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Lisa Napoli: Today, governors from across the nation are gathering at Yale University to press for federal action on climate change. From Marketplace’s Sustainability Desk, Sam Eaton reports.

Sam Eaton: There’s only so much states can do when it comes to stopping global warming. Especially if the federal government blocks those efforts. California and 16 other states found this out the hard way. The Environmental Protection Agency recently denied state plans to curb CO2 emissions from cars. Critics say allowing states to act independently would create a confusing patchwork of regulations. Yale environmental law professor Daniel Esty says that criticism only bolsters the goal of today’s governors’ meeting: to force federal action on climate change. And who better to lead the charge, he says, than states already experimenting with solutions.

Daniel Esty: It’s important to build on a base of experience, and the states that have already stepped up to the issue have begun to establish some thinking about what works and what doesn’t.

In the meantime, states continue to wield the influence they do have over climate policy. Just look at the wave of state denied permits for new coal fired power plants.

I’m Sam Eaton for Marketplace.