The previous post opined that the fees imposed by voters’ rejection of I-2177 would have little effect on the state’s CO2 emissions. The Seattle Times apparently didn’t get the message. Their Sunday Opinion Editorial “Voters State’s Landmark Climate Law at Critical Time”’ heralded the 60% of Washington voters who affirmed the Climate Commitment Act. That the “CCA created a cap-and-trade auction market” with the premise, “Pay for what you emit”.
The previous post detailed how those paying the CCA for emissions included the refineries that provide fuel for our vehicles, bake the limestone to create cement, or burn natural gas to provide electricity to heat our homes, cook our food, or charge EV batteries.
However, it also detailed how those burning fuel in vehicles made up 36.5 of the 42.5 million metric tons (MMT) emissions from transportation. That the power companies burning natural gas emitted 9.5 MMT, less than half the state’s 20 MMT CO2 from burning natural gas. Thus those buying fuel or paying for natural gas won’t be “paying for what they emit”.
The bottom line is that unless those emissions are subject to some tax the state will never achieve the Climate Commitment Act goal “net zero carbon emissions by 2050”. That the fees resulting from the “political courage to keep to the cause of fighting climate change” by rejecting I-2177 are more the result of the Times misinformation and mendacious ads.
That I-2117 is highly unlikely to be the “gold standard” for the other 48 states.
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