Cleveland's chamber of commerce is ready to launch an unusual program to help businesses get loans for energy efficiency retrofits. In Salt Lake City, the local chamber is promoting "clean air" to reduce gasoline use. These out-of-the-ordinary pursuits by local business associations are increasingly being used in regions where the politics of climate change might not fly, but profits from clean energy do.

California Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday proposed borrowing $500 million in revenues from the state's landmark carbon cap-and-trade auctions and using those to help balance the general fund budget.