Prop 23 in Calif to roll back global warming law

Big polluters are on a rampage here in California and we need your help to fight back.

Two ballot initiatives – conceived and promoted by big oil and other polluters – would cripple our efforts to fight global warming and delay our transition to a cleaner energy economy.

We're doing everything we can here in California to fight back, but we need your help.

Here are two things you can do right now to pitch in:

1) If you know anyone in California, please urge them to VOTE NO on Propositions 23 & 26. Send them this link to our action alert page: http://support.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=1751

2) If you don't know anyone in California, please make a donation to support our campaign. The Big Polluters are spending tens of millions of dollars and every little bit you can give will be of tremendous help to us.

More Background

Proposition 23, the first of these outrageous measures, would effectively nullify California's landmark global warming law, AB32. That law established California as THE national leader on climate and promises to generate thousands of new clean energy jobs in the state.

Proposition 26 would require a two-thirds vote of the state legislature to impose fees on polluters, in essence shifting the burden to taxpayers to pay for industry pollution of California's air and water.

Let me be as clear as I can be: Both Props 23 and 26 are assaults bankrolled by polluting industries unwilling to do their fair share for keeping California's air and water clean and safe.

The vast majority of the money spent to promote Prop 23 has come from two Texas oil giants, Tesoro and Valero, and from far-right billionaires David and Charles Koch.

It is opposed by a broad bipartisan coalition of politicians, industry, labor, and others. With the lone exception of the Orange County Register, every major newspaper in the state has urged its defeat.

As one California business executive said, "Prop 23 is dirty. Completely dirty."

Together, these ballot measures will cripple California's efforts to clean our air and water, hamper the growth of clean energy jobs, and prolong the damaging health effects to humans and wildlife from industrial pollution.

For years, California has led America forward in promoting new clean air standards and tougher pollution limits.

Now, we're under attack and we need your help:

1) If you know anyone in California, please urge them to VOTE NO on Propositions 23 & 26. Send them this link to our action alert page: http://support.edf.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=1751

2) If you don't know anyone in California, please make a donation to support our campaign. The Big Polluters are spending tens of millions of dollars and every little bit you can give will be of tremendous help to us.

Thanks for your help,
Wade Crowfoot
West Coast Political Director
Environmental Defense Action Fund

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The Sacramento Bee reports that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has donated $700,000 to the No on Prop. 23 committee.

The donation from Gates comes after Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin last week contributed $200,000 to the campaign. Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore has contributed $1 million.

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