The Governator has a new target he hopes to eliminate, or at least reduce.

California Gov…. The Governator has a new target he hopes to eliminate, or at least reduce.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger helped to assemble a bill that will bring his state to the forefront of the fight against global warming. The plan calls for a broad cap on emissions over the next 14 years.

Major industries including utility plants, refineries and cement kilns will be required to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. By 2012, California is hoping to reduce emissions to the levels of 1990 – a seemingly ambitious goal that is ultimately realistic under the bill.

In an effort to keep businesses from leaving because of the costly improvements that will result from this plan, businesses will be offered incentives for compliance.

The bill was realized after weeks of heavy debate and negotiations and was approved by the state senate late Wednesday, 23-14. Next the left-leaning assembly will vote on it, and the bill is expected to pass. The bill was sponsored by environmental groups including Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defiance Counsel.

Built into the bill is a “safety-valve” that the governor can use at his discretion if the state is hit with an emergency such as a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.

California is not only the most populous state in the country, but it’s the 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It also has a lot to lose if global temperatures continue to increase, as the state depends on the Sierra Nevada snow pack for much of its water.

“My main objective was getting a bill that the environmental community can champion around the country and say, ‘California did this, and you should too.’ And we did that,” Democrat Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez said in an Associated Press report.

And that’s what we’re hoping for, too.

They’ve also gone as far to pass legislation that bans any long-term contracts with out-of-state utility companies that don’t meet emissions requirements. Not only is California putting its foot down in its own state, but they’re doing their best to influence the rest of the country to follow suit. Now that’s a wise use of power.

California’s initiative is a huge step in the right direction regarding our environment.

It’s surprising that Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger decided to split with his party’s policy on the environment – a policy to ignore and pass the buck.

Republicans and businesses across the country have voiced their opposition, saying that it’s the beginning of the end for the California economy.

“If our manufacturers leave, whether for North Carolina or China, and they take their greenhouse gases with them, we might not have solved the problem, but exacerbated it instead,” Allan Zaremberg, California chamber of commerce president said.

It’s time for the country to look past present short-term financial repercussions and think about the future.

Maybe that’s too idealistic for some to swallow, but the fact is that we’re killing ourselves a little more every year. It’s time to follow the example of California.