Environmental Defense Hails Florida, California Leadership on Climate Change

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jerry Karnas, Environmental Defense, 941-587-1803 

Tony Kreindler, Environmental Defense, 202-210-5791

(Miami – July 13, 2007) Environmental Defense today applauded the leadership of Florida Governor Charlie Crist and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on climate change and their call for immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Charlie Crist and Arnold Schwarzenegger are sending a message to Washington – it’s time for Congress to do some heavy lifting,” said Jerry Karnas, Florida climate project director for Environmental Defense.

Governor Crist today was joined in Miami by Governor Schwarzenegger for the signing of three executive orders that make Florida a national leader in the fight against global warming. The orders call for Florida to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by the middle of this century, direct state agencies to implement the clean cars standard adopted by California and 11 other states, limit emissions from electric utilities, set efficiency standards for buildings and appliances, and require a percentage of power generation to come from renewable energy sources.

Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006 made California the first state to put a firm cap on greenhouse gas emissions when he signed AB32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. He joined the Florida Summit on Global Climate Change to support Crist, emphasizing the need for bipartisan action on climate change.

“We can only hope that Congress quickly follows these two visionary leaders and builds on their critical efforts to limit global warming pollution,” Karnas said.