Note: I’m the Public Policy Director for the Courage Campaign

Two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro, are the primary funders behind a drive to suspend AB 32, California’s landmark global warming solutions and carbon reduction law. Valero and Tesoro have spent over $500,000 on signature gathering to put this on the ballot – alienating one of the wingnut authors of the repeal in the process.

As Californians who support taking action to reduce our carbon emissions and stop global warming, Courage Campaign and CREDO Action think it’s time to do something to stop Valero’s attack on AB 32 in its tracks.

That “something” is launching a boycott of Valero gas. There’s no reason Californians should be supporting with their own money the effort to destroy our environment or our green jobs. The best way to get Valero’s attention is to show them that they will pay a price for their support of AB 32 repeal.

This isn’t going to take off in a day. But progressive Californians can start fighting back against the repeal of AB 32 by pledging to stop buying Valero gas as long as they’re funding the repeal.

Below the fold is the email we sent to our members this morning.

Dear Robert —

It’s outrageous. Texas oil companies like Valero Energy are going to spend millions on this November’s election to destroy California’s environment. We’re not buying it — their campaign or their gas.

When we launched our campaign in December to protect AB 32 — California’s “Global Warming Solutions Act” — from attacks by Meg Whitman and other oil company supporters, we knew they would say some appalling things to defend themselves.  

But check out what Valero Energy CEO Bill Klesse — one of the two main funders of the initiative to repeal AB 32 — said in response to our friend Adam Quinn of CREDO Action. Adam had emailed Klesse requesting Valero stop attacking the landmark legislation and was shocked to get the following response:

From: Klesse, Bill

Date: Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 12:02 PM

Subject: Re: Stop Attacking CA AB 32

To: Adam Quinn

I assume you realize that we are discussing CO2. Many people do not realize this is a CO2 law. We are not willing to ruin our economy, our business, your life style and our country over AB-32.

Sent from my iPhone

As you can imagine, Adam was outraged by Klesse’s open hostility to the environmental values that most Californians share. So he asked if we would join CREDO Action and help them organize progressives to reject Valero’s attack on California’s global warming law.

We said “absolutely!” Now Courage Campaign and CREDO Action are coming together to send a message to Valero’s CEO:

We will boycott Valero gas stations as long as he continues to fund his Texas oil company’s attack on California’s environment.

Will you join the Courage Campaign and CREDO Action in boycotting Valero gas? Just click here to let Valero CEO Bill Klesse know by sending a short letter to him with CREDO’s easy-to-use tool. Maybe he’ll personally respond to you, too:

http://www.couragecampaign.org…

In 2006, California passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), making California a global leader in reducing the greenhouse gases — including CO2 — that cause global warming. That law is now under attack from right-wingers like Meg Whitman and oil companies like Valero that are determined to continue polluting our environment.

Valero and another Texas-based oil company, Tesoro, have already spent half a million dollars gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative that would suspend the climate solutions law and destroy green jobs. We can stop them in their tracks and hit Valero CEO Bill Klesse where it hurts — his company’s bottom line — by boycotting their gas and showing there’s a price for wantonly destroying our environment.

Join the Courage Campaign and CREDO Action to tell Valero CEO Bill Klesse that attacking California’s global warming law is bad for business. We’ll deliver your message in support of the boycott immediately. Click here to send your message now:

http://www.couragecampaign.org…

This is just the start of our campaign to hold oil companies accountable. Thank you for standing up for green jobs, clean air, and meaningful action on the climate crisis.

Rick Jacobs

Chair, Courage Campaign