Some Great Lakes states and even Kentucky have surpassed Michigan by creating state climate change action plans that would reduce in-state greenhouse gas emissions.

But interviews with state officials show there have been problems in implementing the plans. Illinois and Wisconsin have both created state action plans, while Minnesota is developing one. Michigan does not have a climate change plan.

Ken Silfven, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), said, "We have not developed a specific plan to address climate change as none has yet been required. The national policy and the scientific certainty of climate change is still being debated, and the U.S. Congress has elected not to endorse the Kyoto Protocol."

Michigan agrees with a call by President George W. Bush for voluntary reductions in greenhouse gases. Michigan has also been involved with several energy conservation efforts which have the secondary benefit of reducing greenhouse gases, said Silfven.

Barry Rabe, professor of environmental policy in the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and professor of public policy in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, noted that in 1998, proposed Michigan legislation not only called upon the U.S. Senate not to reject the Kyoto agreement, but also sought to prevent any state agency from taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Only a few states have gone to this length, Rabe said.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases in order to curb global warming, created at an international conference in December of 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The Bush Administration has refused to submit the protocol for Congressional ratification, arguing it would be costly and unfair to U.S. businesses.

The climate change action plans involve states creating task forces that bring in experts to develop a strategy to address climate change. Task force members include state planners, policy analysts, natural resource specialists, environmentalists and representatives of the private sector, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The task force identifies and makes policy options based on greenhouse gas potential, cost-effectiveness, political feasibility and public acceptance, said the EPA.

Eric Mosher of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said that the problem with Wisconsin's action plan is that most of the public does not even know it exists.

Mosher said the states with action plans have not had political support because the Bush Administration does not believe that global warming is a real threat.

"If the president is not interested, then it affects the states," said Mosher.

Rabe said that in general the Midwest has been less active, but Wisconsin is moving toward a registry for greenhouse gas reductions and has mandated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reporting since 1996. "They are well ahead of other states in this regard," said Rabe.

Jeff Young of Kentucky's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet said that their action plan was distributed to policymakers, but the policymakers have not run with it. "Kentucky is a coal-producing state, and you have to work within that reality," said Young. The coal industry has groups that promote the use of coal to the public, said Young.

Even so, the state government in the past year has worked with environmentalists on solar power projects and educating the public about solar energy, said Young.

"About 40 states did complete greenhouse gas inventories, and then about half went on to complete action plans. These were supported by grants from the EPA. They gave states a chance to think about greenhouse gas emissions and possible policy tools. In some states, nothing much has happened beyond this, but in others there is a fair amount of activity. Not all of the activity is directly related to the plans, but they were clearly part of the process," said Rabe.

In 1993, then-Governor of New Jersey Christie Whitman-now EPA administrator-issued an executive order to establish a statewide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 3.5% below 1990 levels by 2005. The state has pursued a range of policies to achieve this, some voluntary and some regulatory, and is clearly on track to meet its goal, said Rabe.

Rabe said it is important for states to have action plans because many states are large in population, physical size and resources devoted to environmental protection. Large states also spew a lot of harmful emissions.

"If the American states were counted as sovereign nations, approximately half would rank among the top 60 national emitters of greenhouse gases around the globe," said Rabe.

State greenhouse gas reduction plans

Wisconsin:

Wisconsin state government is one of the largest users of fossil fuel energy in the state, so Wisconsin's climate change action plan has set a goal of near 100% participation by 2010 in energy efficiency programs for state-owned residential and office buildings. Other recommendations include:

• State government should also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing technically and economically feasible vehicles that are fuel-efficient.
  
• State government should find new state buildings and rentals in urban areas that are along transit routes and allow access on foot to restaurants. Employees who car-pool or cycle to work should be given benefits.
  
• The state should promote private sector-led initiatives to adopt energy efficiency measures and revise state building codes to support energy efficient improvements.
  
• A cleaner source of supply of electricity needs to be delivered to consumers.
  
• The state should help develop governmental or private economic incentive programs to encourage solar electricity or hot water installations, along with developing an incentive program to encourage rural homeowners and businesses to install wind turbines. Public funding can be used to increase renewable energy use.
  
• To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, the state should make assessments of the carbon impacts of major highway projects and transportation system proposals.

Illinois:

The 1993 climate change action plan set a goal of returning greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000 through voluntary programs. Recommendations include:

• Implement energy efficiency and conservation programs and assist Illinois companies in meeting their federal climate change emissions reduction commitments.
  
• Expand rural and urban tree planting programs and forest management assistance to help capture carbon.
  
• Assist Illinois researchers in making funds for studying weather-sensitive natural resources and human activities and fund regional assessments of climate impacts.
  
• Revise state water laws to handle water issues in times of scarcity and water shortage emergencies.
  
• Develop rules that take climate change into consideration when designing and constructing infrastructure.
  
• Fund a climate change program to make educational materials and provide incentives to including this material in schools' curriculum.

Kentucky:

Policy options that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions include improving forest management and timber production, leading to increased rates of carbon sequestration. Other options include the use of clean coal technologies and natural gas to generate electricity, replacing some existing coal power plants.

The plan also supports improved construction practices and enforcement of energy-related building codes in the commercial and residential sectors.

Application of these improvements would achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal to 13 million tons of CO2 per year by 2020.