Global Warming In the News

In a challenge to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's much-touted plan to reduce greenhouse gases, Senate Democrats on Thursday unveiled a sweeping package of bills that impose new industry regulations rather than rely on the market-based approach the Republican governor has taken.

Among other things, the bills would require that one-third of the state's energy come from renewable resources by 2021 and half of new cars in the state run on alternative fuels by 2020.

Cheered by environmentalists, the package brought to the fore the tensions between Senate Democrats and Schwarzenegger about how to best reduce greenhouse gases.

The Senate's eight-bill package goes further than what Schwarzenegger, who has become a national spokesman for reducing greenhouse gases, has advocated. The governor has repeatedly touted the value of "market-based solutions" over new government regulations in fighting global warming.

But Perata has been openly suspicious of such proposals, saying last month that he "won't let Wall Street traders control our fight against global warming."

Lawmakers and Schwarzenegger won worldwide recognition for agreeing to a bill last year that sets stringent goals for greenhouse gas reductions. But it left many of the implementation details to the Air Resources Board.

The Senate Democratic plan introduced Thursday fills in some of those blanks. It includes new regulations to reduce methane emissions from garbage dumps; clean up the black smoke emitted from school buses, trucks and construction equipment; organize a new Office of Climate Change Research and Assessment; and have state agencies draw up more "carbon-friendly" growth plans.

"It's really important that we are attacking the global warming problem on multiple fronts, and one of the best things we can do is act now to require real reductions of real polluters here in California," said Jason Barbose, a greenhouse gas reduction advocate for Environment California. "The Senate proposals are a good step forward."

There also are proposals to require 50 percent of new passenger cars sold after 2020 to run on alternative fuels and to force utilities to provide 33 percent of the state's energy using renewable resources by 2021.

"Let's do it in California and watch it spread elsewhere," Perata said, calling the legislation a model for the nation.

But the sweeping plans drew a cool reception from Republican legislators, business groups and the governor.

Vincent Sollitto, a spokesman for the California Chamber of Commerce, said his organization had yet to review the specifics of Perata's package but that the chamber is in favor of "using market mechanisms to provide incentives for innovation, not government decrees and industry mandates."

Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman, R-Irvine, said in a statement that "California's emission regulations are already some of the most stringent in the world. ... New mandates will further disadvantage California businesses. Market-based solutions must be explored, including incentives for investment in new technologies."

Still, Perata insisted the package would be "both good for the environment and ... job-producing."

The Governor's Office warned that Perata's proposals could interfere with a landmark greenhouse gas law passed in 2006. That law, Assembly Bill 32, backed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, requires a 25 percent reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases in California by 2020.

"We cannot abandon AB 32 just seven weeks after it became law. We should work together to reduce climate change by implementing AB 32, not undermining it," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said in a prepared statement.

Perata's office denied that the package in any way undermines the law, saying that it provides a way to ensure the goals set last year would be met.

A spokesman for Núñez, Steve Maviglio, called AB 32 "the gold standard" and said "if this stuff builds on it, fantastic," though he added that the speaker was withholding judgment.

Schwarzenegger has made tackling greenhouse gas emissions a centerpiece of his agenda and has become a leading figure in the national discussion on global warming. On Wednesday, he appeared with GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to talk about creating a national low-carbon fuel standard, which Schwarzenegger created in California with an executive order last month. And on Monday, Schwarzenegger is set to address the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., about global warming.

"Anything the governor does on climate change is going to receive national attention, both because of who he is and because he represents California," Perata said. "He does us a great service. However, you cannot get to the goal line unless you both run and pass."