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Brown signs West Coast pact on climate change

October 29, 2013

Jerry BrownGovernor Jerry Brown joined the governors of Oregon and Washington and the premier of British Columbia Monday to sign a West Coast pact on fighting climate change. [Mercury News]

The Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy commits the three states and the Canadian province to about a dozen actions, including streamlining permits for solar and wind projects, supporting research on ocean acidification and purchasing electric vehicles for government use.

“You are witnessing a historic small but powerful first step,” Brown said Monday. “Next year and the year after and the year after that, this will spread until finally we get a real handle and grasp on what is the world’s greatest existential challenge — the stability of our climate, on which we all depend.”

The pact also commits the states and province to supporting new rules from the Obama Administration that will set limits on carbon emissions from power plants. The rules, which are expected to take effect next year, will make it nearly impossible to build new coal-fired plants and will likely raise electricity bills in many states that depend on coal.

The governors of Oregon and Washington, both Democrats, also announced support for cap and trade policies in their states. In Washington, Republicans, who have opposed cap and trade, control the state Senate.

California already has a cap and trade law, AB 32, which former governor Arnold Schwarzengger signed in 2006. AB 32, which took effect last year, requires oil companies, factories and power plants to hold permits for the carbon pollution they emit.

 


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I’d have allot more respect for him as a man, and more specifically this, his latest appeasement to the “green industry”, if I hadn’t seen him drag his butt out of a Ford Excursion at the Capital building during his first year in office, while I was taking a tour with my Granddaugther.


Perhaps the State taxpayers could buy him a current model Tesla-I’d be in favor of that!


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When Brown FIRST became governor, he drove his own Plymouth Satellite. This after Reagan terrorized California highways with his Cadillac/CHP armada going 100 mph. Grandpas sometime become forgetful.


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Just like ol’ Pete Wilson on Hwy 46.


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During his first term as Governor of California Brown was criticized by Republicans for wanting to use his own mid-priced car instead of the state limousines. Republicans claimed he was sending the wrong message. As always, when it comes to luxuries, many Republican leaders insist on MORE spending by government, not less. Time and again this is true.


These days, sadly, Brown uses the Ford Excursions for security reasons which is quite understandable. (Especially when you see the kind of extremist reactions and sentiments that his detractors exhibit in blogs.) Brown is a most courageous leader.


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More hand outs to the “right” contributors, no doubt. Everything done under the “green” umbrella is as crooked as big oil or big pharma (or whatever industry is currently in vogue to demonize).


I often make it a point to avoid giving my business to anyone with “green” or “eco” in their name, as is my prerogative… so far.


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Based on his honorable track record, I trust that Jerry Brown has done the right thing with this. Brown’s history as a true public servant shows a career that has consistently shown him to be a wise and strong leader who has a better handle on what is best for California than have ALL of his critics.


Governor Brown rules! More power to Governor Brown!


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Oh, good grief, WHERE is my AIRSICKNESS bag? Liberal worship by Wiser !


Oh, that’s right, the solid waste Nazi’s won’t allow a public vote on bags (don’t anybody give me grief about the Nazi comparison, it’s an apt one to the no vote waste management actions), so I can’t use the Wal Mart paper bags and my supply of saved plastic ones from my shopping in other counties has run out.


Wiser, I hope you’ve got a job regulating solar or some such job, because the rest of the jobs are going to flee California faster. Check out the recent Time Magazine cover story on the success of Texas in luring Californians and Americans with jobs and freedom. Time is hardly a rightist publication, and they boldly admit the truth.


Jerry Brown is the biggest disaster to hit California since the San Andreas Fault, and he has likely cost us more money than the fault.


Bullet trains to nowhere so he can be like his daddy’s State Water Project legacy, taxes and brainless liberal schemes that hurt the public and drive away jobs and productivity. The worst business, worker’s comp, energy, transportation and public policy imaginable, and you want to lick his boots, Wiser. Augh !


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You may be right on this issue (time will tell), but you are blaming Brown for a lot of stuff for which he is not responsible. He has been a moderating influence on the absurd stuff coming out of the Democrat-controlled state legislature in many cases. (He only signed about half the gun control laws they passed. He shouldn’t have signed any but that is not as bad as it could have been.)


I don’t agree on a fair number of positions he has taken but, compared to the legislature, he is far from a flaming liberal and given the voting record of this state, we could have elected a much worse governor.


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I chuckled when you wrote “luring Californians and Americans” – nice.


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It is NOT worship, it is common sense.


And quit spreading irrational fears! California will do just fine, even if, or perhaps especially, if all the ingrates and polluting and toxic companies move to Texas.


Anyone who prefers Texas to California is welcome to move there, as far as I’m concerned. No big deal. In fact, it may be a very good thing for California.


Jerry Brown deserves at least a nomination for best Governor in the United States. Face it, even the reasonable, non-extremist Republicans, respect Governor Brown.


Who here claims to care more for California than Jerry Brown AND who has the experience or wisdom to lead California as smartly and successfully as Brown?


Face it, Brown’s the best we’ve got for the position. We are very fortunate. People throughout the United States recognize that.


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Rather than expecting handouts and freebies and whining about it and blaming others, please considering BUYING plastic bags at the supermarket if they are so important to your lifestyle. Any problem with THAT?


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Prepare yourselves for increased costs of fuels. No doubt a carbon tax will soon be on its way, as is the case in British Columbia. It of course will be described as revenue neutral, but of course it won’t be.


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Another job killer.


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This type of stuff is great at creating govt jobs. High paying unproductive make work jobs for friends of high party officials.


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Ah yes, bureaucrat solutions to a problem that doesn’t exist. Sound familiar?


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Cap and …keyword (Trade) a financial boondoggle for the power brokers.


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Streamlining permits has always been an option in Mexico, finally the US and Canada have signed a pact for the same benefits. What was the justification, oh ya, Climate Control.


We have now agreed to an old process for the best system that money can buy.


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