Remember everyone's favorite Energy secretary, Steven Chu? Last month he told the Los Angeles Times that, if the Obama administration's climate change policies aren't enacted, "We're looking at a scenario where there's no more agriculture in California." What a party-pooper. Well, yesterday Chu said he was open to imposing duties on foreign carbon as a "weapon" to fight climate change. "If other countries don't impose a cost on carbon, then we will be at a disadvantage...[and] we would look at considering perhaps duties that would offset that cost," Chu said, according to the Wall Street Journal. Unsurprisingly, America's trading partners do not like the idea, and Chinese government officials are already on record saying a carbon tariff would be (1) illegal under the WTO and (2) invite retaliation. Which no one really needs right now. Also, Chu's comments arrive just as the Obama administration has to deal with Mexican anger at Congress's decision to revoke rules allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. highways. So far the Obama administration is doing an excellent job at treating our friends (and competitors) shabbily.