GLOBAL WARMING ACTION ENDANGERED IN STATE BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS: DON’T LET THE OSTRICHES WIN!

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Last Friday, a group of California State Senators launched another attack on California’s ability to reduce global warming pollution by attempting to slash our premier environmental and public participation law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Several Republican Party Senators have threatened to block the entire state budget unless the California Legislature accepts a recent polluters’ plea to ignore global warming pollution when assessing a project’s environmental impacts under CEQA. This “ostrich exemption” would allow polluters to continue sticking their heads in the sand, pretending that projects like oil refineries, freeways, and suburban sprawl simply don’t create greenhouse gases. It’s dangerously loopy logic, but if they can convince the Senate to play along, we could see California’s bourgeoning fight against global warming come to a skidding halt.

The Senate will reconvene Wednesday morning to continue negotiations on the state budget. We’re asking Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislative leaders to turn back this assault. But they need to hear from you too!

Please call Senate leader Don Perata, Governor Schwarzenegger, and your state Senator AS SOON AS YOU CAN!

Here’s what they need to know:

• Please fight this latest attempt to create an “ostrich exemption” in the California Environmental Quality Act. If developers are responsible for global warming pollution they need to admit it to the public and clean up their act, not bury their heads in the sand.

• The California Environmental Quality Act is our best tool to hold these polluters accountable. For more than thirty-five years it has shed light on decisions that could harm the environment and public health and forced polluters to take reasonable actions that improve their projects. It must continue to carry out its key roles as California fights global warming pollution.