Washington Senate passes Inslee's climate bill
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington state Senate on Wednesday advanced a measure championed by Gov. Jay Inslee to study the best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Under the measure, an outside consultant would review both Washington state's ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions and similar endeavors elsewhere. It would then report back to the governor and legislative leaders.
As passed by the Senate, language warning of the perils of climate change was struck from the measure. Supporters say the bill would help the state reach its target of reducing 2020 greenhouse gas emissions levels to those of 1990.
The measure "has the ability to improve the state's energy independence and competiveness and grow many sectors of our economy," said Democratic Sen. Kevin Ranker of Orcas Island, the bill sponsor.
Also speaking in favor of the bill was Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen of Whatcom County, who said it would help the state identify how to reduce carbon emissions in "the most cost-effective fashion possible."
The bill passed by a vote of 37-12, with two Democrats and 10 Republicans voting against.
The only lawmaker speaking against the bill during the floor debate was Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, a former high school science teacher and climate science skeptic.
"I think there's a lot of pseudoscience here," said Carrell, who questioned the causal link between carbon dioxide emissions and rising global temperatures. "I have no problem with the earth warming right now."
Inslee spokesman David Postman said the governor was pleased that the Senate had advanced the measure.
"It is a step toward dealing with carbon pollution and the effects of climate change," Postman said.
The governor does not support some of the amendments to the bill added by the upper chamber, Postman noted, including the removal of language in the intent section warning of climate change's destructive force.
Senate Bill 5802 heads next to the House.
Under the measure, an outside consultant would review both Washington state's ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions and similar endeavors elsewhere. It would then report back to the governor and legislative leaders.
As passed by the Senate, language warning of the perils of climate change was struck from the measure. Supporters say the bill would help the state reach its target of reducing 2020 greenhouse gas emissions levels to those of 1990.
The measure "has the ability to improve the state's energy independence and competiveness and grow many sectors of our economy," said Democratic Sen. Kevin Ranker of Orcas Island, the bill sponsor.
Also speaking in favor of the bill was Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen of Whatcom County, who said it would help the state identify how to reduce carbon emissions in "the most cost-effective fashion possible."
The bill passed by a vote of 37-12, with two Democrats and 10 Republicans voting against.
The only lawmaker speaking against the bill during the floor debate was Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, a former high school science teacher and climate science skeptic.
"I think there's a lot of pseudoscience here," said Carrell, who questioned the causal link between carbon dioxide emissions and rising global temperatures. "I have no problem with the earth warming right now."
Inslee spokesman David Postman said the governor was pleased that the Senate had advanced the measure.
"It is a step toward dealing with carbon pollution and the effects of climate change," Postman said.
The governor does not support some of the amendments to the bill added by the upper chamber, Postman noted, including the removal of language in the intent section warning of climate change's destructive force.
Senate Bill 5802 heads next to the House.
I like the way they are handling it with outside consulting. They need to do this with everything, because the government makes horrible decisions. The only problem i have, is government overpays for everything, historically. Private industry knows this and gouges them. There should be more competition for the job, not a designated company who's CEO or a board member is buddies or a campaign contributor of the bill sponsor. I don't know if that's the case here, but it is many other times.
Why is this on anyones agenda. the proof is global temperatures have been going DOWN since 1998.
that has been debunked as much as the "volcanos emit more co2 than people" myth.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/01/14/no_global_warming_for_16_years_debunking_climate_change_denial.html
@Maynard G KrebbsAn often repeated myth.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-stopped-in-1998.htm
I dont know about you guys, but I could do with a little global warming about now, I'm cold!
Here we go again...
No facts, all hype. More Taxes and More Regulation. All in the name of... CONTROL.
Didn't we go over this a couple years ago? It was found to be fraudulent by most accounts.
What changed? Seems we're trying to throw it against the wall again. No sticky, no arguement.
Tell it often enough....
Sadly, it's what we've become.
Ignorant, lazy, self absorbed, dependent walks of life that are more than willing to become slaves.
This is more important then what? With all of the problems in this state they concentrate on this BS. Fire them all!Â
How about instead of spending how much? (I noticed the price tag was left off) Why doesn't the Gov'na get the UW to put some students to work on this project. We will get fresh ideas and not spend a fortune on someone who most likely has a vested interest in the global warming scam.
@Nitroxman Unfortunately the climate fraud is the largest cash cow for the "science" community so they are hardly a without self interest.
Maybe because its not such a fraud.  Ever think that if it is such a fraud, it would be easily refuted?Â
Probably not, but here is the science.
http://www.jamespowell.org/
I think they are already doing it by raise the gas tax, Oh I just got laid-off by the federal gov.
