Have you gotten a call from us yet to stand up for AB 32 — the Global Warming Solutions Act? We’ve been busy placing calls around the state to find members and activists who are willing to take a few minutes to write a letter of support for California’s landmark climate change law. Threats are being made to stop its much needed implementation – threats from Texas-based oil companies who are funding an initiative effort and threats from Gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. For details on how to help, check out our action alert.
And in the meantime, get inspired. Here are a couple of letters that were just published today in the SF Chronicle.
Attack on state’s emissions law
California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, Assembly Bill 32, is under attack by big industries and their allies (“Industry coalition works against emissions law,” Jan. 18).
They are spending millions of dollars to get an initiative on the November ballot which, if it passes, will roll back AB32. And Meg Whitman, a candidate for governor, has said that if elected she will suspend AB32 by executive order.
Big industry is trying to sell to the public the idea that implementation of this landmark global warming law would be bad for the economy and hamper job creation.
In fact, the opposite is true. Not only is AB32 a good thing for the economy, its implementation is necessary if we are going to pull out of the recession in California. Green jobs are already growing 2.5 times as fast as traditional jobs; implementing AB32 without delay will significantly expand that figure. If AB32 is not implemented, California risks losing more than half a million jobs by 2020 and a loss of over $80 billion in gross state product.
It is critical that the public be made aware of these realities before going to the polls in November.
JANE BURTON Oakland
Save our green jobs
In 2006, California passed the landmark global warming bill, Assembly Bill 32. Now two Texas oil companies are spending millions to overturn it (“The Texas intrusion,” Editorial, March 10).
The attack comes in the form of a deceptive initiative that is likely to appear on the November ballot. These companies are making the tired old claim that regulating their pollution will cost us jobs, when the fact is that AB32 has brought billions in investment capital to California for green technology and green jobs.
We can’t let Texas oil barons trick us into gutting one of our most important tools for building a sustainable future.
JEREMY BEGIN Oakland
Please take the few minutes to write a letter in support of AB 32. We provide the tips and the talking points to make it easy. It’s crucial that we get the word out all around the state.
