“Running away from tough problems only makes them worse. In Washington, we confront problems, we don’t run from them.
The negative economic impacts of climate change are here and we must respond. The oysters of Willapa Bay, the thousands of acres scorched by wildfire exacerbated by unprecedented droughts, and the sharp rise in dangerous, unpredictable weather are signs that climate change is already harming Washington’s economy.
Washington doesn’t have abundant fossil fuel reserves. However we are blessed with abundant farmland, forests, and hydropower that will be part of the solution as we move towards a clean energy economy and away from the risks of a fossil fuel-based economy.
Today the House Environment Committee took a historic step forward in the fight against global warming. The passage of Washington’s carbon pollution accountability act out of committee today moves this important policy proposal and this critical discussion to the next step. While there is work to do, I am pleased by what the committee has done so far to move this issue forward.
I invite all interested members and stakeholders to join the discussion over the best way for us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and grow our economy. The robust discussion in today’s committee action shows that we take this challenge seriously and are committed to moving forward.