Herbert skeptical but concerned

PARK CITY — Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert attempted Tuesday to reassure his future colleagues at the Western Governors' Association that they share common environmental goals even though he's not convinced climate change is real.

"We are united when it comes to the desire to have clean air and clean water and be good stewards of the earth … regardless of what our motivation may be and what we think the consequences will be if we do not," Herbert said at the closing press conference of the association's three-day meeting here.

On Monday, he'd unexpectedly jumped into a panel discussion on combating global warming and challenged the premise that the debate is over. Herbert said he's heard convincing arguments that man's impact is actually minimal and questioned whether the science has been settled.

The lieutenant governor, who will become governor once Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the nation's ambassador to China, stressed Tuesday that he "will make sure Utah plays its role appropriately" on the issue with the association.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the association's new chairman, said "while I believe and I think many people agree with me that human activity has contributed to greenhouse gases and those greenhouse gases are changing our climate and it is something we need to address, others don't believe it."

Schweitzer said most people fall between the extremes of dismissing climate change altogether and believing that "unless we move immediately into a cave and live around a campfire that the world is going to be destroyed."

Huntsman, whose term as association chairman just ended, helped set the meeting's focus on taking a global approach to addressing climate change. On Tuesday, experts on China's efforts to curb emissions spoke on the need for the United States to keep pace. Huntsman and six other governors, including Schweitzer, a Democrat, have signed the Western Climate Initiative promoting a regional approach to limiting carbon emissions.

"Gov. Huntsman has been very strong in his position that he believes it's helpful for Utah to work on the issues that surround the concept of climate change," Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said.

Roskelley said Huntsman understands different people have different views on issues and "believes the lieutenant governor will continue to do what is best for the state."

Huntsman has been criticized by some of his fellow Republicans for his stand on climate change. He did not participate in any of the meeting's panel discussions, citing his pending confirmation.

Herbert, who will have to run in 2010 for the remainder of Huntsman's term, told the Deseret News he had no political agenda. "I'm certainly not going to be the same as Gov. Huntsman," Herbert said, but was not "calculating to set myself apart."

He said other governors attending the meeting told him privately they agreed with him but the association had already decided its position. A resolution urging regional and national policies on global climate change was approved at the meeting.

Herbert said he hopes to organize his own conference in Utah so scientists on both sides of the issue can make their arguments.

"When it gets right down to it, I'm not too radical. I'm just a simple guy," he said. "If I don't understand it, there are probably a lot of other people who don't, either."

E-MAIL: lisa@desnews.com