global warming myth!