California Gov. Jerry Brown stunned many political observers when, during his unprecedented fourth inaugural speech Jan. 5, called for the Golden State to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by as much as 50 percent in the next 15 years. Many applauded. Others heaped criticism.

But I’ll tell you one group that was fully in support: birds.

OK, birds aren’t really set up to support or oppose legislative agendas, but if they were, they would love what the Governor is trying to do. More than 300 North American bird species are at risk of extinction due to global warming, and that includes 170 bird species in California. All of these birds are going to see dramatic changes in their ranges as the climate changes.

Iconic birds that we love – everything from the Allen’s Hummingbird to the Brown Pelican to the Bald Eagle – are going to suffer impacts from global warming if we don’t act.

But carbon pollution does more than cause global warming. It creates health issues for wildlife and people and it degrades the beautiful outdoor spaces that are so closely associated with California. Our state is best viewed from outdoors – and we deserve clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and access to undeveloped wild places – coincidentally, the same thing that California’s birds need.

To someone not familiar with California’s achievements on renewable energy, Brown’s goal might seem aggressive. But the governor wasn’t speaking in a vacuum. Since 2006, when then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32), the state has been aggressively building its renewable energy portfolio. This law requires California to reduce its carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020, and created a cap-and-trade system that is giving polluting industries incentives to reduce their emissions.

Thanks to the impetus of California’s law, the state is already getting 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources. That percentage is expected to rise to 33 percent by 2020, if not sooner. Experts say that getting to 50 percent by 2030 will be challenging, but that it’s far from impossible.

If there’s anything we’ve learned from AB 32, it is that California is can lead the way on reducing carbon pollution without holding back its economic expansion. Nonetheless, on the first day of the 2015 legislative session in Sacramento, a bill supported by polluting industries was introduced to delay the law’s continued implementation.

Thankfully, most of the legislature understands that AB 32 is settled business, and in fact is looking at ways to expand its goals. Audubon California supports this effort because it is not only the right thing to do for California birds, but for our citizens, as well.

You’re going to be hearing more from Audubon California about this important issue in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned.

Brigid McCormack is executive director of Audubon California.

(photo of Brown Pelican by John C. Bruckman)