WASHINGTON -- The governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington state have agreed to develop a regional target to lower greenhouse gases and create a market-based program aimed at helping businesses reach the still-undecided goals.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat seeking his party's presidential nomination, said the five-state agreement should spur other states ahead.

"You're going to see a domino effect with more and more states taking action," he predicted Monday.

Global warming and clean or alternative energy were major points of discussion over four days at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association in Washington.

Among topics discussed: legislation to encourage "clean-coal" technology; the economic growth that would come from industries in windmills, solar panels and the like; and tax incentives to spur more renewable energy.

'Inconvenient Truth' Takes Oscar

Former Vice President Al Gore took the stage with "An Inconvenient Truth" director Davis Guggenheim to accept the Oscar for Best Documentary feature. Although the filmmaker techinically received the Oscar, Guggenheim gave Gore the podium after his short acceptance speech.

"My fellow Americans -- people all over the world -- we need to solve the climate crisis," Gore said. "It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

The "My fellow Americans" riff was a play on a gag earlier in the night, when, onstage together, Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio urged Gore to announce another run for president.

"I guess with a billion people watching, it's as good a time as any. So my fellow Americans, I'm going to take this opportunity here and now to formally announce my intentions ..." But then, the orchestra jumped in and drowned out the remainder of Gore's "announcement."