Governors to push Congress, new president for quick, aggressive action to cut CO2 emissions

News Update: Eighteen states signed a pledge Friday to pressure the federal government to quickly adopted limits on greenhouse gases. “Washington is asleep at the wheel and we can’t wait for them,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) told a climate conference at Yale that included 3 other governors, 2 premiers of Canadian provinces, and representatives from Europe, Mexico, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In addition to Schwarzenegger, Govs. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.), and representatives from 14 other states signed the pledge. The 18 states hold more than half the population of the United States. They include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico,New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. Sebelius said the federal government should build on regional cap-and-trade agreements already in process. The Western Climate Initiative, with 7 states and 2 provinces, has a goal of cutting 15% (from 2005 levels) by 2020. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with 9 states in the East, is ready to officially launch its carbon-trading plan next year. And Illinois and several other Midwestern states recently reached agreement to cut emissions. The group expects to get more signatures (28 states either have or are close to plans to cut emissions) and counteract President Bush’s pressure to go slow, as Congress deliberates a cap-and-trade bill in June. (Sources:
Mercurynews.com , Reuters)