Thinking Globally, Acting Locally on Global Warming

Due to the federal government’s disgusting lack of action in the face of incontrovertible evidence about global warming, states and cities are taking matters into their own hands and moving aggressively to curb emissions. Examples include:

California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger recently met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to establish the trading of carbon dioxide pollution credits;
22 states and the District of Columbia require their utilities to derive some portion of their power (up to 33% in one case) from renewable energy sources;
Up to 12 other states in the Northeast want to cut emissions 10% by 2019, set state-by-state limits on emissions, and allow industries to trade pollution credits;
11 states have set goals to reduce emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by the year 2050;
California has passed legislation requiring automakers to reduce carbon dioxide exhaust in their vehicles by 30% by 2016, and ten other states will adopt the same rule if it challenges a court challenge from the automotive industry;
Several cities are working to make their buildings carbon neutral by 2030;

These efforts will soon exceed anything the Bush administration has ever done about global warming. Notably, support for these efforts are coming from all parts of the political spectrum, making Bush look more and more foolish in his insistence that industry voluntarily adopt standards (which they never do) and that we should research the issue further (it’s been researched to death.)

Predictably, industry is opposing some of these efforts, although support is also coming from some surprising sources. Regarding the California lawsuit, auto makers are whining that they’re being forced to adopt different pollution standards for different states. What a dumb argument. The solution is simple: adopt the same stricter standard for all jurisdictions, not just California (which is of course what California and other states hope will happen). On the other hand, Duke Energy Corp. (power company) officials are pushing for federal regulation of emissions because they don’t want to deal with a patchwork of state and local rules. The federal government is talking out of both sides of its mouth, first praising local efforts and then threatening to intervene in the California lawsuit.

It’s pathetic that the federal government has its head stuck so far in the sand that the governor of California has to act like a head of state in negotiating an emissions treaty with another nation. It’s ludicrous that the technological leader of the modern world continues to be in a state of denial over the reality of drastic climate change already occurring as confirmed by the overwhelming majority of scientists. It’s also very good to know that more sensible politicians are not waiting on the federal government to begin action on this urgent problem.

The adage I learned in college has become truer than ever: Think Globally, Act Locally.