July 29th, 2008 · 1 Comment

In 2007, the governor signed an agreement with the UK to promote the initiatives of the Kyoto Protocol and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2012. Partnering with the UK makes sense for Florida since British tourists make up a large component of the state’s tourism industry.

Increasingly governors are turning green to protect their state’s natural resources, as well as their ability to attract tourists and green businesses.

New Jersey Governor Democrat Jon Corzine said earlier this month that Congress should not allow drilling for oil and gas of the New Jersey coast. “Our world-renowned coastline is the lifeblood of our economy and a fragile environmental treasure,” he said. The current ban on drilling, which runs from Maine to North Carolina, will expire in 2012. The Bush Administration and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain support overturning the ban that’s been in existence for 26 years.

Corzine, along with fellow New Jersey legislators, believe the drilling would hurt the state’s tourism and fishing industries.

Colorado Governor Democrat Bill Ritter is just back from a climate change expedition to the Norwegian Arctic where he’s presenting the Colorado Climate Change Action Plan. The plan, which the governor signed last November, calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050.

“Addressing climate change is extremely important to Colorado because our quality of life and so much of our economy – such as tourism, the ski industry, rafting, fishing and agriculture – are tied to our climate,” said Ritter prior to his expedition. “With these challenges also come opportunities, including economic and job-creation opportunities. Colorado’s future very much depends on how we move forward, and it’s vital that we have a leadership role.”

The trip, which followed the G8 Summit and is partially sponsored by the National Geographic Society, was an opportunity to exchange ideas and view the impacts of climate change first-hand.

Green Governors Reflect Green Voters

In some cases, governors would be out of step with their constituency if they weren’t aggressively pursuing a green agenda, such as in the western states of Washington and Oregon where green building and the protection of natural spaces has a long history.

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