According to the EPA, airplanes contribute 12 percent of transportation greenhouse gases, but they disproportionately harm the atmosphere by leaving heat-trapping contrails and cirrus clouds. So California Attorney General Jerry Brown deserves kudos today for petitioning the EPA to start imposing tough limits on plane emissions within six months. Lighter, more fuel efficient jumbo jets are already on the market, and there’s no reason why the government shouldn’t encourage their use by setting standards.
The move is another green feather in the cap for Brown, who has already sued the Bush Administration to allow the state to regulate tailpipe emissions, the auto industry over damages caused by global warming, and California counties to force them to reduce suburban sprawl and greenhouse gas emissions–using state laws already on the books. In recent polls Brown has topped all other Democrats as the most popular candidate for Governor in 2010. It’s harder to think of a bigger public endorsement for backing up green rhetoric with action.
