Feeling the heat.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Frustrated by the failure of the Bush administration and Congress to address global warming at the federal level, the governors of Oregon, Washington and California have attempted to forge a regional strategy to address climate change problems.

California led the way under former Gov. Gray Davis by adopting rules to reduce vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Last month, Washington's governor signed a law that would bring California's tough emissions standards to that state. There was a caveat: The new standards would not go into effect until Oregon enacts the same rules.

Now, the Legislature is doing its regressive best to thwart Gov. Ted Kulongoski's efforts to move Oregon toward the new standards. Last Thursday, a bill requiring Oregon to adopt California's tailpipe standards stalled in the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee.

Meanwhile, the House Budget Committee is expected to approve a budget for the state Department of Environmental Quality that bars the agency from spending money to develop the stricter standards. The move would prevent Kulongoski from administratively adopting tighter emissions standards.

Oregon, once a national leader in environmental protection, is about to deal the cause a major setback. Instead of the three West Coast states joining their seven counter- parts in the Northeast that already have adopted the tougher standards, California will stand alone. What could have been a powerful message to Congress that states on both coasts are willing to fill the void in national leadership on climate change will be sadly diminished. The blame will lie on the wobbly shoulders of Oregon lawmakers who care more about the bleatings of auto industry lobbyists than they do about the effects of climate change.

Many scientists agree that those effects already are altering the Northwest landscape, depleting the mountain snowpacks upon which the region depends for most of its water supply. A region renowned for its abundance of water will become increasingly susceptible to drought, fires and energy shortages.

There's still time for Oregon lawmakers to stop their ostrich act and to take meaningful action to reduce emissions. If they need inspiration, they should listen to what California's current governor, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, told a U.N. environmental conference last week in San Francisco.

"I say the debate is over," he declared. "We know the science, we know the time for action is now. Global warming, pollution and the burning of fossil fuels that caused it are threats we see here in California done everywhere around the world.

"We have no choice but to meet this challenge."