The state of California is making an effort to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to global warming by banning companies from buying from high polluting sources. The new standard is to encourage investment in cleaner sources like wind and solar. There are hardly any coal – fired plants in the state but 20% the states supply of electricity comes from other western states that generate energy by using coal plants. Many states use coal because it is cheaper, more prevalent, but releases the highest levels of carbon dioxide. Governor Schwarzenegger “[has] made a commitment in the state to clean up the environment, and the commitment extend to what they buy from other states.” This is only one of the reforms that officials have been working on. Last year the governor signed a bill that was the nation’s first cap on carbon emissions that expel from refineries, utilities, and manufacturing plants in the state.
I thought this was interesting because we just finished reading “Americans and Their Land” this past week that discussed California’s extravagant use of resources and emitting of pollutants over the years. This article gave a brownie point to California for at least addressing their problem and attempting to change their habits of consumption and waste emissions. California is most populated state in the nation so; it’s nice for them to take the initiate to be the catalyst for change
