Climate Pact Is Bipartisan And International

There's something for everyone in the Western Climate Initiative -- Republican, Democrats, Canadians. Everyone, that is, except for the federal government.

In a move that further demonstrates how governors, mayors, CEOs and individuals -- that is, everyone but the federal government -- are leading the United States in the effort to combat climate change, six Western states and two Canadian provinces have banded together on a climate pledge. They aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions -- the key pollutant causing global warming -- by 15% by 2020.

That's the goal. The method is to set limits on how much all sectors of the economy can pollute, and then allow those that pollute less than their quota to sell "credits" to those that can't meet their quota. The so-called "cap-and-trade" system worked to reduce acid rain-causing gases significantly since George H.W. Bush signed Clean Air Act amendments in 1990, and several Northeastern states have agreed to a carbon cap-and-trade system that is restricted to power plants.

The Western initiative goes further by including other sectors of the economy. With Florida Gov. Charlie Crist inching his state toward a similar set of goals, the South and Midwest may well get on board with the initiative before long. Someone's gotta do it.

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