The Seattle Times January 12th front page article “What Inslee Leaves Behind” details the paper’s version of his three terms as governor. Yet it follows a week after an editorial “Lawmakers Must Blackout-Proof States Energy Transition” concerned with the effects of his Climate Commitment Act.
My guess is the later concern will eventually result in Inslee being regarding as the “Don Quixote” of climate change, promoting wind turbines rather than attacking windmills. That the hundreds of wind turbines he’s advocated pose a “black out” danger because they lose nearly 90% of their capacity when the wind drops by half.
His insistence that the state ferries be battery powered doesn’t change the fact the millions spent on batteries and battery-powered generators still require diesel fueled generators to charge the batteries rather than drive the propellers. That no longer getting energy from coal powered plants doesn’t change the fact India and China coal usage continues to grow and that U.S power companies currently get 49% of their power from coal.
He’s never accepted the fact CO2 was not a pollutant. That CO2 feeds our planet and keeps it from being an icy orb. That there’s ample evidence that increasing CO2 in atmosphere is the result of increasing warming from the Sun not the cause. That ice core data indicated warming from the Sun increased ocean temperatures and CO2 outgassing to atmosphere. That subsequent reductions in global temperatures from less radiation from Sun were followed, not led, by more ocean absorption of CO2 and less in atmosphere.
That Washington’s CO2 emissions make up only 1.56% of the countries. That the United States make up 11.2% of the worlds. Thus, any benefits from reducing emissions are limited to reducing the states 0.117% of the total. State CO2 emission reductions will be dwarfed by the those from a China that plans to add 25% more to its 30% of planet’s by 2030. Especially since the jet stream will route those emissions over Washington
Inslee’s ”overwhelming” support from voters in rejecting I-2117 will result in annual increases in costs for those refining oil, making cement, or burning natural gas to create electricity. Costs that will inevitably be passed on to those buying fuel for vehicles, cement for construction, and natural gas for heating where they live or work with heat pumps and charging the batteries in their cars.
Yet rejecting I-2117 will do nothing to charge those emitting 20 lbs. of CO2 emission from burning a gallon of gasoline or the ~22 lbs. from diesel that make up 85%% of the Washington’s transport emissions, and 57% of total. That those using natural gas in their homes or commercially won’t pay fees for the CO2 emissions 15% of the total. Thus, I-2117 rejection will result in continuing increases in fees for those emitting less than 30% of the total.
The bottom line is Inslee’s legacy will “eventually" be most likely akin to that of a Don Quixote. The only question being how long will it take the Seattle Times Climate Lab to recognize it,
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