Yesterday the California Senate passed the Climate Change and Forest Conversion Act of 2009. Titled Senate Bill 144, the legislation calls on state agencies to ensure our vast banks of forest carbon are sustained, requiring mitigation of lost carbon capturing capacity when forests are converted to other uses. SB 144 passed the Senate on a 21-18 vote. The bill was authored by Senator Fran Pavley, who previously wrote the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) as well as the bill creating the California Clean Cars standard for auto emissions. SB 144 co-sponsors include the Pacific Forest Trust, The Nature Conservancy and the Natural Resource Defense Council.

Support writer / producer of these words: http://www.forestsworkwonders.org/2009/06/sb-144-passage-improves-outlook-for-ca.html

A recent study by the Pacific Forest Trust compiled past land use conversion data and projected the impact of predicted future development and conversions. We found that approximately 673,000 acres of forestland would be impacted by development between 1990 and 2050 (the compliance period for California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32).

Support writer / producer of these words: http://www.forestsworkwonders.org/2009/06/sb-144-passage-improves-outlook-for-ca.html

Even assuming that only about 40 percent of the forest in these developed areas is removed, the carbon impact – immediate carbon emissions from the forest removal, combined with the loss of that forest’s ability to capture carbon into the future – is enormous, the equivalent of approximately 232 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. In more understandable terms, based on U.S. EPA conversion data, 232 million metric tons of carbon dioxide is the equivalent of running 44 million cars for a year! Meeting California’s climate goal of reducing carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2050 will require major emission reductions in all aspects of society. While much of the public’s attention has been focused on obvious and critical challenges like improving vehicle mileage and reducing industrial emissions, we’re thrilled that the Legislature has also recognized that we won’t be able to meet our goals unless we sustain and restore the carbon stocks of California’s vital forestlands.

You can read SB 144 here.

Support writer / producer of these words: http://www.forestsworkwonders.org/2009/06/sb-144-passage-improves-outlook-for-ca.html

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