Ids Naught a Dumor!

I have to give props to the Environator even if he can't pronounce the name of the state he governs "Kaulifordyuh". The measure announced today may have a minimum of impact on the U.S. production of carbon dioxide. Especially if, as some have stated, it only effects large corporations. (I will freely admit that everything I know about the actual legislation comes from the news which means at third hand at best.) Even so, it is a monumental political statement. California corporations have to reduce their current emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. So not only must they reduce CO2 from today's level but also and more importantly they must not, in the next fourteen years increase their output. Given current projections their 2020 levels would be significantly higher than today's. Thus what looks like a 25% decrease today will translate to say a 50% or greater decrease from where they would likely be 2020. Sorry my environmental brethren but that's HUGE.
More important still, it is a major voice, in an election year, officially and very publicly recognizing that there is a problem and further, taking steps, however small, toward addressing the problem. Even were this legislation to be full of exemptions and loopholes, the contribution this makes to the dialogue is vital. It states clearly that not only are we not OK, but we have in fact gone too far. We need to head back to 1990 levels. Today it will be harder for the morons who claim that our effect on climate change is a myth or is up for debate or is simply natural cycles will have less of a leg on which to stand. The essential failure of the forces of good over the last 25 years is in the ability to even marginally contribute to the primary discourse of politics or of the mainstream culture. Those who would ellide, misinform, obfuscate and deny have for too long controlled the discussion coloring those who are reasonable as fringe special interests or worse as unamerican. Today one of their own stood up and said "Enough, we've gone too far." Today we have been given an opportunity to shout down the self interested elements who believe their own profit trumps the interests of our children. If it is the Republican Governator who has provided us that opportunity, I can live with that.