13 ATTACHMENT 12 - Laserfiche WebLink

• Increased vulnerability of forests due to pest infestation and increased temperatures; • Increased challenges for the state's important agricultural industry from water shortages, increasing temperatures, and saltwater intrusion into the Delta; and • Increased electricity demand, particularly in the hot summer months. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) concept is used to compare the ability of each GHG to trap heat in the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the most abundant GHG. CO2 has a GWP of 1, expressed as CO2 equivalent (CO2e). Other GHGs, such as methane and nitrous oxide are commonly found in the atmosphere at much lower concentrations, but with higher warming potentials, having CO2e ratings of 21 and 310, respectively. Other trace gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons, which are halocarbons that contain chlorine, have much greater warming potential. Fortunately these gases are found at much lower concentrations and many are being phased out as a result of global efforts to reduce destruction of stratospheric ozone. In the United States in 2008, CO2 emissions account for about 85 percent of the GHG emissions, followed by methane at about 8 percent and nitrous oxide at just under 5 percent Senate Bill 97— Modification to the Public Resources Code Pursuant to Senate Bill 97, the California Natural Resources Agency reviewed and adopted the amendments to the CEQA Guidelines on December 30, 2010 prepared and forwarded by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR). The Amendments became effective on March 18, 2010, including the addition of the following GHG emissions environmental topic and checklist items. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Would the Project: a) Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either directly or indirectly, that may have a significant impact on the environment? b) Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases? AB 32 and the Air Resource Board's Climate Change Scoping Plan In 2006, the governor of California signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, into legislation. The Act requires that California cap its greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2020. On December 11, 2008, the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted its Climate Change Scoping Plan (Scoping Plan), which functions as a roadmap of ARB's plans to achieve GHG reductions in California required by AB 32 through subsequently enacted regulations. The Scoping Plan contains the main strategies California will implement to reduce GHG emissions by 174 million metric tons (MMT), or approximately 30 2 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 — 2008. U.S. EPA. April 15, 2010, Table 2 -1: Recent Trends in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. GHG EMISSIONS ANALYSIS FOR THE PLEASANTON GATEWAY PROJECT PAGE 3 OF 9