May 7, 2008—Five US state governors recently gathered at Yale University to sign the “Governor’s Declaration on Climate Change,” which calls for a state and federal partnership to address the issue. The declaration also calls for continued support for state-based climate action plans and programs and for incentives to reward and encourage state actions to address climate change.
A total of 18 states have signed the declaration: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. The full declaration (.pdf file) is available from the Yale Web site.
The signing took place just after President Bush announced a new goal to stop the absolute growth in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. The president called for electric utilities to slow the growth in their greenhouse gas emissions so that they peak within 10 to 15 years and decline thereafter.
He also called for policies that spur investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. President Bush also called for long-term incentives to make lower-emission power sources more competitive with higher-emission power sources.
