California Global Warming Solutions Act

Today's New York Times and Wall Street Journal are treating California's new greenhouse-gas bill as big, national news. The measure mandates that the gases said to cause global warming be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020. That's a bigger cut than the Kyoto Treaty rejected by President Bush. Since California only produces 2% of all greenhouse gases, it won't make much difference in global warming, but both the Governor and the Democrats say it will make California a world leader, and the newspapers seem to agree. With passage of the bill, Governor Schwarzenegger has thumbed his nose at President Bush, and Democratic legislators have deprived Phil Angelides of another potential issue. Is it a real move against global warming or political symbolism with a high price tag?