New tools to fight global warming
Laws help cut pollution, promote clean energy
On March 5, the Washington state Senate passed a historic climate action bill that joins Washington with California and New Jersey in placing limits on greenhouse gas emissions and begins the process to enact a cap-and-trade framework to reduce state emissions by at least 70 percent over the next 40 years.
The measure requires Washington to limit global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020, 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035 and 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
It also requires the state Department of Ecology to work through the Western Climate Initiative to develop Washington’s plan for participation in a multi-state cap-and-trade system and then report back to the Legislature on that plan by Dec. 1 of this year.
As more and more states work together to fight global warming, it puts increasing pressure on Congress to take national action. And Washington’s victory couldn’t have come at a better time: Last December, a key Senate committee approved the Lieberman-Warner bill. If it passes, the bill will limit global warming pollution by as much as 18 percent by 2020—making it the first national law of its kind.
Green planning for communities
We also saw a victory on another of our priority measures, the Local Solutions to Global Warming Act. Sponsored by Sen. Chris Marr (Spokane) and Rep. Geoff Simpson (Covington), this bill provides state assistance to local jurisdictions, such as King County and the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, Shoreline and Spokan, that want to base long-term zoning and land-use decisions on the need to meet statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets.
The state will develop planning models that can be used by local governments to, for example, absorb growth into transit and pedestrian-oriented urban villages and promote green building practices.
The bill also establishes a process to develop changes to the Growth Management Act that will require cities and counties across the state to adopt these practices for absorbing growth in the most climate friendly way practicable.
