it's a start, maybe

California has passed legislation mandating a 25% cut in carbon emissions by 2020. It's a start -- the biggest commitment made in the US to cut emissions, by the second biggest economy in North America.

Bush's top environmental advisor (that's like being the social director at a concentration camp) welcomed this as a "complement" to the Federal government's programs to reduce greenhouse gas INTENSITY by 18% by 2012. Intensity is tons of emissions per unit of GDP. In other words, if the economy grew by 18% between now and 2012 (a reasonable goal), and intensity were cut by 18%, we would in real terms have ZERO reduction in tons of greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere. Cutting intensity is a cynical move to act as if they are doing something, while not doing a damn thing.

Nero fiddles, and Rome runs the risk of being submerged.