Blair, Arnie 'global warming pact' (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

Monday, July 31, 2006; Posted: 5:43 a.m. EDT (09:43 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Britain and California are preparing to sidestep the Bush administration and fight global warming together by creating a joint market for greenhouse gases.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plan to lay the groundwork for a new trans-Atlantic market in carbon dioxide emissions, The Associated Press has learned.

Such a move could help California cut carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases scientists blame for warming the planet. President George W. Bush has rejected the idea of ordering such cuts.

Blair and Schwarzenegger were expected to announce their collaboration Monday afternoon in Los Angeles, according to documents provided by British government officials on condition of anonymity because the announcement was forthcoming.

The aim is to fix a price on carbon pollution, an unwanted byproduct of burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gasoline. The idea is to set overall caps for carbon and reward businesses that find a profitable way to minimize their carbon emissions, thereby encouraging new, greener technologies.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/31/blair.arnie.ap/index.html

[autorank]

1. Like Herbert Hoovers stesp to head off a Depression, well meaning

perhaps, but too little too late.

We need a comprehensive global plan to mitigate global warming now.

This does have the advanteage of showing that * is totally useless on the issue. Even his
poodle defies him on this.

We're totally screwed on global warming - climate change. The new consensus is that sea level
will rise 20 feet, that is TWENTY FEET...no Bangladesh, no Netherlands at all, no Florida citiee
left (none, hear that zero Florida cities now on the coast, all submerged, done, finished).

This all happens between now and 2100 when the polar caps have melted COMPLETELY.

Nice work greedy, fat, ignorant abusers of the environment. You were told, now you've killed the
friggin' planet.

[Sequoia]

5. Sometime in the late 1960s

I read a prediction by Jean Dixon who said that very soon the coastal cities, even Manhatten would be under water because of glacier meltdown.

[iamjoy]

2. Is This Legal?

Of course, a part of me says kudos to Arnie for doing what Dubya won't, but is it a violation of the Constitution?

Doesn't Article I, Sections 8 & 10 prohibit any state from entering into treaties or agreements with foreign powers (or other states)?

I'm not a lawyer, so, maybe I'm wrong.

[bananas]

3. Maybe he'll announce that California is seceding?

That would be great news!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Canada

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Interesting point ... is a 'trade agreement' a treaty?

Recent presidents (including Clinton) have argued that they need Congress to give them free rein in negotiating trade deals, and have skirted this clause of the Constitution.

I think this is permitted because it's sort of like a contract, and either party can break it at any time, without indemnities, the only cost being termination of the agreement. But it seems legally dodgy. (Also outside my area of expertise, in case that isn't sufficiently obvious.)