 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger addressing the UN about climate. Image: UN Photo/Marco Castro |
The midterm elections saw Republications take over control of the House and gain ground in the Senate. Obviously, not the best of news for President Obama. But California voters kept hope alive for some sort of climate change legislation during Obama's presidency by rejecting Proposition 23. If the ballot initiative had passed, it would have shelved important 2006 legislation that capped California greenhouse gas emissions until unemployment in the state fell to 5.5 percent and stayed there for four quarters in a row.
(For more about what the election outcomes mean for environmental legislation, see from earlier today.)
In case you don鈥檛 know much about Prop 23, here鈥檚 some background: A little more than four years ago, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 to combat climate change by limiting the state鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, it required:
- mandatory reporting and monitoring of emissions in the state
- a cap on emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2020
 San Clemente, CA. Image: Stuck in Customs, Flickr Creative Commons |
- a reduction in total state greenhouse gas emissions
When the law passed, touted it as 鈥渢he most sweeping controls on carbon emissions in the nation,鈥 putting the state 鈥渁t the forefront of a broad campaign to curb the man-made causes of climate change.鈥 It earned accolades for pushing an issue in the face of Washington resistance, and it touched many sectors of the economy (from ):
Reaching the law鈥檚 mandates involves a low-carbon fuel standard for vehicle fuels as well as regulations for tires, engine oils, paints, window glazes, and vehicle insurance. It involves new regulations that affect housing, trucking, refrigerated vehicles, cargo vessels, rail freight, chemicals, and many other parts of the economy鈥hich is why some big companies hated it.
Many of those big companies鈥攕pecifically oil titans鈥攕till hate it, hence the recent fight to suspend the law. Groups on both sides of this fence raised millions leading up to Election Day. But Californians spoke with their ballots, with almost 60 percent saying a big 鈥淣o thanks!鈥 to Prop 23.