Comment Log Display

I want to thank California state officials for taking global
warming and the future of human life on this planet seriously.  You
are to be congratulated  for developing a plan to reduce global
warming pollution while at the same time creating jobs and making
California a healthier and more prosperous place to live. The
proposed program will decrease global warming emissions from the
state’s largest polluters and establish a market price on these
emissions. This program, along with renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and cleaner transportation standards are exactly what
we need in California, since the federal government seems unable to
act.

I am pleased that parts of the proposal are strong, such as setting
a limit that declines each year, and setting a minimum price on
carbon pollution. With these costs in mind, it is up to businesses
to make long-term investments in strategies to reduce global
warming emissions.  It is something they should have already done,
but it is abundantly clear that businesses will not act until they
must.  And the program implemented in California must force
businesses to act.

That is why I feel that the program needs to be strengthened by
requiring more of the state’s largest polluters to pay (i.e., spend
actual money) for their global warming emissions.  Please do not
give permits away for free!  We need to force polluters to pay for
the emissions they generate.   Then we need to re-invest these
funds into efforts that will help us transition to a cleaner
economy.