California's rocky road to innovative energy progress

California'snew legislation to cut emissions substantially, will feature a mixture of mandatory regulations, incentives and market-based mechanisms, including a so-called cap-and-trade system that will allow companies to buy and sell carbon-emission allowances. The California Air Resources Board has until 2009 to draft regulations, which would become mandatory in 2012.

The California plan, which won final legislative approval Thursday but which still faces a battle in the courts before it can take effect, calls for a 25 percent cut in emissions of carbon dioxide by 2020. It envisions controls on some of the largest industrial groups including utilities and oil refineries.

With all the scientific research and communications supporting the concern about global warming, does anyone else think we're moving awfully slow about taking substantive action?

I understand how hard it is...and will be. On the other hand, do we realize how hard life will be if we DON'T do everything we can from this day forth?

The case studies being reported about innovative ways to save energy are blowing me away. Simple things like having the cleaning crew work during the day rather than burning lights all night long. And having the entire crew work on one floor at a time rather than spreading out. The results not only save electricity, but actually are more human hours for the workers and also promote communciation with the office workers.

Such simple steps. Such significant results. How many more simple ideas can we implement if we put our heart into it?

Let the political players go to court. Let's get busy doing the common sense work that the common folk have always done. Let's use our heart and our experience and our hands to make life better for our families and friends.