Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday urged political and business leaders to wage a "war on unemployment" by combating global warming and preparing for climate change.  
Brown urged that investments be made in renewable- energy projects to create jobs and improve the environment.
 
"Find the jobs, and do so by investing in the renewable energy, the efficiency technologies, the innovative transportation, the land-use policies," Brown said.
 
Republicans were quick to pounce on Brown's requests.
 
"This is a false hope for the unemployed Californians because all the previous green- energy projects have not created the jobs they proclaimed it would and all it did was add additional costs to the non-green businesses of California," said Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills.
 
"The green energy has driven business to other states because of the higher electrical bills that come along with the plan."
 
Assemblyman Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, accused Brown of using global warming as a bait-and-switch tactic to get the public's attention off the state's dire job situation.
 
"Individual families and businesses are working to `go green,' but what we need to talk about is the green money they need to support their families," Morrell said.

California's jobless rate jumped to 12 percent in July, and unemployment also increased in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. Unemployment reached 14.7 percent in the Inland Empire in July, according to the state Economic Development Department.
 
The state added some jobs in July - 4,500 nonfarm positions.
 
August's job report is set to be released Friday.
 
"I've been at war against unemployment since I was elected to the Legislature nearly nine years ago," said Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga.
 
"We need to make California a more business-friendly state and lift the restrictions that makes this one of the most expensive places in the nation to do business."
 
Brown has pressed for increasing investment in renewable energy, efficiency and reduced dependency on fossil fuels.
 
Curbing global warming and getting communities ready for the effects of climate change is vital work and will create millions of new jobs, he said.
 
"Just as President (Franklin) Roosevelt put people to work during the Great Depression building dams, roads, schools and other public facilities, we can now put millions of people to work preparing our communities for the effects of climate change and building renewable energy projects," Brown said.
 
In April, Brown - who made his comments Tuesday at the 23rd annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco - signed legislation to increase California's use of renewable energy to 33 percent by 2020.
 
"Green jobs have to be subsidized by the government, and we're broke, so we shouldn't be pursuing green jobs," said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Hesperia.

"We should be pursuing jobs, period. That should be our goal."