Now that Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has announced her opposition on Proposition 23, this dirty energy proposition stands as the main issue that she and the Democratic candidate Jerry Brown agree on. While Whitman’s stance against Proposition 23 is good news for California, jobs and our strong clean air and health standards, it is troubling that she coupled her technical opposition while simultaneously announcing her intent to suspend AB 32 for at least a year if elected Governor. Her position sounds like she wants it both ways. Delaying AB 32 would throw a monkey wrench into the implementation of our clean energy polices, and significantly hamper the transition of the state – indeed, the nation – to a clean energy economy.

By Ann Notthoff

Originally posted on The MarkUp.

With AB 32 California can emerge as a national leader in both environmental protection and economic growth.

It’s Earth Day and in addition to all of the other lists advising you to turn off the lights, get green power, and pay attention to what you are buying (all of which are very important) there are five more concrete things you need to do today, that can have a huge impact on the health of the planet. Best of all, they will take you about 10 minutes.

Big oil and out-of-state special interests are continuing to fund the campaign to kill California’s landmark climate and clean energy law, AB 32.

AB 32, California’s landmark climate legislation, will hold polluters accountable and require them to reduce the air pollution that continues to not only threaten our health but also contributes to global climate change. This law has been instrumental in launching our state as the superstar of the clean technology industry – igniting innovation and clean energy businesses that have created thousands of new jobs for Californians.

But an opposition force bought and paid for by Texas Big Oil, is attempting to stop all this by pushing a deceptive ballot proposition that will allow polluters to turn a blind eye to clean energy standards, destroy jobs from California’s clean technology companies, and keep us addicted to fossil fuels.

The initiative to suspend AB32 is relying on the Tea Party, but California seems to be making the right move by supporting AB32

In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB32 into law. The bill was a line in sand on climate change, and with a few exceptions, California lawmakers recognized that making the state a leader in clean tech was a win-win-win for the people, the economy, and the planet. AB32 would ratchet California’s Green House Gas emissions back down to 1990 levels, by 2020. This effort would create millions of jobs and attract huge investments establishing California as a clean tech leader for the nation and the world.

Now, Dan Logue (R-CA-3) and few others are trying to drag CA back across the line.

A run down on the newest report by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which confirmed that AB32 will have a positive impact on the economic growth of California.

If you are for some reason tempted to sign a ballot initiative paid for by one of the worst-polluting companies in the country that will increase their profits at the expense of your health and your state’s best interests, and put our men and women’s in increased harm’s way, don’t forget – you are also supporting an effort to “kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and chill billions of dollars of investment in clean energy and other green tech jobs in California”.