Hitting the Bottle: Schwarzenegger Proposes Continued Borrowing from Recycling Fund to Pay for Global Warming Programs

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Traci Sheehan
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

As the state budget deficit looms, and a California-EPA progress report for state agency action on global warming shows a mixed record of action across various agencies, Californians have been told they may be forced to wait another year for reliable “polluter-pays” funding to implement AB 32, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

Despite calls from the state Legislature, the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, and environmental advocates to find a stable, long-term funding plan for implementation of AB 32 in this year’s state budget, the Schwarzenegger Administration has instead proposed to borrow resources from other government programs, including a $32 million loan from the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund. The Recycling Fund repays consumers who recycle bottles and cans.

This “borrow from Peter to pay Paul, et al.” attitude fails to acknowledge the urgency of the challenge we face in fighting global warming. We support fully funding the Governor’s proposed budget for all agency work on implementation of AB 32 –- and doing so through fees on large emitters of greenhouse gases such as power plants and oil refineries. It’s also time to see some more accountability for those agencies that lag behind in greenhouse gas reduction activities.

Traci Sheehan is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testified in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.