Last week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and British Prime Minister Tony Blair signed a mission statement to take "urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies." Without mentioning specifics, the statement aligns California and the UK in their commitment to use market incentives to foster innovation in emissions trading and low carbon technologies, learn more about "the economics of climate change" and increase communication and collaboration among scientists and technological innovators. While the move sends an important message to President Bush, who has not acted aggressively on this issue, the pact itself is vague and non-binding. Is this just another empty gesture or does this partnership have what it takes to help save the planet?

Who would’ve thunk it. Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meeting in Long Beach, Ca., announced this week that they’ve forged an agreement to work collaboratively against global warming. While the import of the agreement is not fully clear—and while some critics derided it as a “symbolic gesture”—it nevertheless adds momentum to a movement already underway.