What California’s Midterm Election Could Mean for the Environment

Update: On Nov. 2, 2010, Prop 23 was defeated by 82 percent of California voters!

If you watch the local news broadcast, read your mail or listen to talk radio, its hard to escape the fact that the 2010 mid-term election is only days away. Greenerprinter is not in the businesses of political advocacy, but California’s Proposition 23 is one instance in which we knew we had to act.

Proposition 23 proposes to halt the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) until California’s unemployment rate drops from its current rate of 12.4 percent to 5.5 percent. What is AB32? This Act was passed in 2006 and holds polluters accountable to the air pollution they produce. It requires guilty companies to reduce the air pollution that threatens people nationwide and contributes to global climate change.

The proposed level of unemployment has rarely been achieved in California even in good economic times. And according to Prop. 23, the 5.5 percent level must be maintained for four consecutive quarters before AB32 can be enacted. Hence, the reduction of pollution could be put on hold indefinitely! Prop. 23 is funded largely by two goliath oil companies: Valero and Tesoro Corp. These companies’ oil refineries are among the top ten polluters in California.

Effects on the Environment

If Proposition 23 is not defeated on November 2, polluters will be granted a “Get Out of Jail Free” card on California’s clean energy standards, and keep us addicted to dirty oil. As emphasized by the NO on 23 Coalition, passing the proposition could, “result in greater use of oil in California and increase the risk of accidents like that in the Gulf Coast.” A scary proposition indeed!

But there’s even more at stake for the environment. The California election will be the first domino that could trigger a chain reaction in the national debate in 2011 about clean air and green jobs. How? Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency is deciding how to exercise its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions (part of the EPA’s tasks under the Clean Air Act). But before the EPA can act, some members of Congress are working hard to rob the EPA of its authority. The passing of Prop. 23 and subsequent repeal of AB32 will make the job of removing EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions much, much easier in the future.

Effects on the Green Economy

During the previous five years, green jobs in California have grown ten times faster than total US job growth. Approximately 500,000 Californians hold clean-tech or green jobs, and that number is only growing. But if passed, Prop. 23 will put an end to job growth in the green sector by discouraging expansion into alternative energy and remediation of dirty energy. Big corporations including Valero and Tesoro Corp. would be allowed to stymie competition and jobs from California’s clean technology companies. Furthermore, the reduction of clean energy policy could influence investors that have embraced the green economy as an economic growth sector to move their investments to other non-green sectors. This would have a devasting effect on California green job opportunities.

The Green Chamber of Commerce hit the nail on the head in their recent blog post on the issue. They wrote, “Prop. 23 would kill competition from California’s newly emerging clean energy businesses – wind, solar and other renewable energy and clean technologies.”

Effects on Public Health

Every year, air pollution contributes to 19,000 deaths in California and contributes to the alarming rates of cancer, asthma and other diseases. By removing accountability from the companies that cause air pollution until unemployment rates drop, the health of everyone will be put at risk. Prop. 23 is strongly opposed by the American Lung Association, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the California arm of AARP.

Greenerprinter and Prop. 23

As a committed green company Greenerprinter embraces all efforts toward making the world a more sustainable and healthy place for our selves and future generations. A No vote on Prop 23 is vote for supporting a growing green economy and a better world for all.

How can you take action? If you are a registered voter in California, please vote no on Prop 23. If your friends or family members are California residents, please share this blog and urge them to vote no on Prop. 23.

Thank you!