Oil Firms Bankroll Calif. Climate-Change Measure
In California, voters will decide Tuesday whether to put the state's landmark climate-change law on hold until the jobless rate there goes down.
The ballot measure known as Proposition 23 is being bankrolled mostly by oil companies. Supporters aren't saying that global warming is a good thing — or that it doesn't exist. Their arguments have mainly been about economic effects.
The unemployment rate in California is more than 12 percent right now, and that's what seems to worry the woman in one ad in favor of the proposition:
"I want to do my part on global warming," she says. "All yes on 23 says is let's wait until people are back to work and we can afford it. Yes on 23 — it's common sense."
And here's another bit of common sense, says Anita Mangels, communications director for Yes on 23: "California acting alone can't do anything to reduce global warming."
Bill Day, a spokesman for Texas-based Valero Energy, says it would definitely hit oil refiners in the wallet.
Valero has a couple of refineries and lots of gas stations in California, and the company has contributed about half of the roughly $10 million behind the Proposition 23 campaign.
"We thought Californians deserved a chance to vote. They can decide whether this is a good time to implement these measures or not," Day says.
Link -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130982095==============
You can generally rely on humanity, to come doen on the side of self interest?
The vote today, in California, for proposition 23 could have significant ramifications, as it may provide an indicator as to just how deep self interest may go!
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