THE THREAT TO CALIF’S CLIMATE LAW

The truth and the lies about the campaign to kill AB 32
Cameron Scott, March 9, 2010 (SF Chronicle)

"A new study by a non-partisan legislative analyst says that full implementation of California's groundbreaking climate law, AB 32, will likely cause modest job losses.

"Anti-environmentalists will almost certainly take the finding as a vindication, but that would be overstating the point. Yes, the state overestimated the potential green-jobs boost the bill could have. But this report found nothing suspicious in the state's analysis; rather, it notes that such employment forecasts can be very difficult to make."

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"The analyst's report predicted only modest job losses — and of course, it's involved in precisely the same guesswork…Bland findings aside, you can bet that anti-AB 32 forces will use the report as a hammer as they try to delay the bill's implementation with a ballot measure this November.

"Who are the anti-AB 32 forces? Well, despite flag-bearer Dan Logue's initial promises that no energy companies were funding his campaign, turns out, they are — and out-of-state energy companies at that…Texas energy companies Tesoro Corp. and Valero Energy Corp. are reportedly funding the measure, and have also been reliable contributors to Logue's own campaign coffers."

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"That makes two measures this year that are bought at paid for by corporations they would — maybe someday — affect.

"Amid all the populism the wildly profitable fossil fuel companies are drumming up in their efforts to halt the state's climate change legislation, you can bet they won't mention that air pollution from their industry costs Californians $200 million a year in hospital bills."