Governors of five Western States today announced a regional plan
to reduce global warming pollution. Under the Western Regional Climate
Action Initiative, Oregon, California, Washington, New Mexico, and
Arizona will adopt pollution-reduction goals for the five states and a
market-based program to meet them, such as a “cap and trade” program,
within 18 months.
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski initiated the five-state agreement. Last
summer, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that
will result in comprehensive global warming pollution reductions in his
state, and Governor Kulongoski appointed a stakeholder group that
developed a cap and trade policy proposal for his state. Under a cap
and trade program, a cap on global warming pollution would be set,
which would decline over time to meet pollution reduction targets.
Individual companies could either reduce their pollution or pay other
companies to reduce their pollution more than required, so that total
pollution levels meet the total cap. Under a regional program, the cap
would be set for all five states.
“Western states are already experiencing the serious effects of global
warming, and our Governors have demonstrated true leadership in
developing solutions,” said Environment Arizona program associate Erik Magnuson. “This regional
global warming solution will benefit the environment on a global
scale.”
Western states are particularly threatened by global warming effects
such as declining snowpack levels. Summer water supplies in the West
are closely tied to the melting of winter and spring snowpack, which
has occurred earlier and in greater volume in recent years, leaving
lower water levels in the summer. Declining summer water supplies could
have serious consequences for farm irrigation and drinking water
supplies. In addition, the Western states face increased drought and
more severe forest fires.
Each of the five states announcing today’s agreement has either adopted
or committed to adopt state global warming pollution reduction goals,
as well as Clean Cars programs that require new cars sold in their
states to reduce their global warming pollution. Those programs are the
subject of a lawsuit by auto manufacturers.
“There is no question that state leadership will be critical to getting
real global warming solutions put in place,” said Magnuson. “Thanks in no small part to the
states, Congress is now beginning to seriously debate global warming
policy.”
The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative builds on other regional
efforts. Oregon’s Governor Kulongoski was an original founder, with
then-California Governor Gray Davis and then-Washington Governor Gary
Locke, of the West Coast Global Warming Initiative in 2003. Arizona and
New Mexico launched the Southwest Climate Change Initiative in 2006.
