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Shedding Light on the Energy Crisis:
More Renewable Energy for California
Sample Letter
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
(Today's Date), 2004
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
As a resident of California, I urge you to support Senate Bill 1478, authored by Senator Byron Sher, which would accelerate California's conversion to renewable energy.
Our persistent use of fossil fuels, the biggest contributor to warming greenhouse gasses, shows no sign of slowing down. As the effects of global warming intensify, California has at stake everything from increases in health problems like asthma and lung disease to scarcity of water due to major climate changes. SB 1478 addresses the global warming problem by speeding up the switchover to and increasing the amount of renewable energy used in California.
While cars contribute greatly to global warming, electricity supplied from natural gas significantly adds to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions—the main global warming gas. Transitioning to cleaner sources of energy will help curtail global warming by dramatically reducing CO2 emissions. Moreover, investing more in renewable energy will stimulate the economy by creating new jobs and putting California at the forefront of the rapidly growing clean energy industry. By switching to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal, California moves toward self-sufficiency and away from dependence on out-of-state energy brokers like Enron.
Under current law, the "Renewable Portfolio Standard" (RPS) mandates that California achieve 20 percent renewable electricity by 2017, with 17 percent by 2006. SB 1478 would raise the bar by advancing the deadline of 20 percent renewable energy to 2010. In your campaign, you stated your support for "20 percent by 2010" and even proposed 33 percent by 2020. Let's not miss out on the opportunity to lead the way with renewable energy. Please sign SB 1478 when it reaches your desk.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
