Comment Log Display

Congratulations to all on a job well done.  Just a few comments on
possible improvements:

The section on local government could use some expansion.  Local
governments impact climate change in many ways, from landfill
management to forest protection and many others.  Local
governments already take many actions to reduce climate impact,
some on their own initiative and others in response to state
mandates.  At a time of growing demands and shrinking revenues,
local governments are looking to carbon trading as a possible
source of revenue to fund these efforts. More information on their
role in this process would be helpful.

There are also many resource management agencies other than local
governments with the same issues and concerns.  Waste management
districts, water conservation districts and numerous others should
be explicitly included in these plans.

Similarly, there are many non-profit and community-based
organizations which are vital partners in the efforts to protect
California's environment.  Some discussion of their role in this
system would be welcome.

The specific measures mentioned for reducing climate impact are
modest and reasonable.  Of course there are many other
possibilities and still more which will be developed in the
future.  We should take care to enact a sufficiently flexible
system to allow us to take advantage of emerging technologies and
to react to changing circumstances.

Lastly, some care and consideration should be given to the
development of the carbon trading market.  This may have
unforeseen consequences for California down the road, as we
learned from the disastrous trade in energy futures and the recent
meltdown of the housing market.  Protections and regulation need to
be implemented at not just the state level, but at the national and
international level as well. 

Original File Name:

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-07-23 12:48:39