I could do the study.
In other news, democrats introduced a bill to pay some cronies, excuse me an outside consultant, millions of tax dollars to look at Washington's contribution to human caused plate tectonics.    "Only deniers from evil business, farms and ranches can't see that the continents and the climate would remain static if not for human activity," they said.
I'm stealing this... absolutely too funny!
Sounds like another way to tax the people more.
Also speaking in favor of the bill was Republican Sen. Doug Ericksen of Whatcom County, who said it would help the state identify how to reduce carbon emissions in "the most cost-effective fashion possible."
---------------------------------------
Apparently, cost-effect solutions are anathema to the Ostrich Brigade, as evidenced by the breathless posts below.
This comment has been deleted
"So, who is the ostrich?"
Considering that your talking point has been refuted ad infinitum, yet you still repeat it... well I think it might be you. Â
http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/volcanoes-co2-people-emissions-climate-110627.htm
"In yet another comparison, Gerlach reported that in order for volcanic emissions to match those made by humans, the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption would need to happen every 2.5 hours. The June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo eruption would need to occur every 12.5 hours."
i bet we could SOLVE green house gas emissions if we could just get politicians to shut their pie holes.
anyone wanna lay money on the inbred relationship between the "outside consultant" and Governor Spendslee?
oh wait.. sounds like the senate already did
I do not believe this, we have more pressing problems in this state right now, We have had numerous shootings,A dot that could not design a treehouse without millions of dollars in change orders , A goverment that is not business friendly, and a state that can not suport education like it should. But it never fails we end up with a bunch of feel good crap and never have the guts to attack the real problems
So, we'll pay some outside contractor a few million dollars the state doesn't have to spare to tell us we have to raise taxes and put punishing regulations on fuel users.
What a bunch of fluffy, Libtard mumbo jumbo ! ! !
LOL !
Just keep raising taxes and chasing jobs away Jay! That is why we elected you right?
Ya I remember the good paying jobs in aluminum. All gone because of green lunacy. China gives their aluminum companies free energy just to have the jobs.
Washington used to produce quite a bit of the aluminum (and copper) that the US consumed. I'd bet in the 70's and early 80's we produced 10,000 times the "greenhouse gases" that we do now.
China and the third world are exempt from climate madness and they are the main polluters!
@brewzbrothers Aluminum was made with clean hydro power.
Did they at least require mother nature to provide us with a few more sunny days?
They should reduce carbon dioxide emissions back to that of the level of the year 1750.
Carbon tax motor vehicles first.
@m9078jk3 And what country is going to get all this carbon tax money?
@Mike @m9078jk3 Each country for its own people. Wasteful inefficient forms of transportation will have to be heavily taxed so that vastly more efficient and much less carbon emission forms of transportation will take their place in that sector.It will transpire anyways as the world is post peak oil in obtainable resources so fuel prices will always climb in the next decades.Better to have a efficient replacement than to end up with the big shock having to walk to get around when fuel prices reach $100 per gallon.
@m9078jk3Â @Mike That's funny last month after the G6 summit Komo News had a article talking about a group of small country's were mad that the US was not giving them money yet. I still am a little puzzled
@m9078jk3Â
Your politburo might one day tax your skinny jeans and your bus pass.
NOW can we expect those dolts to work on the budget?
Naaaah...I didn't think so. That will wait for overtime so they can bill the taxpayers for a special session.
Since no work on the budget and just about half way through session, looks like state employees, DOC, education and many others will be taking another cut... As a state employee, I am expecting at least another 5% taken out on top of the 3% that I am suppose to receive back on July 1. In the mean time, my taxes keep getting raised, my husband's pay and training is cut and all these fat cat legislators are getting their salary plus per diem no matter how long they take to get things finalized.
@Glassman Why would they want to do that, when they just made the budget problems and state business competitiveness WORSE?
CO2 - it's what (plants) have for dinner.
So lets get this straight, WA has dug a HUGE budget hole and they want to raise taxes on gas, property, VAT sales, etc., but yet they want to waste money on studying ways that Washington State can combat climate change on its own?!
This is why we need the 2/3 tax rule in the state Constitution.Â
@NW-Economist Yep and how much is this going to cost? And whats to study? I suppose they can find out that there's too many people in Washington and we're going to have to start killing some?
Oh, good, now WA state can save the world from Global Warming. /Sarcasm
Meanwhile, China and India..............................
So where are we on the deficit?
right here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3VTgIPoGU
@Star Shooter So? And high taxes will "fix" this how?
CTRL+FÂ "tax"
Interesting, that word is not found anywhere in the article.Â