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Counties told to reduce emissions
State attorney general says new projects must reduce greenhouse gases or else public leaders will face lawsuits?
By Ryan Huff
STAFF WRITER, ContraCostaTimes.com
11/14/2007
OAKLAND -- Underscoring the urgent need to combat global warming, Attorney General Jerry Brown warned county leaders from across the state Tuesday that they must reduce greenhouse gases when planning new developments or run the risk of costly lawsuits.
For example, he said, counties can cut down on future carbon emissions by placing high-density housing next to offices and public transit centers, thus reducing commuter car trips.
"If the ice in Greenland -- just part of it -- melts at the rate it's going, it won't be too long until Oakland's and San Francisco's airports are under water," Brown told more than 500 leaders gathered in his hometown of Oakland at the annual California State Association of Counties conference.
"This threat is irreversible and will not be unwound with just a few years of policy change. As (county) supervisors in charge of land use, you have a lot of opportunities to get involved in this challenge," he said.
And if they don't, Brown said, he can sue local governments to ensure they are complying with the state's landmark environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act.
He's done it before. [continued...]
[Editor's note: see also Marilyn Bardet's letter to the editor in response to the Attorney General's advisories.]
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