Given the refusal in Washington to seriously consider climate change as an issue, the legislation signed Thursday by Gov. John Baldacci setting reduction goals for carbon dioxide in Maine was a breath of fresh air. And though Maine should be pleased with its leadership on this issue, it is important to note that what the governor signed yesterday was the authority to set regulations, not the standards themselves, and how broadly the state will remain committed to this is yet unclear.

The goals are important nonetheless, and would have Maine drop its carbon dioxide levels to 1990 levels by 2010, to 10 below that by 2020 and then continuing to drop after that by as much as 80 percent below current levels. The state is now directed to develop a measurement system for the pollutant and will meet in 2006 and 2008 to check on progress toward the 2010 standard and determine whether additional regulations are needed.

Climate change is complex enough so that virtually anything said about it is open to debate, but the trend in research and the conclusions drawn by federal scientists point toward more dramatic weather on the planet caused in part by the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. This trend, which includes warming in many areas, will have various effects, some of them violently harmful – and expensive – for everyone.

For legislation to be most effective, it should be passed at the federal level with concurrent international agreements. The Bush administration is having difficulty with this idea, even while insisting that climate change is a legitimate concern. So Maine, properly, is doing as much as it can. The legislation signed by the governor mirrors legislation in other Northeastern states, although not all of that will pass, and reflects programs in Atlantic Canada.

Significantly, Gov. Baldacci refused this spring to sign a letter from the Northeast’s governors cheering on the president’s overhaul of the nation’s air-pollution laws, called Clear Skies, because the proposal takes too long, fails to regulate carbon dioxide and delays health-based air quality standards. A smart choice and a strong statement in itself.

The legislation signed in Augusta directs the state to establish agreements with at least 50 businesses by 2006 to cut carbon emissions and it enters the state into a regional registry for greenhouse gases. In addition, the state itself will try to reduce emissions from its buildings and vehicles. All good, small steps that could reduce air pollution in Maine and, almost as important, demonstrate that reductions in pollution can result in greater efficiency and lower costs, as companies in Maine and nationwide have discovered.

Maine’s success in this is additionally important because it can become a model for federal legislation, showing that states can be both environmentally and business friendly. The crucial point now is for the state to remain focused on this issue for the long term.