Call It "The Carbon Coast"

Oregon and Washington have now signed on to a carbon-pricing regime bringing those states into line with California and British Columbia.

The B.C. tax adds a levy of about 7-cents per litre at the pump.  The revenue generated then funds personal and business tax cuts.  It's really just another form of user or polluter pays, something, that in other forms, is often pitched as wonderful by austerity-driven rightwing governments.  Put polluter-pay into effect at the gas pump, however, and opponents (including a good many Dippers) howl like vampires dragged out into the noonday sun.

Earlier this year, California introduced a carbon pricing mechanism as part of its carbon cap-and-trade system.

"California isn't waiting for the rest of the world before it takes action on climate change," California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement. "Today, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are all joining together to reduce greenhouse gases," Brown said.

Polak said introducing carbon pricing throughout North America's west coast was one of the Pacific Collaborative's aim in achieving national and international leadership in fighting climate change without harming economic growth.

But she said the Americans were also keenly interested in the potential electoral fall out from the introduction of a carbon tax or carbon pricing regime.

"That's one of the concerns, can you get a carbon tax, a carbon pricing policy, that not only makes environmental sense, but can be supported by the public at large," said [BC EnviroMin Mary] Polak.

You did catch that, didn't you?  The Pacific Coast Collaborative?  You might want to keep that in mind for the day when the peoples of the Collaborative figure we've had enough of the rest of you.

With a combined population of 52 million and a GDP of $2.5 trillion, Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington are poised to emerge as a mega-region and global economic powerhouse driven by innovation, energy, geographic location and sustainable resource management, attracting new jobs and investment while enhancing an already unparalleled quality of life.

On June 30, 2008, the leaders of the five jurisdictions signed the Pacific Coast Collaborative Agreement, the first agreement that brings together the Pacific leaders as a common front to set a cooperative direction into the Pacific Century.  Out of this agreement was born the Pacific Coast Collaborative -- a formal basis for cooperative action, a forum for leadership and information sharing, and a common voice on issues facing Pacific North America.

52-million?  That's a lot bigger than Canada.  $2.5 trillion (US) GDP.  That too is a lot bigger than Canada's.  Collectively we are the world's fifth largest economy. We've got resources up the yin-yang, energy up the yin-yang too including a host of options for abundant, clean, renewable energy. And the Collaborative is the world leader in high tech and innovation.  Did I mention we've got a really good fishery and most of the region has lots of water too.  Hmm, Pacifica, that has a nice ring to it.