Gov. Inslee responds to Dept. of Ecology’s climate change report
Dec 20, 2019, 11:29 PM | Updated: 11:32 pm
Gov. Inslee proposes five pieces of climate change legislation. (Office of the Governor photo)
(Office of the Governor photo)
The Department of Ecology on Thursday recommended that the state of Washington make massive cuts to greenhouse gases before 2030. Shortly thereafter, Gov. Jay Inslee proposed five pieces of climate legislation as part of his 2020 supplemental budget proposals.
“I am proud of the climate change progress we made in 2019,” Inslee said in a news release. “But the latest science says we have further to go before we bring emissions into a range that doesn’t threaten our economic future.
“Washingtonians deserve a choice for cleaner fuels and cleaner cars — and they’re going to get both.”
In addition to the legislation, Inslee is also directing the Dept. of Ecology to create new rules around climate change that include all branches of government, including counties. The rules must also be able to be updated as new climate change science emerges.
Inslee’s five pieces of legislation include: limit statewide greenhouse gas emissions, establish a clean fuel standard, increase the number of zero-emission vehicles and cleaner rideshares, community solar, and support greenhouse gas analysis and strategy.
The department’s research predicts that climate change will cause serious damage to the environment and economy. Along with the cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, it’s also recommending that the state eliminate almost all sources of carbon pollution by 2050.
The recommendations were based on steps identified by scientists and researchers at the University of Washington to limit the effects of climate change. They say that if the earth warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, Washington’s snowpack will decline by 38%. Stream flow in the summer will decrease y 23%.
“These won’t be easy targets to reach,” said Maia Bellon, Ecology’s director, in a news release. “However, our state faces dire threats from climate change, so we need to roll up our sleeves and do what is necessary to protect our communities, our environment and our economy.”
The Department of Ecology says it made recommendations to the Legislature in 2016, but they weren’t adopted. The department said emissions in Washington reached 97.5 million metric tons in 2017. The peak was in 2000 at 108.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“This new report shows that there is no time to waste,” Bellon said.
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