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Home » Local and State News » Environmental Madness Threatens Every CA Job

Environmental Madness Threatens Every CA Job

By Jim Peterson on January 4, 2010
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Senator Huff

Digital News Report – Governor Schwarzenegger and 20 officials from his Administration were among the tens of thousands who recently flew to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend the much ballyhooed United Nations Climate Change conference. There, California leaders made speeches and attended meetings, often touting AB 32 – a law that requires a 25% reduction in state greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

The fact that California is the only state in the union to cap carbon emissions may be something to boast about in Denmark. Here at home, however, the cold hard reality of what AB 32 will mean to our state’s economy is beginning to set in.

In order to meet the lofty goals of AB 32, Californians will have to shoulder enormous expenses. A draft report by the California Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee (EAAC) says it could cost businesses and other entities that emit greenhouse gases between $48 billion and $143 billion to comply with AB 32’s strict mandates.

Earlier this year, a California State University Sacramento study predicted that the California Air Resources Board’s implementation of AB 32 would result in staggering costs to both businesses and families. That study was dismissed by environmental activists and others. But the EAAC was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger’s Secretary of Environmental Protection, Linda Adams, to advise the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on the economic impact of implementing AB 32. $48 to $143 billion is the government’s number, and thus harder to ignore.

In his “California’s Capitol” blog, Greg Lucas did some enlightening math, using estimates provided by Cal-EPA and CARB to the committee on the likely cost of allowances that would be exchanged among polluters in AB 32’s “cap and trade” system and applying them to the carbon dioxide emissions reported by a number of specific California businesses in 2008. Alstyle Apparel, a clothing manufacturer in Anaheim would have to pay between $540,000 and $1.6 million under cap-and-trade. ConocoPhillip’s Wilmington plant would have to spend between $40 million and $120 million.

These costs are enormous, and for many employers, prohibitive to doing business in California. Other states and even countries without these extra logistical and financial burdens, will attract more new business, and welcome businesses leaving California’s hostile regulatory climate. Even those who elect to remain in California will pass these costs down to the consumer, raising the cost-of-living on already struggling families.

Out of work Californians – and there are millions of them – can’t wait for phantom “green jobs” to appear some day. The climate change California’s leaders need to be working on is improving our state’s dismal business climate, and we should start by suspending AB 32.

By: Senator Bob Huff

  1. Put California Jobs First
  2. Governor Schwarzenegger Celebrates Earth Day
  3. New Website Highlights the Devastating Effects of AB 32 – The Global Warming Tax
  4. Senate Republican Leader Echoes Governor’s Call to Action on Budget and Job Creation
  5. Governor Signs Environmental and Fire Emergency Executive Order

4 thoughts on “Environmental Madness Threatens Every CA Job”

  1. Charlie Peters says:
    January 4, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    A random ‘Smog Check’ inspection & repair ‘secret shopper’ audit, ethanol cap and elimination of dual fuel CAFE credit can cut California car impact over 50% in 2010.(Prevent Over 2000 tons per day of sulfur, PM, HC, O3, NOx, CO & CO2.) Improved performance of AB32 at reduced cost. (support H.R. 1207)

    Is it time for CHANGE?

    Some folks think so

    Clean Air Performance Professionals

    510-537-1796

  2. Charlie Peters says:
    January 4, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    Schwarzenegger’s nominee to fight global warming has a checkered past

    http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=353445

  3. Charlie Peters says:
    January 4, 2010 at 5:25 pm

    * Should a grand jury consider the cause of death of Alexander Farrell, 46, expert on alternative fuels?

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/BAOK1087DP.DTL

  4. Bobby Boy says:
    January 11, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    Tax and regulate marijuana and you can make up for the costs of a cleaner/better environment

Comments are closed.

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