The governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Monday they are establishing a tri-state strategy to reduce global warming. They made the announcement in California at a press event staged by Gov. Gray Davis, the subject of an ongoing recall election in the state, who was joined by Washington’s Gov. Gary Locke and (via a statement) by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Each governor has directed his state’s efforts at looking for West Coast-wide ways to reduce global warming gases, employing what California’s Davis called “common-sense approaches to using available technology today and developing technology in the near future.” The governors said they want recommendations on five areas:

Davis said California last year put the first state law in the nation in effect to curb global warming, and Locke said current federal policies “will not lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” so the three states must act individually and regionally. Through a written statement, Oregon’s Kulongoski expressed support for a three-state initiative “to show leadership on an environmental issue of critical importance.”

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