Changing the political climate

Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. We just passed through the warmest decade in 140 years and an overwhelming majority of scientists tell us that it’s only going to get worse—that the Earth’s temperature will likely increase by up to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century.

A blue-ribbon panel of climate experts last year confirmed that the phenomena seem clearly related to human activities—especially the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and enhances the greenhouse gas effect, trapping heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise be expelled. More than 100 countries signed the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. But the agreement later collapsed, thanks largely to its lack of endorsement by the United States, a country that gives off a full quarter of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Since our current national leadership seems incapable of enacting public policy to counteract this environmental catastrophe, well, at least we live in a state that’s trying to do something about it.

Just signed by Governor Gray Davis, AB 1493 is a piece of environmental legislation that directs the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations by 2005 that will get what the bill refers to as “maximum achievable reduction of greenhouse gases” from all cars sold in the state. (California is the nation’s single largest car market, making up roughly 10 percent of all cars sold.) The way to reduce greenhouse gases is to burn less gas, so the real impact of AB 1493, authored by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, will be to force automobile manufacturers to build more fuel-efficient vehicles starting with 2009 models.

Not surprisingly, an aggressive campaign against AB 1493 was launched by a group of auto manufacturers and oil companies—the same contingent that initially fought efforts to require seat belts, air bags, catalytic converters and unleaded gasoline. Among other things, this group alleged that AB 1493 would stop people from buying their choice of SUVs and trucks. “I’m scared to death and you should be too,” said Cal Worthington in some of the ads. However, the bill specifically states that the board can’t outlaw particular cars.

We find it cheering that a recent statewide poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 77 percent of SUV owners support the concept of this bill. (Among all adults, that number goes up to 81 percent.) Obviously, California drivers have confidence that the auto industry can produce cars they want to buy that also burn less gas.

Critics have noted that California produces less than 1 percent of the globe’s greenhouse gas output, so cutting back here won’t ultimately mean much. But what the bill may lack in material impact, it makes up for in far-reaching political import. Other states are sure to follow suit with greenhouse gas legislation of their own. And perhaps California’s leadership-by-example on global warming will shame our national leaders into some action of their own.