Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is supposed to be the king of green. In 2005 he vowed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In September 2006 he signed Assembly Bill 32, landmark legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Then in April of this year he was featured on the cover of Newsweek next to the title, “Save the Planet. Or else.”

But environmentalists across the state say this year’s legislative session, which ended in mid-September, turned out to be lackluster at best. The governor and Democratic and Republican lawmakers blew most of the summer resolving the state’s budget stalemate, losing precious time that could have been spent on other important business, including environmental policy.

And though lawmakers passed a flood-protection package, green building standards, and legislation protecting wildlife and promoting alternative fuels, bills about air pollution – an issue particularly close to L.A.’s heart – were left stagnant until next January, when the legislature will reconvene.

One of the more ambitious bills – Sen. Alan Lowenthal’s port cleanup plan – was sidelined until next year. It aims to improve Southern California’s air quality by imposing a fee on containerized cargo. Los Angeles, home of 27 percent of the state’s population, spews the worst air pollution in the nation. Air pollution kills as many as 5,400 people a year in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.

The measure, heralded by California environmental groups like the Sierra Club, the Natural Resource Defense Council, and the Coalition for Clean Air as one of the most important environmental policy priorities, was pulled by Lowenthal and the governor last month. The governor vetoed a similar Lowenthal bill last year under pressure from business interests.

Indeed, the governor has yet to act on many of the environmental bills the legislation did manage to pass. The deadline for him to sign and veto bills is only a few days away. His decisions will show just how green he really is.

Bills awaiting the governor’s verdict:

Green Buildings: Assembly Bill 888, by Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), would require commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet built after 2013 to meet the highest green building rating as ranked by the U.S. Green Building Council. AB 1058, by John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), would require the state to develop green building standards for new residential developments and enact them by 2013. AB 35, by Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City), would require the state to begin green building standards for state buildings by 2010. Advocates say green building standards would reduce energy consumption, air pollution, and water use, as well as improve worker health and productivity. The authors worked together on these three bills and consider them a cohesive package.

Alternative fuels: SB 210, by Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), would require the Air Resources Board to enact a low-carbon fuel standard by January 2010. The bill would codify an executive order the governor made in January. In the order the governor called for emissions from California’s passenger vehicles to be reduced by at least 10 percent by 2020.

Toxics in toys: AB 1108, by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), would ban the use of phthalates in toys intended for children under 3 years of age. Scientific studies have shown that some animals exposed to phthalates develop testicular injuries, liver injuries, and liver cancer. Opponents of the bill say phthalates have been used in toys safely for over 40 years.

Solar energy: AB 1470, by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), would create the Solar Hot Water and

Efficiency Act of 2007, a $250 million subsidy program for solar hot water heaters with the goal of promoting the installation of 200,000 solar hot water systems in California by 2017.

Light bulbs: AB 1109, by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, would prohibit the manufacturing or sale of general-purpose lights that contain hazardous substances. Commonly used incandescent light bulbs contain lead, and compact florescent light bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury.

Bills that could return in January:

Air Quality: Senate bill 375, by Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, would require the transportation planning agencies to develop compact housing centers that reduce driving, and in turn reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The author hopes the bill would help achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals of AB 32.

Ports: SB 974, by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), would impose, starting January 1, 2009, a $30 fee on containerized cargo passing through the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to increase air quality. The bill was pulled at the author’s request, but Schwarzenegger publicly supported the bill and said he would work with Lowenthal to specify how the money would be spent, when the regular legislative session reconvenes.