Analysis of Successful Policy Implementation in California - Covering four counties and the net benefits in greenhouse gas emissions

With increasing greenhouse gas emissions rates, governments bear the responsibility of responding promptly with appropriate mitigation measures. The serious threat of anthropogenic climate change calls for the need for immediate action. California policies such as Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 375 target greenhouse gas emissions across industries while focusing on minimizing the harm from anthropogenic climate change. Our research includes looking at the emission levels of our surrounding counties; Santa Barbara, San Luis Obiso, Ventura, and Kern which portray a downwards trend. We looked into policy to determine if it made a positive impact, or if the changes were due to other factors. Our research found several valuable insights into cleaner transportation initiatives, local energy production, and better land management strategies.