Governor Napolitano on Sept. 8 signed an executive order setting goals for the state to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, creating a new panel of top state officials to recommend ways to meet the goals and directing state agencies to take some steps now.
The order states that greenhouse gases are believed to contribute to drought and other environmental problems. It sets a statewide goal to reduce future emissions to 2000 levels by the year 2020 and 50 percent below that level by 2040.
The order also directed state agencies to track greenhouse gas emissions, buy only low-emission vehicles and have Arizona join other states seeking federal permission to impose auto-emission standards for passenger vehicles tougher than current federal ones.
Those steps were among 49 recommendations made by a Ms. Napolitano-appointed advisory group on climate change and clean air. The group included representatives of utilities, health groups, environmentalists and others.
The advisory group’s other recommendations include increasing use of renewable energy sources for electricity production and improving energy efficiency for buildings and appliances.
Also, using low-emissions state vehicles, adopting cleaner-emission standards for vehicles, increasing production of ethanol and biodiesel fuels and using land and forest management practices to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
With climate-related bills hung up in Congress, Ms. Napolitano’s action puts Arizona among various states that are moving to reduce carbon emissions.
California lawmakers on Aug. 31 approved a groundbreaking deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to require major industries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases.
On other fronts, California and other states are capping automobile emissions, and seven Northeast states are seeking to cap emissions from power plants.
Gases related to cars, electricity
More than three-quarters of Arizona’s greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to electricity production and transportation, said Steve Owens, director of the Department of Environmental Quality.
Ms. Napolitano said in a statement: “Implementing these recommendations should cut our demand for energy by increasing energy efficiency, and improve air quality, all the while saving Arizonans money though reduced fuel costs and lower electricity bills.”
“Developing Arizona’s renewable energy sources, such as solar, biomass, biofuels, wind and geothermal will help us reach these goals, and at the same time, create jobs,” she added. “It’s a win-win for all of us.”
An environmental group, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, hailed the recommendations and the order.
“Cleaner cars on Arizona’s roads, increased energy efficiency and expansion of solar and other renewable energy sources are practical, reasonable and necessary policies to reduce the adverse impacts of global warming in Arizona,” PIRG said in a statement. “By enacting policies to reduce global warming, Arizonans will save money, our state’s economy will benefit and we will see improvements to public health.”
Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesman Farrell Quinlan said he was not familiar with the order or report and had no immediate comment.
Ms. Napolitano established the 35-member advisory group in early 2005. The group submitted its recommendations to her on Aug. 30.
The new panel, the Climate Change Executive Committee, will consist of directors or representatives of at least 16 state agencies and offices, including the Department of Transportation and the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Diane Brown, executive director of Arizona Public Interest Research Group – a chapter of a national think tank – applauded the governor’s action.
“Through this executive order, the governor is requiring Arizona to take steps to reduce global warming emissions which will benefit our state’s economy and the public’s health,” said Ms. Brown.
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