Governor's resolve on global warming melting away?

Appeared in the Good Times Newsweekly

7/18/07

By Assemblymember John Laird

Earlier this month, Governor Schwarzenegger fired California Air Resources Board (CARB) chair Robert Sawyer and forced the resignation of executive officer Catherine Witherspoon. 

CARB has been internationally recognized for its work in improving California's air quality—and was named in last year's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) as the agency with primary responsibility for its implementation.

Why did the governor take that action?  To help answer that question, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee—of which I am a member—held what turned out to be a very dramatic hearing.  Was the governor trying to preserve accountability in air quality issues?  Or was he micromanaging implementation of AB 32 by going in a direction different than what the law intended?  

These questions dominated almost four hours of testimony, with Sawyer, Witherspoon and two low-ranking administration officials pulling back the curtain on the workings of the governor's office.  E-mails, voicemails and private conversations were recounted, pointing to micromanagement of CARB board decisions—a board known to be science-based and independent of political machinations.

AB 32 set up a framework to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020—and set up a study process to review market mechanisms to be used in meeting the goal.  The first “early action steps” were due July 1, and testimony showed the governor's office wanted those steps reduced. 
 
Testimony showed the governor's office wanted study of the “cap and trade” market mechanism moved out of order and prioritized first—regardless of what AB 32 specified.  Ms. Witherspoon, a 22-year veteran of CARB, referred to a “cascade of interference” from the governor's office.

It's hard to believe that a year ago I hosted a first-of-its-kind free screening of “An Inconvenient Truth.”  An overflow crowd gathered that day at the Nickelodeon Theater for the movie and the panel discussion that followed. 

Since then, many climate change-related bills have been moving through the legislature—from AB 32 last year to my current bills to establish residential green building standards and develop new ways to achieve water conservation.

Public interest and leadership in California drove enactment of AB 32 and placed the governor on the cover of Newsweek.  But is that cover photo indicative of where the governor actually is? Or are the private actions to favor business in implementing the bill, as described in the hearing?  The coming weeks and months will yield the answer.

To watch the hearing, go to http://www.calchannel.com/search.htm and enter 070607 in the “date” box.