Comment Log Display

I thank Caslifornis State Officials for taking global warming
seriously and 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 is one of many policies CARB is using to
reach the state’s goal of reducing global warming emissions to 1990
levels by 2020, along with renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
cleaner transportation standards.

These parts of the proposal are essential and strong, such as
setting a limit that declines each year, and setting a minimum
price on carbon pollution. This steady price signal will help
businesses make long-term investments in strategies to reduce
global warming emissions. 

I recommend that the program be strengthened by requiring more of
the state’s largest polluters to pay for their global warming
emissions instead of giving permits away for free. By requiring
polluters to pay for the emissions they generate by purchasing
permits in an auction, we can then re-invest the auction funds into
efforts that will help us transition to a cleaner economy and help
lower energy costs for Californians—such as making homes and
businesses more energy efficient, increasing public transit
options, and developing wind and solar projects in California.