Monday in San Francisco four elected officials boldly went where few politicians will these days – they talked openly and passionately about the urgent need to take action on climate change including putting a price on carbon. As California governor Jerry Brown noted, “To utter the term Global Warming is deviant and radical!”
But utter those words they did. Brown was joined by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier, Christy Clark, all of whom signed the signed the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy. The plan lays out an ambitious agenda including putting a price on carbon in Washington and Oregon that will complement B.C.’s carbon tax and California’s cap and trade programs. In effect this would establish a carbon market in the world’s fifth largest economy.
The standing room only crowd included business representatives, labor union members and advocates. B.C. Minister of the Environment Mary Polak, said, “Leadership in climate action is good for your economy.” She noted that due to the B.C. carbon tax the province’s economy and population has grown while their fossil fuel consumption has dro... Read more
