Back before the recession, there was a major push in Washington State to adopt a state carbon cap-and-trade program as part of Washington’s membership in the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). The argument was heated, and like most things these days tended to split on party lines with a gulf between the two. Democrats generally argued… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Climate Change
Subscribe to Climate Change RSS FeedThe Top Five Cleantech Stories of 2011, Part II
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, LegislationContinuing with our countdown of the Top Five Cleantech Stories from 2011, here are entries number 3 and 2: Number 3: The Resurgence of Bio Fuels in the Pacific Northwest Several years ago, the city of Portland, Oregon mandated that all diesel fuel sold within the city limits contain at least 5% biodiesel (also known… Continue Reading
Carbon Tax – A Potential Solution to the Debt Crisis?
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, Tax and Tax StimulusBy Jonathan Smith (2011 Graham & Dunn Summer Associate) On the heels of a potential debt ceiling resolution, the country is in search for effective remedies to the financial crisis. The far right has set its sights on eviscerating support for vital programs such as Medicare, unemployment insurance, and environmental protection. While the left seeks… Continue Reading
Ecology’s Revised SEPA Guidance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Posted in Climate Change, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has finally reissued its guidance for addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental reviews. In response to comments Ecology received on its 2010 draft guidance and working paper, Ecology has narrowed its focus and reissued revised SEPA guidance that is… Continue Reading
Happy 41st Earth Day!
Posted in Climate Change, LegislationI no more wrote that title than I “heard” voices shouting, “What’s happy about it?” “Why would you even be pointing out that it’s Earth Day?” “Isn’t the earth going to the dogs and how can it be happy?” Or something like that. But for me this is a particularly reflective Earth Day. The first… Continue Reading
Don’t Forget the Subsidies for Nuclear Energy
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Sustainable BusinessThe crisis unfolding at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan is a stark reminder of how difficult it is to plan against the forces of nature. The crisis has occurred despite Japan having at its disposal all of the knowledge, technology and other resources available to a country as advanced and rich as that… Continue Reading
Cancun and the International Climate Agreements: Is Slow-But-Steady Progress Enough??
Posted in Climate ChangeFor as much hype as surrounded the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (“COP 15”) back in December 2009, the follow-up conference last December in Cancun seemed to garner relatively little attention, at least here in the United States. What gives? Wouldn’t any seasoned dignitary or reporter jump at the chance to visit Cancun… Continue Reading
Carbon Sequestration and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Technology- Hot Things on the Horizon!
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, TechnologyThe largest and arguably most revolutionary carbon sequestration project is slated to break ground in Texas this fall and the Pacific Northwest has taken a leadership role in this development. Summit Power Group, Inc. out of Bainbridge, Washington, in conjunction with The Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP) were awarded a $350 million award in late… Continue Reading
Will 2011 Be a Greener Year?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Capital and Funding, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Green Building, Intellectual Property, Legislation, Regulatory, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, TechnologyWill 2011 be a greener year? I think so. Here are my predictions for the coming year: 1. EV era has begun: While a single Nissan Leaf delivery to Seattle a week ago doesn’t signal the onslaught of an era, the first delivery and sprouting of EV charging stations around the Puget Sound area is… Continue Reading
No Climate Deal Out Of Cancun Yet, But Stay Tuned For More Last-Minute Drama
Posted in Climate ChangeTick… tick… tick… As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun (“COP 16”) moves into its last few hours without a finalized deal, observers are wondering whether gridlock will rule the day, or whether we’ll see an exciting (if not exactly groundbreaking) 11th-hour deal like we saw from the last U.N. climate conference in… Continue Reading
Ecology Amends State Air Permit Rules to Mirror Federal Rule for Greenhouse Gases
Posted in Climate Change, LegislationIf comprehensive climate legislation is not likely to have much to do with greenhouse gases any time soon, regulation keeps inching forward under existing regulatory authority. Most recently in Washington State, Washington’s Department of Ecology (DOE) published notice of intent to adopt, and has requested comment on a rule establishing the thresholds for greenhouse gas… Continue Reading
Obama Administration Urges the Supreme Court to Keep the Courts Out of Climate Change
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and EnvironmentBy Elaine Spencer Conservatives love to rail against activist judges. And listening to Supreme Court confirmation hearings, you might imagine that the only activist judges are liberals. That is not so. The Obama administration has demonstrated that encouraging judicial restraint can come from both sides of the political spectrum. The question now becomes whether the… Continue Reading
