As the Website explains and Reuters reports, the Western Climate Initiative will launch its cap-and-trade system among 11 member states and Canadian provinces on January 1, 2012 — less than 2 1/2 years from now. Yet last month Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, one of the seven states that are members of WCI, announced on “Real Time with Bill Maher” last month that he opposes cap-and-trade. Time is getting short for the governor to decide whether he will subject utilities, industries and consumers in his state to the huge energy tax increase that such a system would require, while accomplishing nothing to affect global temperatures?

Tick, tick, tick….withdrawal or participation?