Lawyers to Save the Planet
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LAWYERS TO SAVE THE PLANET
GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS ACT DRAFTED FOR BC
(Victoria, BC; November 22, 2006) Today the University of Victoria Environmental Law Clinic will unveil the draft Global Warming Solutions Act on behalf of its client, the Conservation Voters of BC. The Act shows how BC can follow California in legislating greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets.
“In California it was the action figure Arnold Schwarzenegger who saved the day,” said Matt Price, Coordinator of the Conservation Voters of BC. “Here in BC, will it be the lawyers that come to our rescue?”
The draft Act establishes a Global Warming Solutions Board for BC that sets emissions targets and makes recommendations to the Legislature on how to meet those targets. Should the Legislature not follow those recommendations, it must find other ways to meet the targets.
Moreover, to hold the Government’s feet to the fire, the Act also allows citizens who are harmed by climate change to sue should BC’s emissions reductions targets not be met.
“Experience shows that the only approach that will reduce greenhouse gasses is to pass binding targets,” said Calvin Sandborn, Legal Director of UVic’s Environmental Law Clinic. “The law we’ve laid out would enable BC to become a leader in fighting global warming by legislating just such targets.”
BC’s emissions rose almost 30% between 1990 and 2004, the latest year for which numbers are available. BC currently has no targets to reduce emissions and recently contracted with two proposed coal fired power plants, the worst kind of plants from a global warming perspective.
A panel of experts will publicly debate the draft legislation this evening at UVic, Room 158 of the Fraser Building (Faculty of Law), 7-9pm.
For more information contact:
Matt Price, CVBC, 250-661-2965
Calvin Sandborn, ELC, 250-472-5248
To view the draft legislation, visit: http://www.elc.uvic.ca
GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS ACT DRAFTED FOR BC
(Victoria, BC; November 22, 2006) Today the University of Victoria Environmental Law Clinic will unveil the draft Global Warming Solutions Act on behalf of its client, the Conservation Voters of BC. The Act shows how BC can follow California in legislating greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets.
“In California it was the action figure Arnold Schwarzenegger who saved the day,” said Matt Price, Coordinator of the Conservation Voters of BC. “Here in BC, will it be the lawyers that come to our rescue?”
The draft Act establishes a Global Warming Solutions Board for BC that sets emissions targets and makes recommendations to the Legislature on how to meet those targets. Should the Legislature not follow those recommendations, it must find other ways to meet the targets.
Moreover, to hold the Government’s feet to the fire, the Act also allows citizens who are harmed by climate change to sue should BC’s emissions reductions targets not be met.
“Experience shows that the only approach that will reduce greenhouse gasses is to pass binding targets,” said Calvin Sandborn, Legal Director of UVic’s Environmental Law Clinic. “The law we’ve laid out would enable BC to become a leader in fighting global warming by legislating just such targets.”
BC’s emissions rose almost 30% between 1990 and 2004, the latest year for which numbers are available. BC currently has no targets to reduce emissions and recently contracted with two proposed coal fired power plants, the worst kind of plants from a global warming perspective.
A panel of experts will publicly debate the draft legislation this evening at UVic, Room 158 of the Fraser Building (Faculty of Law), 7-9pm.
For more information contact:
Matt Price, CVBC, 250-661-2965
Calvin Sandborn, ELC, 250-472-5248
To view the draft legislation, visit: http://www.elc.uvic.ca