BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SCR 15|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) |Version: |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SCR 15
Author: Wiggins (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
SUBJECT : Earth Hour
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution endorses efforts to raise
awareness of global climate change and energy efficiency
and declares the hour of 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last
Saturday of March to be Earth Hour" throughout the state.
This resolution encourages city, county, and state
employees, and businesses to turn-off nonessential lights
in government buildings, public schools, public landmarks,
and other buildings for that hour on March 28, 2009.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1.Communities throughout California are affected by the
impacts of global warming and are gravely concerned about
the future health of our planet.
2.There is growing public support for action to stop global
warming, and communicating a desire for change is an
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important part of democracy.
3.Earth Hour is both an international and local symbolic
event organized by the World Wildlife fund to raise
awareness about climate change issues, to encourage
businesses, individuals, and governments to take actions
to reduce their carbon emissions and their impact on the
environment in their daily lives and operations.
4.Earth Hour asks all citizens, businesses, government
agencies, and commercial and noncommercial establishments
to voluntarily turn-off all nonessential lighting for one
hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. on March 28, 2009, and
encourages citizens and business to commit to actions
they can take in the coming year to reduce their carbon
footprints and conserve energy.
5.The state has long been a national and international
leader on energy conservation and environmental
stewardship efforts, including the areas of air quality
protections, energy efficiency requirements, renewable
energy standards, natural resource conservation, and
greenhouse gas emission standards.
6.Earth Hour is an opportunity for state agencies and
community energy awareness programs to promote
information and tools available to residents and
businesses to increase energy efficiency and decrease
emissions and use of natural resources.
7.Extinguishing nonessential lights in all state buildings
and public landmarks for one hour and urging all
businesses and citizens to do the same demonstrates that
the state is concerned about climate change, that it
stands with the rest of the world in seeking solutions,
and that it demands all elected leaders act immediately
to take measures that will help fight global climate
change, including enacting environmentally important
legislation and participating in good-faith in global
climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen in December
2009.
8.Turning-off all nonessential lights in government
buildings and public landmarks will serve as an important
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rallying point for the worldwide energy conservation
event, Earth Hour.
This resolution endorses efforts to raise awareness of
global climate change and energy efficiency and declares
the hour of 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March
to be "Earth Hour" throughout the state. The resolution
encourages city, county, and state employees, and
businesses to turn off nonessential lights in government
buildings, public schools, public landmarks, and other
buildings for that hour on March 28, 2009.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified >)
>
OPPOSITION : (Verified >)
>
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : >
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : >
CTW:do 2/25/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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