California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders have agreed on a plan to cut greenhouse gases by 25 per cent by 2020, reported The Age (1/9/2006, p.13). First US state to cap emissions: The bill, which was expected to win final legislative approval on the night of 31 August, would make California the first US state to fight global warming by capping carbon dioxide and related emissions. Opposed by business groups: The agreement followed lobbying by environmentalists who supported tough standards and business groups who labelled the bill a top "job killer".
The deal was also seen as a rebuke to the Bush Administration, which favours voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Limits effective from 2012: The latest bill authorises the California Air Resources Board to start measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases coming from every major pollution source. Once a tally is taken, regulators would set limits, which would take effect from 2012.
The Age, 1/9/2006, p.13