Calif. Adopts 1st US Plan to Slash Greenhouse Gases

California regulators have adopted an ambitious, comprehensive blueprint to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2020, reports the Los Angeles Times. The plan, the first of its kind in the nation, calls for 33% of the state's electric power to come from solar power and wind farms, and includes controversial measures to crack down on carbon dioxide emissions from cars. The plan will be implemented over the next two years.

Climate change is an even more critical issue for California than others states. Global warming may cause severe water shortages from a shrinking snowpack, an increased risk of wildfires, and a coastline inundated by rising sea levels. The plan will "unleash the full force of California's innovation and technology for a healthier planet," vowed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. (More California stories.)