A New Sagebrush Rebellion?

Global warming is not only cutting the U.S. off from the rest of the world, it's also dividing the U.S. ruling class against itself and causing breaches of discipline in the two-party system.

The governors of six western states--California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and Montana--have decided not to wait for the federal government to act on climate change. Five Democrats and one Republican have rejected the Bush Administration's emphasis on voluntary emissions reductions. After the U.S. Supreme Court turned down Bush's attempt to outlaw state-level regulation of CO2 emissions, these Western renegades are developing their own plans and programs.

For instance, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) committed his state to stabilizing CO2 emissions at 2000 levels by 2012. That would mean a 10 percent reduction from 2006 levels, the equivalent of retiring more than 100,000 cars. Richardson calls for a further 10% cut by 2020 and a 75% reduction by 2050.

California, the world's 18th largest producer of carbon dioxide, has a long track record of requiring tighter auto emissions standards than the federal government. And 14 other states have adopted California's standards. In November, Governor Schwarzenegger (R) sued the Bush administration to force quick approval of a waiver that would allow the state to tighten its rules even further.