With just weeks to go until the November 2 election, the showdown over California’s climate change legislation is drawing intense interest and piles of cash, The Washington Post reports.
At issue is Proposition 23, a measure that would suspend implementation of a landmark carbon emissions bill until California’s unemployment rate drops below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters, something that may never happen again in a state where the present rate is above 12 percent.
If Prop. 23 is defeated, California’s 2006 carbon emissions law will stand and stay on schedule for full implementation in 2012. The law requires that the state lower carbon and other greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, a goal to be achieved through emissions reductions by businesses and vehicles.
Prop. 23 opponents include an alliance of environmental groups, such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the League of Conservation Voters.
Deep-pocketed oil companies are the primary supporters of Prop. 23. Companies like Valero Oil and Tesoro, among the nation’s largest refiners, argue that the climate measure will devastate the California economy.
“It’s important to Valero that California’s economy be strong,” said Bill Day, a spokesman for Valero, which has a significant presence in California. “And right now the economy out there is in terrible shape . . . [and] can’t handle those extra costs.”
The two sides have raised more than $30 million to organize support for Prop. 23, an enormous amount for a ballot measure. Close to half of the money in support of Prop. 23 has been raised in the past month.
While a group of oil billionaires versus a gaggle of environmentalists might seem like an unfair fight, the environmentalists have a powerful ally in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for whom the bill’s passage was a major accomplishment.
“Does anyone really believe that these companies, out of the goodness of their black oil hearts, are spending millions and millions of dollars to protect jobs?” Schwarzenegger said recently. “This is like Eva Braun writing a kosher cookbook. It’s not about jobs at all, ladies and gentlemen. It’s about their ability to pollute and thus protect their profits.”
Beyond the governor, George Shultz, Secretary of State under President Reagan, and private equity fund manager Thomas Steyer are lined up against Prop. 23 and in favor of preserving the emissions bill. Also notable is the absence of opposition from some of the nation’ best known oil companies, while the staunch opposition comes from more obscure firms. Shell, for instance, says it is in favor of the climate change law, while Chevron has pledged neutrality on Prop. 23.
Polls show the supporters of the proposition narrowly behind.
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Energy Firms Spending Millions to Thwart California Global Warming Law
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. Valero, Tesoro and Koch Industries are super Enrons. Since when did the oil companies start to show any concern for the unemployed and their families and for small businesses? Occidental. Chevron, BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil are silent partners in CJI.
Environmental Hypocrites like James Cameron want to defeat Prop 23 but here is how he lives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKZ4RolQxec