The Green Power Blog

 

Meg Whitman, the former boss of eBay, and now one of the leading Republican candidate for governor of California, believes that the proposed AB 32 set of mechanisms in California will lead to job loses in the State. AB 32 is aimed towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions of California to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% levels by 2050.

 

AB 32, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, is considered to be one of his biggest accomplishments. Whitman wants to issue a moratorium on AB 32 the first day in her office. Most people in Silicon Valley consider cleantech and renewables to be a high growth job segment and regard Whitman's intended initiative as a step in the wrong direction. 

 

As a rule of thumb, government intervention into free markets is a bad idea. But it is also true that government help is needed to jumpstart new markets. What do you think? Is it a good idea for government to intervene and set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions? Or should the free market decide what is best since consumers want companies to adopt sustainable practices anyway?