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California Group Wants To Levy Fee on Polluters

An environmental group wants California to charge oil companies and other corporations a fee for the pollution they generate. The fee is intended to reduce global warming emissions.KPBS Reporter Ed Jo

California Group Wants To Levy Fee on Polluters

An environmental group wants California to charge oil companies and other corporations a fee for the pollution they generate.  The fee is intended to reduce global warming emissions. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

California law requires the state Air Resources Board to come up with ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the state by 25 percent before 2020.  

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The group Environment California says creating a green energy fund would be one way to reduce pollution and spur innovation of cleaner energy.

Jason Barbose works on global warming issues for Environment California.

Barbose:   To solve global warming, we need to kick our dependence on fossil fuels and we need to invest now in greener buildings, renewable energy, cleaner cars and better transit. And it all starts by requiring big polluters to pay for their global warming emissions so that we discourage pollution and we generate revenue to invest in clean technologies.

Barbose says a $1 billion investment in clean energy represents less than 1 percent of the profit of the seven largest oil companies with refineries in California.  

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.