NY will sign greenhouse gas reduction pledge

Former Vice President Al Gore joined Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo at Columbia University on Thursday to announce that New York has signed sign a "memorandum of understanding" (MOU) to work with other jurisdictions to try to keep the planet's temperature from rising 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

New York would join 42 other governments, including those in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, California and Vermont, as members of the Under 2 MOU coalition. According to the group's website, members commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and trying to "galvanize action" at a climate conference in Paris in December.

Cuomo also said his administration will "reach out to" to California, other states and Canadian provinces to develop a "North American market" for reducing emissions.