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The issue of what governmental actions are in the public welfare has often been responded to with the caveat "the greatest good for the greatest number". In addressing the policy alternatives for reducing greenhouse emissions this criterion remains sound. Clearly, there are numerous scenarios that governments have codified in law that are more substantial than American legislators have. Today, California is faced with litigation because the Federal government seeks to limit its ability to respond with its own set of policies. The mayors and governors of many states in the United States have likewise acted within their own respective legislative bodies to establish a momentum that they would like to encourage at the Federal level. Climate change impacts on many different aspects of the public infrastructure. Highways and public transportation, water management, disaster response, public health, are all policy issues that can be structured in ways that address reducing emissions and defining new choices for the public.

The agenda includes the following:

A. Establish the highest percentages for renewable energy production and alternative transportation systems that require the introduction of alternative energies in a twenty year period; http://www.earth-policy.org/Bo oks/PlanB_contents.htm
B. Economic compensation packages that address workers impacted by the transition http://www.epi.org/content.cfm /studies_cleanenergyandjobs ;
C. Monitoring systems to evaluate the changes in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/gh g_home_e.cfm ;
D. Incentives for the development of alternatives to petroleum-based products http://www.greenbiz.com/toolbo x/essentials_third.cfm?LinkAdv ID=4151 ; "Petroleum is also the raw material for many chemical products, including solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics; the 16% not used for energy production is converted into these other materials." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P etroleum
E. Reduction in the production of single-user modes of transportation http://www.worldwatch.org/node /808 , increase in public investment in mass transit operated with renewable energy http://lrta.info/Facts/facts13 0.html ;
F. Transition of investment of public utility companies in solar and wind technology, decreasing proportion of energy provided by coal, nuclear and oil http://www.energybulletin.net/ 5000.html ;
G. Establishment of stakeholder boards for oversight and review http://maineghg.raabassociates .org/member.asp?sort=other

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