The State of the Climate Change Debate

They say, to a carpenter, everything looks like a nail. So I admit to being focused on my state, but the Golden State is indeed the gold standard when it comes to climate policy. We passed the standard for reducing greenhouse gases from cars, and 14 states have adopted it. We set the most aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gases of any state or nation on earth (80 percent by 2050) and adopted a Climate Action Plan to achieve those goals, which more than two-dozen states have now copied. We passed our Global Warming Solutions Act and established a multi-state cap-and-trade network to harness market forces to slash carbon emissions. We also lead the nation in energy efficiency and in development of renewable energy (our Million Solar Roofs Initiative will deploy more than $3 billion of incentives to put megawatts of solar on California homes and businesses). We've done this because of great political and government leadership - - Governor Schwarzenegger set all of these policies in motion and our California Air Resources Board, led by Chair Mary Nichols, has long led the nation in clean air solutions. Bottom line: yes, California is the model!

You mention your team has assisted most states with such policies. What exactly do you do?

I wear two hats in the clean-tech revolution -- government policy and clean/green products. It's a great marriage of careers, because as a policy wonk, I can guide companies that are developing products that are both profitable and help to improve the environment. On the other hand, as an investor, I can help companies get a seat at the policy table when laws and regulations are being developed that will help spur this clean-tech revolution.

Could you tell us about some of the more innovative companies or products you've worked with?

I'd highlight Lighting Science Group from Florida. They're making LED lights that will replace incandescent bulbs and are an improvement over compact fluorescents because they last longer and have no mercury in them.

Another notable is Solar Integrated Technologies in Los Angeles. They replace large industrial rooftops with materials that include thin-film solar, making your roof an asset instead of a liability whenever you have to spend the capital to replace it.

Finally iGPS, another Florida company that makes plastic shipping pallets, is worth mentioning. Wood pallets destroy forests and most of them end up in landfills after one or two trips. Plastic pallets weigh half as much, so you use less fuel and reduce greenhouse gases with each trip. Moreover, instead of ending their life in a landfill, the plastic pallet can be ground up and molded into another pallet -- endlessly recycled.