Maverick U.S. States Prove Popular at Climate Talks

[lovuian]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041217/sc_nm/environment_us_dc_3



When designing our energy policy, Germany will always look to California because it's the best example," said Barbel Hohn, environment minister in Germany's largest state of North Rhine-Westphalia.


FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IRRELEVANT?


Eighteen U.S. states require that some of their electricity be generated from renewable-energy sources. Furthermore, Republican governors from New York and Massachusetts are leading the creation of a regional emissions-cap system.


"Our federal government could make itself irrelevant on climate change policy," said U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news - web sites) of Ohio, a Democrat and Kyoto protocol supporter.

more...

You tell em Dennis!!! :bounce:

[kineneb]

1. So much for the red states...

"leading" the way (only back to Middle Ages). One of the reasons I stay in CA is that we are on the leading edge. We care about the environment. And many of us remember things like the Santa Barbara oil spill in the 60s. Notice BushCo gave up on drilling off our coast. If someone tried it we would tie the proposal up in court for eternity.

[Forkboy]

2. I'm loving this story

:)

[Lisa]

3. this sends a VERY important message

People will come away from the conference knowing that Bush isn't speaking for a lot of Americans. I bet the White House is furious about this. It's one thing if a bunch of US scientists go to symposia and insist that they don't support what Bush is doing (I've seen this myself) -- it impresses their non-US colleagues but Bush can ignore them because he never reads those academic journals anyway!

But when the policymakers start doing it too ... things like the New England states signing a pollution reduction pact with Atlantic Canada ...

Can you imagine, if this becomes a regular thing at international conferences, on issues like the Geneva Convention, land mines, and environmental treaties? The official US delegation, and then another group of Americans who are conciliatory and active. Wow. It's going to be a lot harder for fair-minded people to diss Americans after they see the "shadow" delegations at work.

[goforit]

4. Hey what will happen when the Fed. Gov't cancels itself out completely?

John Lenin would be singing in heaven!!!

Who needs this F*cking evil doing gov't?

[s-cubed]

5. KICK n/t

[Sgent]

6. Of course....

The Bushies could always overrule all of these regional coalitons and California with federal law.

Being out of power sucks.

[cally]

7. The Repubs are trying to pass legislation to override statte laws

that are stricter than federal laws on environmental protection. I would guess it will pass shortly.