Just last week, the Puyallup Tribe announced it was suing the owner of the dam, Electron Hydro, LLC, over a long list of environmental hazards and permit violations — including a fish kill that caused the death of thousands of fish and the pollution of the river with un-permitted artificial turf, … [Read more...]
Legislative Actions for the Week (RE Sources)
Given that the legislative session is happening remotely, anyone can sign in “pro”, “con”, or “other” to legislation that will receive a hearing. Previously, this was something that could only be done if you were physically in Olympia. The following bills have hearings next week. Please fill out … [Read more...]
Clean Fuels Bill reintroduced
HB 1091 is the Clean Fuels Bill, reintroduced in the 2021-22 session after failing in 2020. It requires reductions in carbon emissions from transportation fuels. The history of the bill in 2020 may affect the progress of the bill for this session: It directs the Department of Ecology to adopt … [Read more...]
How to comment on WA bills
by Jonathan Tweet, University Unitarian, Seattle, WA December 21, 2020 If your UU congregation is like mine, it’s full of people who want to do something to promote justice but who aren’t sure how to go about it. I’ve heard that as the co-chair of my congregation’s Climate Action Team, and I’ve … [Read more...]
Fluorinated Gases HB 1050
HB 1050 addresses the leakage of HFC (Hydrofluorocarbon), a greenhouse gas approximately 10,000 times as potent as CO2, although it is in much smaller concentrations (parts per trillion) than CO2 (parts per million). It was developed to replace CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) when it was discovered that … [Read more...]
Scientists Warn Humanity in Denial of Looming ‘Collapse of Civilization as We Know It’
In an example to the rest of the scientific community and an effort to wake up people — particularly policymakers — worldwide, 17 scientists penned a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the planet and what the future could hold due to biodiversity loss, climate disruption, human … [Read more...]
Decarbonizing Cities – How to Harmonize Buildings, Mobility and Infrastructure
Why is it so important to decarbonize cities? And how can we do it? The first question is easy to answer: The cities in which more than half of us live account for nearly two-thirds of the CO2 emissions that lie at the root of our planet's looming climate crisis. Skyscrapers in megalopolises, … [Read more...]
What I Know About the Ocean We Need Ocean Justice
Here is what I know. The ocean is not separate from us or our daily concerns. It is our nourishment, protection, livelihood, and the air we breathe. It is culture, joy, and freedom. All this is at risk, and we need ocean justice. Ocean conservation is about people—more specifically, it’s about … [Read more...]
The Most Important Environmental Stories of 2020
Can we flip the calendar already? We had barely made it past January when the memes about how the days felt like weeks and the weeks felt like months began ricocheting around the internet. It only got worse from there: a deadly pandemic and international lockdown, police killings of Black Americans, … [Read more...]
MONTANA TRIBES HARD-HIT BY COVID-19 BRACE FOR REPUBLICAN TAKEOVER
Native Americans in Montana are dying from Covid-19 at a rate 11 times higher than white residents. “I have no stomach to talk about this abstractly; my community has been hit hard,” said Sharon Stewart Peregoy, a Democratic state representative and member of the Crow Tribe. “Even today, I just … [Read more...]
Community Solar Bill HB 1046
The community solar bill, HB 1046 was introduced and initial hearings took place January 12. You can review them by clicking on the bill number, above, and then the TVW link at the bottom of the bill page. Slide the slider about 15 minutes into the hearing for this bill. This is the same bill … [Read more...]
For tribes, climate change fight is about saving culture
The Tulalips are expanding efforts to protect land and water that are integral to their identity. When Terry Williams grew interested in climate change in the 1970s, he found information about human-caused global warming to be conflicting and confusing. “It didn’t make sense until the early … [Read more...]
Growth Management Act revision bill HB 1099
The environmental-explicit portion of the Growth Management Act (GMA) revision, HB 1099, regarding vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was introduced as part of the GMA suite of bills. This is one of the legislative priorities identified by participants in the Justice … [Read more...]
Building Electrification Bill 1084
The building electrification bill, HB 1084, has been transformed into the Governor's Healthy Homes & Clean Buildings bill. Building electrification is one of the environmental justice legislative priorities identified at the Justice Summit. The following provisions are in the bill: … [Read more...]
HB 1091, Clean Fuel Standard, passes Legislature
HB 1091 is the Clean Fuels Bill, reintroduced in the 2021-22 session after failing in 2020. It requires reductions in carbon emissions from transportation fuels. It is one of the legislative priorities identified at the Justice Summit. A public hearing was held on January 14 in the House Committee … [Read more...]
Salmon spawn in the upper Columbia after an 80-year hiatus
Bringing salmon back to the Upper Columbia has been a goal since the habitat was blocked by the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams more than eight decades ago. Tribal members held the Ceremony of Tears 80 years ago when the final run of salmon returned. “Our ancestors carried a prayer that our … [Read more...]
Black clergy call for unity in fight for Seattle police accountability
“There needs to be some defunding, but if it means officers will not be able to get into these underserved communities to develop a relationship with them, then I think we're going to find out we’re going to have another set of issues coming up in the near future,” Witherspoon said. “When you … [Read more...]
A NEW BILL AIMS TO END POLICE RAIDS LIKE THE ONE THAT KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR
THE POLICE KILLING of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot in Kentucky in March when plainclothes officers barged into her apartment in the middle of the night, has set off a series of state and local efforts to ban “no-knock” raids — the police practice of breaking into someone’s home unannounced … [Read more...]
MUSCLING POLITICAL ADVANTAGE TO PUSH KALAMA PETROCHEMICAL PROJECT?
Strange as it may seem in late 2020, officials in Washington are still weighing plans to permit an enormous fossil fuel project, a Kalama petrochemical refining and export facility. The project is designed and backed by by a company called NW Innovation Works (NWIW) that is, through a complicated … [Read more...]
David Suzuki: It’s time for Canada to address environmental racism
In Canada, we’re quick to favourably compare ourselves to our southern neighbours. COVID-19 caseloads may be at an all-time high here, but the U.S. situation is even more dire. Canada hasn’t managed to curb carbon emissions, but the U.S. abandoned emission reduction targets when it pulled out of the … [Read more...]
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