(promoted by jay - promoted by Jay Lassiter)
For a few fleeting minutes, I got to be the belle of Trenton and of Albany! Transcontinentally! For a good cause!!Governor Corzine, N.Y. Gov. Spitzer and the Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell held a conference call from Portugal with the English-speaking press (I guess that's us!) to discuss the formation of the International Carbon Action Partnership. The event's host was the Portugese Prime Minister Jose Socrates. This new alliance -- a broad coalition of US states, Canadian provinces, European countries plus New Zealand -- seeks to provide an "international forum in which governments adopting mandatory greenhouse emissions cap and trade systems will share experiences and best practices on the design of emission trading (strategies.)
Governor Corzine has walked the walk on the environment and states like ours have taken a real ledership roll as signatory to the regional greenhouse gas initiative (REGGI for short) along with NY and eight other ("Blue") states in the northeast.
A Canadian journalist pressed the pols about a regional plan, as opposed to a global effort. A Jersey writer echoed the sentiment, calling the whole initiative mere symbolism in light of the anemic repsonse from Washington. Plus if places like, say, China or Missouri aren't bound by the tough standards, isn't it kinda like pissing in the wind? "We are not tilting at windmills," Corzine chided. "We're setting the prototype for the nation!" Corzine went on: My background as the former head of Goldman Sachs has given me a unique perspective on many market-based solutions to important public problems, such as environmental degradation. But it is my life in public service that has helped me understand that it will take the courage and commitment of a core set of leaders, like those of us gathered today (in Lisbon), to drive implementation of smart, feasible, and measurable policies needed to address an issue as urgent as global warming." That said, this is an openthread to share ideas and green living tips. Other than not flying to Portugal, what can you do to reduce the amound of carbon that ends up in the atmosphere? This thread could save the planet, so what are you waiting for?
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