Early Winter Storm and Record Cold

California's AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, was passed to prevent catastrophic events from occurring in the state. Such events include "a reduction in the quality and supply of water to the state from the Sierra snowpack," (Cal. Health and Safety Code, Section 38501(a), where AB 32 is written)

As I write this (October 12, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. PDT), a massive Pacific storm is approaching the U.S. west coast and California. The local news headlines shriek that "3 to 6 inches of rain" are expected to fall. This is quite an event for Southern California, where 14 inches is the average rainfall during an entire year. The storm is quite large, and is expected to bring snow to the northern portions of the Sierras at the higher altitudes. California's primary source of water is melting snow from the Sierra Mountains. California also receives water from the Colorado river, wells, and a very small amount from seawater desalination.

It has also been quite cold, record-breaking cold, in fact, for the past few days. Not only in California, but across much of the U.S. A baseball playoff game was postponed due to record cold and snow this past Saturday night in Denver, Colorado.

Once again, the actual events do not bear out the predictions and concerns of the global warming scientists. This record cold event is not supposed to happen. Big storms that bring snow to the Sierras are supposed to be fewer, and certainly not appear before December. The reason for the disparity between the climate alarmists' predictions and reality is that CO2 has nothing to do with the earth's air temperature or water temperature.

AB 32 is supposed to create green jobs, improve the economy, keep the electric grid operating reliably with 33 percent of the state's power provided by intermittent, renewable power such as wind and solar, all while drastically reducing CO2 emissions. CO2 is to be reduced by approximately 30 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels - and that is on an absolute basis, not adjusted for population growth. This is very similar to the federal bill passed earlier this year in the House of Representatives.

As the months go by, it becomes more and more obvious that jobs are not being created, the climate is not warming, the seas are not rising, heat waves are not happening more frequently, and polar ice caps are not shrinking. It also becomes painfully obvious that California has passed the point of sustainable environmental regulation. When regulations stifle the economy and jobs are lost, it is time to repeal the regulations. Jobs are far more important than any mythical global warming based on bad science. California's unemployment is higher and the recession is far deeper than in most of the 49 other states, yet one would expect that to be the opposite since California already has a high percentage of renewable energy in the electrical mix. AB 32 proponents insist that more renewables and less CO2 emissions improves the economy and creates more jobs. Where are the jobs in California, then?