Most of us rely on an alarm to wake up in the morning, we want to make sure we don’t sleep through something important. Scientists have been sounding alarms on climate change for decades, it’s time we wake up and get to work. Fortunately, there are some in our state legislature who have begun this work in earnest. SB 32 (Pavley) and SB 350 (De Leon and Leno) are two essential bills that not only deserve our support, but are absolutely necessary steps toward staving off the worst effects of climate change.
SB 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015, will substantially increase our use of clean renewable energy, thus providing more jobs. It will also reduce our reliance on petroleum, which lowers our carbon emissions and eases the burden on our troops overseas. It will increase the energy efficiency of our existing buildings, lowering costs and reducing emissions.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act, known as AB 32, was passed in 2006 and we need to preserve this pillar-of-common-sense bill. Under it, greenhouse gas emissions will be greatly reduced, which is exactly what we need. We have the technology, policies and standards to achieve these goals. It will strengthen our economy, provide predictable stability to California’s businesses, improve public health and stimulate innovation in our great state.
Together, these bills save us money, provide jobs, clean our air, improve our national security and save lives. Ignoring the impacts of global warming will not slow them in the least. The crisis is real, and so are the solutions. Let’s decide to thrive.
The Green Flash 