Accept for the sake of discussion that Gov. Jay Inslee is absolutely correct on all counts when it comes to the issue of climate change.
Assume the science is sound, that we, the occupants of Earth, are together destroying the planet by emitting carbon into the atmosphere through industry and transportation.
If that’s the case, then we should expect our lawmakers to come together on a solution. In the absence of that, we would expect at least one political party to rise above the other and push the people to positive action.
Unfortunately for the governor, that hasn’t happened, as evidenced by his decision to sidestep the Legislature and take executive action to reduce carbon emissions.
His own Democratic party failed to pass his plan for a cap-and-trade system that would have charged more than 100 business — including several in Lewis County — for the results of creating products and services demanded by the people of the state.
Inslee might have you believe he’s the only one who fundamentally understands the issue of climate change. He literally wrote a book about it, after all, and his attention to the topic as a state and national lawmaker topic has gained him the title of “greenest governor” in the nation by many on the environmental left.
The problem with his pursuit of sweeping regulations that would essentially allow the Department of Ecology to set limits — and financial repercussions — for the release of carbon is the current state of energy production in Washington.
As Republicans in the state Senate have emphasized repeatedly, Washington is a leader in renewable, clean energy. In fact, more than 92 percent of the state’s energy demands are filled by hydropower, biomass, wind and other clean production systems.
That’s good enough for 10th in the nation on the basis of total percentage of renewable energy.
Furthermore, carbon emissions have been on a downward spiral for years, even without a mechanism to enforce reductions passed by the Democratic Legislature and former Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2008.
As noted in a story by The New York Times earlier this year, “Washington had the biggest percentage reduction in carbon dioxide emission from power generation of any state between 2005 and 2012, according to the Georgetown Climate Center, a research arm of Georgetown University Law School.”
Inslee could be right on the root causes of climate change. Regardless of whether that’s the case, he shouldn’t unilaterally pass judgment and sentences for residents and business of a state already collectively tackling the issue.
If he can’t push his agenda through the Legislature, the state constitution allows for the people to decide through the initiative process.
Based on the governor’s actions, the second option might not be promising for his climate agenda.
On a matter so important to the creation and sustainability of jobs in major industries, there should be more input and approval than that of a governor who only 30 percent of all residents say they would support for re-election.
