California's Governor Race Becoming a Referendum on Climate Change. By Peter Henderson, Reuters, February 27, 2010. "The face-off to replace Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in November offers a clear choice on the issue, which for many will come down to whether laws on climate change help the state lead in new 'green' industries or drive firms out of business or out of state in reaction to higher costs. 'It's a pivotal race, certainly for California, but for the rest of the country' too, said incoming Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, echoing the thoughts of many businesses in the U.S. state with the largest population and economy. Former eBay chief Meg Whitman and Silicon Valley colleague Steve Poizner, the Republicans vying for the job, both would put the 2006 landmark air pollution law on hold. State Attorney General Jerry Brown, the unofficial Democratic candidate, would defend it.
"California's 2006 law begins the experiment of creating a market to price carbon, putting a cap on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and letting polluters trade emission permits. It sets new building, automobile and planning rules for efficiency and embraces alternative energy. An initiative which has just begun gathering signatures to get on the November ballot would suspend the law until the state's double-digit unemployment rate drops to 5.5% or less -- which economists say will be years -- and has won Poizner's support. Whitman, ahead in Republican polls, aims to put key provisions of the law on hold for a year for study. Brown, a former California governor who supports the law, led Whitman in a January Field Poll by 10% -- half his lead in an October poll."
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