Will economics trump science in battle over global warming?, July 2010
For years, the debate over climate change centered on science: is global warming occurring and, if so, is it being caused by humans? But with the economy still struggling, the argument has shifted to one of dollars and cents. As complex as the scientific debate has been, the fiscal reality of fighting climate change is even more confusing and politically charged.
Nowhere is this more evident than in CALIFORNIA, where an all out battle is now underway to block state officials from implementing AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which requires the Golden State to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Additional legislation and executive orders have added to that directive, requiring the state to achieve a 33 percent renewable energy portfolio by 2020 and local municipalities to account for GHG reduction in regional planning and development. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has set an ultimate goal of cutting GHG emissions 80 percent by 2050. [click title to continue reading]
