BILL ANALYSIS
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| SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER |
| Senator Fran Pavley, Chair |
| 2009-2010 Regular Session |
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BILL NO: AJR 26 HEARING DATE: June 9, 2010
AUTHOR: Chesbro URGENCY: No
VERSION: January 25, 2010 CONSULTANT: Marie Liu
DUAL REFERRAL: Environmental QualityFISCAL: No
SUBJECT: Climate change.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
In December 2009, the Resources Agency released the California
Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS), pursuant to Executive Order
S-13-2008, which directed the Resources Agency to identify how
state agencies can respond to rising temperatures, changing
precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and extreme natural
events. The report noted that climate change is already
affecting California with increased average temperatures, more
extreme hot days, fewer cold nights, shifts in the water cycle,
and the lengthening of the growing season. Not addressing these
changes can cause significant economic damages to the state in
the trillions of dollars. The report argues that the state must
address climate change challenges with both climate adaptation
and mitigation (i.e. greenhouse gas emission reductions).
Adaptation is defined in the report as an "adjustment in natural
or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli or their effects, which minimizes harm or takes
advantage of beneficial opportunities."
The report made a number of preliminary recommendations
including:
Creating the Climate Adaptation Advisory Panel, which would
assess the greatest climate change risks to California and to
recommend strategies to reduce those risks, and
Considering project alternatives that avoid significant new
development in areas that cannot be adequately protected from
climate change impacts, and
Amending general plans and local coastal plans to assess
climate change impacts, identify areas most vulnerable to
those impacts, and develop reasonable and rational risk
reduction strategies, and
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Identification of key land and aquatic habitats that can
change significantly during this century due to climate
change.
PROPOSED LAW
This resolution would request that the US Congress establish a
comprehensive framework and funding for climate change
adaptation. This resolution would also make a number of findings
including:
California's natural resources are important for the public's
health by providing benefits such as food and water
production, disease control, and flood and erosion barriers.
Unavoidable climate change impacts that threaten the state's
natural resources, communities, and economy are already being
experienced.
Adaptation planning and cost-effective action is essential to
guard the state against catastrophic climate change impacts.
Adaptation projects are labor intensive and will create new
jobs.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
According to the author, this resolution, "attempts to address
the lack of funding for climate change adaptation. California
does not have a dedicated funding source for necessary planning
and actions that will protect the state from unavoidable climate
change impacts. This resolution also attempts to support federal
climate change programs that include comprehensive adaptation
planning and implementation as an essential element of those
programs."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION
None received.
COMMENTS
Pending federal legislation: Several federal proposals have been
discussed regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation,
including the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
("Waxman-Markey," H.R. 2454), which is referenced in this
resolution. The Waxman-Markey bill contained a number of
provisions to establish federal adaptation programs and to
provide support for state-level and international-level
adaptation planning and action. Funding for the adaptation
programs would come from emission allowance auctions and would
be allocated through five programs: (1) Domestic Adaptation -
federal funding to states with adaptation plans, (2) Wildlife
and Natural Resources Adaptation - federal funding to state
wildlife and coastal management agencies, (3) Climate Change
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Public Health Fund - federal funding to state, local, tribal,
and foreign governments to prepare health systems for climate
change impacts, (4) Natural Resource Climate change Adaptation
Fund - federal funding to federal natural resource related
agencies, and (5) International Adaptation - assistance to
developing countries for adaptation and resiliency enhancement.
The Waxman-Markey bill passed the House on June 26, 2009.
In September 2009, Senators Boxer and Kerry introduced The Clean
Energy, Jobs, and American Power Act (S. 1733), which also
includes adaptation policy and funding. S. 1733 has not been
passed by the Senate.
Two other climate change proposals, the "Cantwell-Collins" bill
and the "Kerry-Lieberman-Graham," do not include adaptation
policy or funding provisions.
SUPPORT
Audubon California
BEAR League
Bolsa Chica Land Trust
California League of Conservation Voters
California Native Plant Society
California Council of Land Trusts
Defenders of Wildlife
Endangered Habitats League
Friends, Artists, and Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Nature Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy
Pacific Forest Trust
Planning and Conservation League
Save the Bay
Save the Redwoods League
OPPOSITION
None Received
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