By Kay Bechtold, New Media Intern

As the vote on Proposition 23 looms closer, supporters of the ballot initiative are scrambling to convince voters of its supposed benefits to the economy, jobs and the environment. We know better, and we have the evidence to prove it. Proposition 23 would overturn California’s pioneering clean energy law, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Supporters of Proposition 23 would have you believe that freezing California’s clean energy initiatives is good for America’s future. It’s not — and you should have all the facts.

Below we’ve compiled some of the myths opponents of clean energy are spreading to confuse Californians, and the facts they don’t want you to see:

Myth: Proposition 23 is the “California Jobs Initiative” and will help with the state’s unemployment.

The Facts: Passing Proposition 23 could slow job growth in California. The state’s renewable energy mandate, along with major investments in solar power, could create tens of thousands of jobs per year — jobs that would not be created if Prop. 23 passes. [1] If Proposition 23 is passed, clean energy companies might move out of the country, taking jobs with them. As of 2007, the state had over 10,000 businesses in the clean energy sector supporting more than 125,000 clean energy jobs. [2] Voting “no” on Prop. 23 will help keep those numbers on the rise.

Myth: Proposition 23 will help California’s economy and save consumers money.

The Facts: Big oil companies only care about their own bottom lines, and their bottom lines are tied to our addiction to dirty fossil fuels. Keeping clean energy in California will be good for both our wallets and our environment. We’ll develop renewable energy here at home instead of buying oil from abroad. And we’ll protect consumers from spikes in the price of fossil fuels.

For more information, check out this article from Pasadena-Star News.

Myth: Proposition 23 will only overturn California’s clean energy law for a short while. The environment will be “fine” in the meantime.

The Facts: Prop. 23 would suspend the state’s clean energy law until unemployment reaches 5.5% for a full year. That level that has only been achieved three times in recent decades, so in effect, the law could be suspended indefinitely. Our environment is already showing signs of damage from the burning of fossil fuels. Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, talks about ocean acidification and its potential devastating effects on California’s fishing industry in this article from northern California’s Times-Standard. Stopping a law that protects our air and water would be a huge mistake.

Don’t believe the lies about Proposition 23. Get more facts about California and clean energy from the Repower America factsheet (PDF) and help us spread the truth about Prop. 23.

This blog post is part of a series on Proposition 23 in California. Click here to learn more about Proposition 23.

References:
1) Pew
 Charitable 
Trusts,
“The
 Clean 
Energy
 Economy,”
 June
 2009.

2) U.C. Berkeley School of Law’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, “California at the Crossroads: Proposition 23, AB 32, and Climate Change,” September 2010. Page 30.