VICTORIA -
British Columbia's policy wonk premier headed down to California Thursday where he met with Hollywood action hero Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to plant the first seeds of what's being billed as an ambitious Pacific Coast green plan.
The Los Angeles meeting between Gordon Campbell and the Terminator was a private affair where the two political leaders started to map a strategy for a green summit later this spring in British Columbia.
Campbell said the two leaders want to launch a climate change initiative that could potentially include the Canadian and United States governments.
"California and British Columbia have a chance to act together and hopefully create some real continental momentum behind these greenhouse gas reductions and paying attention to climate change as an issue of urgency,'' he said.
Campbell has already invited Schwarzenegger and the other U.S. Pacific Coast governors to British Columbia to develop what his government calls a green Pacific Coast Collaborative that extends from Alaska to California. The dates have not been set but members of Schwarzenegger's staff have already been in the province making plans.
Campbell said he and Schwarzenegger discussed developing a formal agreement between the two governments to tackle pressing environmental problems like reducing vehicle exhaust emissions and promoting greener sea ports.
"He was interested in forming a formalized partnership between California and British Columbia as we look at things like alternative energy opportunities,'' Campbell said.
The two leaders discussed British Columbia's proposed hydrogen highway project, which envisions making the highway from British Columbia to California accessible to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles by 2010, said Campbell.
This means opening hydrogen fuel filling stations along the way.
Campbell's Liberal government announced last month it intends to, among other goals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. The B.C. initiative rivals Schwarzenegger's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in California.
"I would love to see some kind of a good-natured rivalry erupt between us and California, between Gordo and Arnie around who's going to out-green whom," said Lisa Matthaus, a spokeswoman with the Sierra Club of B.C.
"As long as they are making it real on the ground, and it isn't just the hot air, that could be a boon for all of us.''
Matthaus said she hopes Campbell, widely known as a politician who enjoys policy discussions and back-room meetings, leaves the California meeting with Schwarzenegger convinced his greenhouse gas reduction plans need to be backed up by legislation. California's reduction targets are set in state legislation.
"It's one thing to say, `that's what we're aiming for,''' she said. "It's another to say, `we're going to legislate this so that all future governments have to meet this.'''
Setting emission reduction targets in legislation "sends such a strong signal to our economy, to British Columbians.''
A spokesman for a B.C. sustainable energy organization said the meeting is of major importance to Campbell because he will learn from Schwarzenegger what it takes to make environmental changes work.
"This is not like making a vague promise to improve health care,'' said Guy Dauncey, B.C. Sustainable Energy Association president.
"This is a number -- 33 per cent reduction below the present level by 2020,'' he said. "(Campbell) has to understand what are the best policies for transport, for heating, for landfill gases, for heavy industry, all those things. California is three or four years ahead of us on the curve in terms of doing this.''
The Opposition New Democrats said they will be watching for signs that Campbell is prepared to implement some of the environmental initiatives he highlighted in the government's throne speech last month, but has yet to fund.
Shane Simpson, the New Democrat environment critic, said the Opposition is also concerned about California wanting to use British Columbia's clean hydroelectric power to serve its huge energy needs at the province's expense.
"I am concerned that the California Utilities Board has given $14 million to Pacific Gas and Electric for them to do an analysis of running transmission lines to California from British Columbia and also looking at acquisition of green power in British Columbia to meet their needs in the future,'' he said.
