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Proposition 23: Yes or No? Bob Epstein, Founder, Environmental Entrepreneurs Nancy Floyd, Manging Director, Nth Power Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers Tom Tanton, President, T2 & Associates Greg Dalton, Climate One - Moderator The night before an election that would decide the fate of California\u2019s landmark climate change law, a panel of energy experts convened by Climate One debates whether AB 32 would catalyze or cripple the state\u2019s economy. The measure before voters, Proposition 23, would suspend AB 32 until California achieves four consecutive quarters of unemployment below 5.5%. Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers and Technology Association, and Tom Tanton, President, T2 & Associates, argue that with California suffering 12.4% unemployment, now is not the time to burden business with additional regulation. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pain and very little gain,\u201d in pushing ahead with the law, Tanton says. Stewart agrees: \u201cDo we want to go forward and have a growing economy and hold off on AB 32,\u201d he asks, \u201cor do we hobble the California economy and make it more difficult to employ the 2.3 million Californians who are out of work?\u201d Nancy Floyd, Founder and Managing Director, Nth Power, and Bob Epstein, Founder, Environmental Entrepreneurs, counter that cleantech is the fastest growing job sector in California and critical to maintaining the state\u2019s competitive edge globally. Floyd says that 500,000 green jobs have already been created in California, and that her venture firm alone had invested $200 million in 35 companies in the state. Epstein takes issue with claims by Stewart and Tanton that California\u2019s climate change rules would subject the state\u2019s businesses to onerous regulations and uncertainty. \u201cThis legislation lays out a 10-year plan. For an oil company, they tell you every place you need to be for 10 years.\u201d Win or lose on Nov. 2, Epstein says the fight over Prop 23 has succeeded in mobilizing interests \u2013 environmentalists, venture capitalists, utilities, and tech firms \u2013 with a stake in the green economy. \u201cWhat you have done, by bringing Prop 23 to the table, is you united a community that really needed to be united,\u201d he says.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices