Western govs filling the void

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Since the federal government has been sitting on its hands regarding climate issues most of the past decade, Utah's governor and other Western states' leaders are picking up the slack.

At a recent meeting of the Western Governors Association, Gov. Jon Huntsman took the lead in calling for action by states since, he told Newsweek magazine, "Washington has been stone-cold silent on this issue."

Hooray for Huntsman, we say. When it comes to energy policy and environmental stewardship, the White House and Congress have been no-shows. Even as the situation on both fronts has continued to deteriorate, Washington has been paralyzed with a combination of partisan gridlock and a distinct brand of apathy you find in people who have the financial means to weather spiking oil prices, and don't appear to get all that excited about global warming.

Not so out West, where our natural beauty, tourism-dependent economies and livelihoods are inextricably linked with affordable travel, economical means of hauling goods across long stretches of highway, and the knowledge that our outdoor-reliant lifestyles and businesses will be adversely affected by climate change (think: ski resorts).

Testament to the silence from Washington is Huntsman's call for Western governors to establish dialogue on CO2 emissions between the states and the rapidly growing economies of China and India. He's right: If we in the U.S. reduce our emissions, only for those reductions to be offset by rapid increases in China and India, among other nations, it would not move us along the path toward the goal of reducing carbon emissions in the atmosphere and reversing the alarming effects of global warming.

But that's only one issue the governors could and should tackle. Water, land management and other topics that have been victims of Washington inertia should be taken up by governors -- not only in the West but across the nation.

It's time for them to fill the cavity in leadership.

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