Carbon Capture and Storage Report Released – An Alternative to Alternative Energy?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Capital and Funding, Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Sustainable BusinessA Federal interagency task force has released a report discussing the factual, policy and legal issues surrounding carbon capture and storage (CCS). (“Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage,” August 2010). The report concludes that CCS can play an important role in reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions while preserving the option… Continue Reading
Ecology Updating Plan to Reduce Regional Haze
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy Our state truly sparkles this time of year, rewarding residents and visitors with scenic views of stunning beauty. But, have you ever looked toward your favorite view of Mount Rainier or Mount Baker and been disappointed to see part of the vista obscured by a layer of white or brown haze along… Continue Reading
Western Climate Initiative Steps Back Into the Federal Vacuum on Cap-and-Trade
Posted in Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Legislation, RegulatoryThe Western Climate Initiative (WCI) is a collaboration of seven Western states (Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington) and four Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec), dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Two years ago there was a major push in each… Continue Reading
Ecology Seeks Further Input on Draft SEPA Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has published an initial response to public comments on its draft State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) guidelines for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. The full text is available online at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/docs/sepa/862010_sepa_ghg_guidanceresponsetolegalquestions.pdf. This initial response confirms Ecology’s position that the language in the SEPA statue requires disclosure… Continue Reading
CAN WE HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COST OF CAP-AND-TRADE?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessWashington’s Department of Ecology recently issued a report entitled “Washington Western Climate Initiative Economic Impact Analysis,” which predicts that if the cap-and-trade program advocated by the Western Climate Initiative were adopted, the result would be an additional 19,300 jobs by 2020 and $3.3 billion increased economic output in the state product by 2020. Presumably those… Continue Reading
The Cascade Bicycle Club Case May Shed Light on How Much Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Must be Achieved by Particular Projects
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy As Elaine Spencer reported last week, the debate over reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our state is moving into the courts. An interesting example is the suit the Cascade Bicycle Club, Futurewise and the Sierra Club recently filed in King County Superior Court challenging the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC’s) Transportation… Continue Reading
Will the Courts Have to Resolve Global Warming?
Posted in Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and EnvironmentAmericans love to litigate. We have more lawyers per capita than any other country in the world. And when someone feels they have been harmed by another person or a company, we expect to be able to go to court to rectify that harm. If the predictions about the consequences of global climate change turn… Continue Reading
EPA Announces $10 Million in Local Funding – Is Your Community a "Climate Showcase Community?"
Posted in Capital and Funding, Climate ChangeIn the second edition of its Climate Showcase Communities grant program, EPA is making up to $10 million available in grants to local governments to carry out initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. In 2009, EPA launched a competitive grant program called the Climate Showcase Communities program to assist local… Continue Reading
Using SEPA to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Address Climate Change Impacts
Posted in Climate Change, LegislationBy Cynthia Kennedy The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) hopes to use the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) as a tool for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and associated climate change impacts in our state. As Elaine Spencer reported last week, Ecology’s new draft SEPA and GHG Guidance casts a broad net and encompasses… Continue Reading
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office- Green Technology Pilot Program (Part II)
Posted in Climate Change, Intellectual Property, TechnologyTruly the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been trying to promote clean technology. In conjunction with the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change summit held in Copenhagen last year, the PTO announced a new Green Technology Pilot Program (see my December 11, 2009 blog post) to expedite already pending patent applications that fit… Continue Reading
The It’s Official – “Bi-Partisan Climate Legislation” Is An Oxymoron
Posted in Climate Change, LegislationBy Elaine Spencer My last blog post asked if “bi-partisan climate legislation” had to be an oxymoron. Through an internal glitch it was drafted several days before it was posted. It was actually posted the day after the “Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act,” formerly known as the “Kerry-Graham-Lieberman American Power Act” was finally introduced. And indeed,… Continue Reading
Must “Bi-Partisan Climate Legislation” Be an Oxymoron?
Posted in Climate Change, Legislationoxymoron: a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly” Rarely has there been such anticipatory buzz as existed for the unveiling of the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate bill. In December of last year, Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and… Continue Reading