Doesn't this show the increasing irrelivance of the Feds to our actual lives?
we can solve our own problems, thank you.
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Blair, Schwarzenegger sign climate pact
Patrick Wintour
London: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday sidestepped the Bush administration's refusal to act on climate change by signing what was hailed as a ground-breaking agreement with California, the world's 12th largest carbon emitter, to fight global warming.
Downing Street made no attempt to disguise the fact that the deal is designed to get round Republican objections to States imposing mechanisms to cut carbon emissions. With other U.S. States also interested or involved in carbon trading markets, the path is being opened to bring U.S. business into international efforts to fight climate change, even though international progress has been stymied by the Bush administration's refusal to sign up to binding targets in the Kyoto Protocol.
Mr Blair signed the statement of intent with California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying it would lay the groundwork for a new trans-Atlantic market in carbon dioxide emissions.
The Prime Minister wants to create a coalition of the willing among those U.S. States prepared to join the European Union's carbon trading scheme. The Blair-Schwarzenegger deal came at a meeting in Long Beach organised by Steve Howard, CEO of the Climate Group, an international charity working to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and Lord Browne, chairman of British Petroleum. Virgin's Sir Richard Branson was also present.
The two-year-old E.U. carbon trading scheme sets country-by-country overall caps for carbon, and rewards individual companies which find a profitable way to minimise carbon emissions.
The United States is responsible for a quarter of the world's global warming pollution. Bush administration officials argue that requiring cuts in greenhouse gases would cost the U.S. economy 5 million jobs.
Mr Schwarzenegger has set out an ambitious climate change programme for California amid fears that water shortages and heat waves will destroy the State's economy, including its vineyards, within 20 years.
In June last year, the State committed itself to cut carbon emissions back to 2000 levels by 2010, a fall of 59 million tonnes, and by 2020 down to 1990 levels, a fall of 145 million tonnes. Polls show Californians regard climate change as the biggest issue facing the State.
Even though Mr Schwarzenegger is a Republican, he strongly supports tough measures, and huge investment in clean technology. —
© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
we can solve our own problems, thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blair, Schwarzenegger sign climate pact
Patrick Wintour
London: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday sidestepped the Bush administration's refusal to act on climate change by signing what was hailed as a ground-breaking agreement with California, the world's 12th largest carbon emitter, to fight global warming.
Downing Street made no attempt to disguise the fact that the deal is designed to get round Republican objections to States imposing mechanisms to cut carbon emissions. With other U.S. States also interested or involved in carbon trading markets, the path is being opened to bring U.S. business into international efforts to fight climate change, even though international progress has been stymied by the Bush administration's refusal to sign up to binding targets in the Kyoto Protocol.
Mr Blair signed the statement of intent with California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying it would lay the groundwork for a new trans-Atlantic market in carbon dioxide emissions.
The Prime Minister wants to create a coalition of the willing among those U.S. States prepared to join the European Union's carbon trading scheme. The Blair-Schwarzenegger deal came at a meeting in Long Beach organised by Steve Howard, CEO of the Climate Group, an international charity working to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and Lord Browne, chairman of British Petroleum. Virgin's Sir Richard Branson was also present.
The two-year-old E.U. carbon trading scheme sets country-by-country overall caps for carbon, and rewards individual companies which find a profitable way to minimise carbon emissions.
The United States is responsible for a quarter of the world's global warming pollution. Bush administration officials argue that requiring cuts in greenhouse gases would cost the U.S. economy 5 million jobs.
Mr Schwarzenegger has set out an ambitious climate change programme for California amid fears that water shortages and heat waves will destroy the State's economy, including its vineyards, within 20 years.
In June last year, the State committed itself to cut carbon emissions back to 2000 levels by 2010, a fall of 59 million tonnes, and by 2020 down to 1990 levels, a fall of 145 million tonnes. Polls show Californians regard climate change as the biggest issue facing the State.
Even though Mr Schwarzenegger is a Republican, he strongly supports tough measures, and huge investment in clean technology. —
© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
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