California's Landmark Global Warming Lawsuit

California's Landmark Global Warming Lawsuit



Aug. 2007  - A unique greenhouse gas 
reduction plan that will identify sources of emissions in San Bernardino 
County and set feasible reduction targets to combat global warming was 
agreed upon today to settle a lawsuit brought against the county by the 
state of California. 
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the "landmark 
settlement" of the state’s global warming lawsuit at a news conference at 
the his office in downtown Los Angeles. 
"San Bernardino now sets the pace for how local government can adopt 
powerful measures to combat oil dependency and climate disruption," Brown 
said. "This landmark agreement establishes one of the first greenhouse gas 
reduction plans in California. It is a model that I encourage other cities 
and counties to adopt." 
Approved today by the County Board of Supervisors, today’s settlement 
resolves a lawsuit, filed by the attorney general in April, contesting the 
adequacy of San Bernardino’s general plan under the California 
Environmental Quality Act. 
Brown argued that the plan, a blueprint for the physical development of 
land until year 2030, did not adequately analyze the effects of 
development on global warming nor did it identify ways to mitigate the 
warming that would be caused by development. 
One of the fastest growing counties in California, San Bernardino 
currently generates about 10 trips per household per day, and over 84 
percent of the work trips are made by car. Burning fossil fuels such as 
gasoline, generates greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global 
warming. 
Under today’s agreement, the county will embark upon a 30 month public 
process aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions attributable to land use 
decisions and county government operations. 
Under the newly approved Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, the 
county must:

  Inventory all known, or reasonably discoverable, sources of greenhouse 
  gases in the county. 

  Inventory the greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990, the current level, 
  and that projected for the year 2020. 

  Set a target for the reduction of emissions attributable to the county’s 
  discretionary land use decisions and its own internal government 
  operations.

Commenting on the agreement, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors 
Vice Chairman Gary Ovitt said, "Only a handful of California counties and 
cities have formally addressed climate change issues, and San Bernardino 
County will lead the way in the implementation of strategies and steps to 
enhance our future and serve as a model for others." 
Under California law, the state is committed to reducing greenhouse gas 
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and then reducing 80 percent below 1990 
levels by 2050. 
Currently, California generates about 500 million metric tons of carbon 
dioxide equivalent, significantly above 1990 levels. To achieve the 2020 
target, California must reduce current emissions by at least 25 percent. 
"Local government action to combat global warming is absolutely essential 
to meet the goals which Governor [Arnold] Schwarzenegger and the 
California Legislature set forth in AB 32," Brown said, referring to the 
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. 
To date, the Attorney General has submitted formal comments, under the 
California Environmental Quality Act, to San Bernardino, San Diego, 
Sacramento, Orange County, Merced, Kern, Fresno, San Joaquin, Contra 
Costa, Yuba, Richmond, and San Jose. 
On their own, the following communities in California are already 
initiating measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Los Angeles, San 
Francisco, Sonoma, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Marin, Palo Alto, Chula Vista, 
Modesto and Healdsburg. 
Brown said that to mitigate their contributions to global warming, local 
governments can take the following actions:

  Build high-density developments that reduce vehicle trips and utilize 
  public transit. 

  Reserve parking spaces for high-occupancy vehicles and car-share 
  programs. 

  Build electric vehicle charging facilities and conveniently located 
  alternative fueling stations. 

  Place limits on parking. 

  Impose transportation impact fees on developments to fund public transit 
  service. 

  Create regional transportation centers where various types of public 
  transportation meet. 

  Require energy efficient design for buildings, appliances, lighting and 
  office equipment. 

  Utilize solar panels, water reuse systems and on-site renewable energy 
  production. 

  Use methane recovery in landfills and wastewater treatment plans to 
  generate electricity. 

  Make carbon emissions credit purchases that fund alternative energy 
  projects. 

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