Calling it “a historic agreement… to combat global warming”, Governor Schwarzenegger and Democrats in control of state legislature, passed tough new legislation in California to impose a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill cleared its final hurdle on Thursday, when it was approved in California’s State Assembly by 43 votes to 31, with Mr Schwarzenegger’s Republicans voting against it. The Global Warming Solutions Act cleared its last legislative hurdle in the State Assembly in a 46-31 vote, with opposition from Schwarzenegger’s own Republican Party.

But the measures may be too little, too late, according to the warnings of a leading US scientist. Professor John Holdren, the president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told the BBC that climate change due to human influence was happening faster than predicted. “We’re already experiencing dangerous human disruption of the global climate and we’re going to experience more,” he said. A catastrophic rise in sea level of 4m could take place within this century, he stated.

Under the new law, major industries will be required to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses that fail to meet their reduction goals can purchase “emissions credits” from those that do. Some see this as an economic reward and punishment system to encourage emission reduction, while environmentalists see it as a possible out for companies who’d rather pay for credits than cut their emissions. However, if the law sparks the kind of change lawmakers expected it to; California’s emissions will be cut by 25 percent by 2020.

California is America’s most populous state, and the world’s 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The state has historically lead the way on environmental issues in America (which has much lower standards than the rest of the world). The governor, who’s notorious for owning several Hummers, is starting to sound ever-more progressive towards election time. Last month, the governor signed an accord with Tony Blair to establish joint research into clean energy and technology. Now Schwarzenegger is hoping to use his newly progressive policy towards the environment, something absent in most Republicans, in his bid for reelection. The governor’s commitment to lower emissions has actually caused him to draw fire from his party and the White House. Assembly Republican leader George Plescia criticized Schwarzenegger by saying the new law would drive business out of California and into states “with no commitment to improve air quality”. The governor calmly responded by crushing Plescia’s skull with his bare hands.
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