Last week, the Governator (California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) signed into law sweeping restrictions on industrial greenhouse gases, cutting the entire state’s emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Al Gore practically peed his pants with excitement while he did a happy dance; you probably didn’t even know it had happened.

But you really should care! Yes, even you, a college student in Illinois who doesn’t know the ozone layer from the T-Zone, needs to know about this law. If history is any guide, this will be the start of nation-wide reform and you’ll feel the ripple effects. Here are three reasons why you should give a rat’s ass:

• It’s coming your way: In the past, California has been at the forefront of environmental controls, whether they’re correcting your tailpipe or making zero-pollution cars. Other states have already started taking notice of this law; the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Illinois lawmakers spent an hour with one of the bill’s authors asking questions about it. Not only that, several Northeastern states have passed or are currently passing bills that in some way cut down on emissions.

• Changes in your daily life: Man-made greenhouse gases come from, among others, burning fossil fuels, changes in land due to farming and using CFC’s in refrigeration and air conditioning. This means that industries in California are going to have to either cut back on fuel or change what they use. Either way, it’s going to make utility bills higher. Not only that, the state is also putting limits on automobile exhaust, forcing automakers to figure out ways to correct that problem by 2009 (they’re starting with a lawsuit, which is usually a good way to solve a problem).

• Jobs: Even though Republicans who opposed the law say jobs will be lost, think of the jobs that will be created. If you’re an engineer, this is a great time to be alive. New restrictions mean companies have to figure out how to produce with less fuel or with renewable resources. This opens up tons of opportunities for environmental engineers to enter the “green industry.” This field basically entails working out systems to clean the environment and developing clean methods for industry. Northwestern’s environmental engineering department would be a good place to get a head start on those shiny new jobs. Not only that, analysts predict that many companies will leave California, which, while bad for the state, is good for the rest of us. The Golden State – which is such an economic powerhouse it might as well be its own country – houses Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Lockheed and Levi-Strauss along with countless others. If they were to leave the state seeking easier greenhouse restrictions and lower costs, millions of jobs would open up across the nation for the rest of us. And, if you’re one for the markets, you could even start trading on the Climate Exchange. This market trades greenhouse gas credits for fun and profit, and to bring awareness to the green-business sector.

This law could be the start of the grand environmental reform that Al Gore and neo-Hippies have been awaiting for years. It’s time for everyone (that means you) to start caring.