by RepHildaSolis [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

This morning I spoke on the House floor to ask why President Bush didn't allow the United States to take part in the United Nation's major Global Warming discussion this week.  You can watch my floor statement on my YouTube page here.

EDIT by Brian: Flip for more.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

We’ve just gotten news that a group of California business leaders have petitioned Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders to break our best environmental laws. They’re demanding that the Legislature rip a hole in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to give their businesses a free ride on global warming pollution.

The petition is an unofficial declaration of war against CEQA, and California’s new global warming program, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger just nine months ago.

Here’s what I wrote the Governor, California Senate leader Don Perata, and California Assembly leader Fabian Nunez:

"RE: Business Attack on the State’s Global Warming Prevention Efforts

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Perata, and Speaker Núñez:

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Nick Lapis
Policy Associate
Californians Against Waste

Californians Against Waste strongly supports the Air Resources Board’s decision to include landfill gas capture as one of the 3 discrete Early Action Measures (EAMs) that will be implemented by January 1st, 2010. However, by focusing on controlling the small number of landfills that do not have gas capture systems, the Board missed an opportunity to achieve other substantial and cost-effective greenhouse gas reductions from the waste sector.

Ton for ton, recycling reduces more pollution, saves more energy and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions more than any other solid waste management option. Despite a robust materials collection infrastructure, Californians disposed over 42 million tons of solid waste in 2004. Over 60% of these materials were recyclable, and, when disposed, they generated very significant greenhouse gas emissions. A modest 25% reduction in disposal of materials commonly collected in curbside programs could deliver 5 MMTCO2E of GHG reductions, an amount equal to over a million cars not being driven every year.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• California Secretary for Environmental Protection Adams, Attorney General Brown, and former Assemblymember and Clean Cars Legislation Author Pavley to Testify Today in Washington, D.C.

• New Report Issued by Environment California Documents What States Can Achieve

By Frank D. Russo

Tailpipe standards already in place in California and 11 other states would reduce global warming emissions by nearly 400 million metric tons by 2020 – a reduction level equivalent to taking 74 million of today’s cars off the road for an entire year, according to a new report, "The Clean Cars Program: How States are Driving Cuts in Global Warming Pollution". The report was released yesterday by Environment California, a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. . It comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a public hearing today on whether to give states the green light to reduce global warming pollution from cars and SUVs.