I wonder if Arnold and George discussed the International Carbon Action Partnership during the President's fly-over the fires in southern California last week?

This morning's incoming email and RSS feeds brought numerous statements about the international effort to share knowledge and work to standardize best practices in order to facilitate the growth of a global carbon market. It also brought an observation by Gristmill's David Roberts:

This kind of international diplomacy by individual U.S. states is something new, as far as I know.

Indeed, as the ICAP release states:

The ground-breaking international and interregional agreement was signed by U.S. and Canadian members of the Western Climate Initiative, northeastern U.S. members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, as well as European Union members including the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal, and the European Commission.  Leaders attending the summit included: Prime Minister and EU Council President José Sócrates of Portugal; European Commission President José Manuel Barroso; Governor Jon Corzine, New Jersey; Governor Eliot Spitzer, New York; Premier Gordon Campbell, British Columbia; Minister Sigmar Gabriel of Germany; UK Secretary of State for Business, Rt. Hon. John Hutton; and Norway's Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen. 

Governor Schwarzenegger's release adds:

It is exciting for California to be a part of the International Carbon Action Partnership. This groundbreaking partnership is a historic step in the worldwide battle against climate change.  In addition to regulations to reduce greenhouse gases, I firmly believe a global market for greenhouse gases will allow us to protect the environment while growing the economy. Last year in California, we took decisive action when I signed our landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.  Today, 26 American states are working toward similar plans or they are developing them.
 
This first of its kind partnership will provide more incentives for clean-tech investment and economic growth while not letting polluters off the hook. And it will help renew the health of our planet.

So where's the press release from Washington D.C.? You know, the one where George finally chooses to jump on the bandwagon.

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