Gov. Schwarzenegger took action on global warming today by
signing a much-anticipated executive order on alternative fuels. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s order will instruct his
administration to develop regulations – known as a “low carbon fuel standard” –
to reduce global warming pollution from California’s
passenger vehicle fuels by 10 percent by 2020.
“There is nothing more important than taking immediate
action to begin cutting global warming pollution from our state’s biggest
polluters. The fuel standard is a great
first step for Gov. Schwarzenegger as he and his administration work to reduce
emissions statewide by 2020,” said Environment California Global Warming
Advocate Jason Barbose.
The transportation sector accounts for 40 percent of California’s global
warming pollution, and petroleum-based fuels account for 96 percent of
transportation fuel needs.
“As a result of today’s order, Californians can expect to
see more renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel at their local gas station
and, in time, can look forward to driving a new a plug-in hybrid or hydrogen
fuel cell vehicle,” said Barbose.
This is the governor’s first major action on global warming
since signing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 last September. That legislation committed the Schwarzenegger
administration to develop measures to reduce emissions statewide to 1990 levels
by 2020.
By June 2007, the Schwarzenegger administration’s Air
Resources Board must decide on a set of “early-action” measures that state will
adopt to reduce global warming emissions.
The low carbon fuel standard is expected to be one of the measures
chosen.
