[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Life in the post-election, post-bonds, post-AB 32, post-partisan world

By Susan Smartt
Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters

As we reported in last year’s Scorecard, the 2006 legislative session was one of the most productive in recent years for the environment, capped by the enactment of the milestone AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. It was also an election year, and 2006 closed with hopeful signs of change:

• Almost half of the Assembly – 37 out of 80 members – were newly-elected freshmen (in 2004 there were 18). In fact, a majority of the Assembly Democratic caucus – 25 out of 48 – were elected to their first term.

• The voters approved an unprecedented $43 billion in infrastructure bonds, for everything from transportation to housing to flood control.

• Governor Schwarzenegger triangulated his way to easy re-election, cheerfully declaring that his election and the 2006 legislative session ushered in an era of post-partisan cooperation.

• For environmentalists, AB 32 promised to change just about everything. If the state was serious about reducing its global warming gas emissions, then the process itself would lead to many other environmental improvements we had long supported.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By John Boesel
President and CEO
CALSTART
and
Karen Douglas
Legislative Director
Environmental Defense

Recent projections that California’s population is expected to almost double from 35 million people today to 60 million people in 2050 are sobering. Even more sobering are proposals that seemed visionary in the 1950s but outdated for the 2050s: double-decking our freeways, expanding toll road systems and generally laying more concrete. In the 21st century we need to invest in new technologies, fuels and systems to carry us forward in a sustainable way.

Fortunately, we have the opportunity to create new fuels and transportation solutions as we strive to meet the requirements of AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act that requires a steep reduction in global warming emissions down to 1990 levels. But in order to meet this objective, we must plan for new population growth and transportation infrastructure in a sustainable way.

by Ilya Sheyman [courtesy of Blog for America]

(The following is a guest post from The ReEnergize NH and IA Organizing Team)

Concord, New Hampshire and Des Moines, Iowa boomed Sunday afternoon with the sound of masses of citizens rallying for a clean energy economy and real global warming solutions.

The rallies were the highlight event of a summer-long effort to engage citizens in NH and IA about the economic opportunities that bold, visionary action to fight global warming can bring to America.

The students from the Sierra Student Coalition that organized the campaign, along with the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers, collected thousands of petition signatures asking our leaders to act now to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050, or two percent a year starting right now, and create two million new, good-paying jobs for Americans.

by Ilya Sheyman [courtesy of Blog for America]

(The following is a guest post from The ReEnergize NH and IA Organizing Team)

Can we enact real global warming solutions and create real wealth in America?

Yes, we can. We're in the right place, at the right time...and we're the right ones to make it happen. In just a few days - this Sunday - the best chance to move America towards a prosperous, clean energy economy will be in Des Moines, Iowa & Concord, New Hampshire.

We're inviting you, your family and your friends to join us as we raise the profile of global warming in the national public debate. RSVP here to join us in New Hampshire or Iowa on August 5:

http://www.climatesummer.org/march