Climate Lab Doesn’t “Get It”

The January 8^th Seattle Times front page article “Political fight over money raised by climate act intensifies” and page seven article, “State wildly overestimated climate law effect” continue the paper’s Climate Lab’ project failure to understand the Climate Commitment Act’s benefits.

The articles raised concern that the actual reductions were only 4% of predictions, apparently the result of a “simple error”.  That the emission cuts were 1% of their original estimates, an error due a “rounding issue for a single program funded by the climate account”. The article concludes, Washington’s Ecology Climate Pollution Reductions Program “Still gives out the incorrect emissions data.”

As absurd as the excuses and continued faulty emission pronouncements are, the Climate Lab still doesn’t recognize the limited benefit from any Climate Commitment Act. The CCA will result in refiners requiring drivers to pay more for the fuel they burn, but nothing for the emissions emitted by those burning the fuel. Those using electric power to warm their homes, cook their food, or charge their EV batteries will pay more. Those burning natural gas in their homes or commercial areas where they work, won’t pay for the resulting emissions. Thus, Washington’s CCA carbon emission allowance fees will affect less than half the state’s carbon emissions. 

Whatever benefits the CCA could have on the state’s carbon emissions is limited by the fact Washington only makes up 1.56% of the country. That the entire country only emits 11.2 % of the planets.  Thus, the state’s carbon market only affects 0.17% of the planet’s emission. Even that benefit to the state is dwarfed by jet stream emissions from China.

The bottom line is the Climate Lab doesn’t recognize the CCA is forcing state residents to pay the high price for the fuel they burn and those paying more for the electrical power they use will do little  to mitigate the impact of carbon emissions on Washington’s climate.