States lead way on climate

Maybe the United States isn’t such a laggard when it comes to cutting carbon dioxide after all.

Environment America released a report today that tallies state and federal efforts to tackle global warming. See it here. The U.S. Congress doesn’t appear ready to set emissions limits, but states have passed carbon caps, set renewable production mandates, and established energy efficiency standards. Their efforts, coupled with federal action designed largely to curb energy consumption, could reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 536 million metric tons by 2020, or about 7 percent of the total emitted in 2007, according to the report.

The group isn’t suggesting the job is done, only that the state actions indicate widespread support for public policies that address climate change.