The economic slowdown is having one good effect
CALIFORNIA tried to save the world again this week. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state’s governor, rounded up politicians and officials from across the globe (expending quite a bit of carbon) and urged them to tackle climate change more aggressively. To set an example, he ordered state power companies to obtain one-third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. California is indeed leading the way in cutting greenhouse-gas emissions—but not for the reason it might want.
Mr Schwarzenegger became an environmental hero two years ago, when he signed a bill committing the state to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. California’s lead was followed by 17 other states, Congress and Britain. Many one-upped California by adopting even more ambitious targets. A slight stain on this otherwise heartwarming picture was that, until recently, California appeared to have little chance of hitting its own target. Then the state’s housing market collapsed, petrol prices soared and the economy slid towards recession.
The greenest news comes from the transport sector, which accounts for almost 40% of the state’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Petrol sales in July—the last month for which statistics are available—were the lowest since 2000. Oil has got a lot cheaper since then, but national figures from refineries suggest demand has not recovered much. Californians stayed off the roads this summer because of the high price of petrol. Now they may be driving less because they have less money to spend in shops and fewer jobs to commute to. At 7.7%, the state’s unemployment rate is the fourth-highest in America.
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