Not Worth the Paper It’s Printed on

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger issued an Executive Order to establish new greenhouse gas emission targets for California. This made-for-TV event will have the same impact on the environment as his call for a ban on campaign contributions during the budget cycle had on fundraising – none.

Instead of attempting to grab headlines and manufacturing an artificial “break” from the Bush Administration, why not really send a message by introducing legislation to implement real change?

If Schwarzenegger really wants to demonstrate his commitment to the environment, why not get behind AB 1365 (Ruskin), which would require inclusion in the state planning priorities the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 7 percent by 2010 and 10 percent by 2020 based on the 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels? Nah, better to just issue an executive order that is silent on how to reach its goals and enforce reductions.

The Governor’s budget for next year has no money or direction for environmental agencies to implement the plan. It’s not really leadership to issue an executive order that has no effect and will not take place for 10 to 40 years.

It’s a hard to take this administration’s “commitment to greenhouse gas emission reductions seriously. This governor has said that he cares about the environment, but has vetoed legislation that would have helped achieve the same goals he now claims to support.

Last year, for example, he vetoed SB 1478 which was strongly supported by environmental groups and which sought to increase the amount of renewable energy used in the state by 20% by the year 2020.

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