More than 500 volunteers gathered on the Capitol steps for Environmental Lobby Day in January 2019 to call for bold action for the Southern Resident orcas, reduction in plastic pollution, 100% clean electricity, and oil spill prevention.
For the upcoming 2020 legislative session, the Environmental Priorities Coalition will continue fighting for policies that will help address the climate crisis and help sustain a healthy environment for all.
Join the fight this legislative session: Sign up to be a Legislative Session Activist!
The 2019 Environmental Priorities are…
CLEAN FUELS NOW
The transportation sector is responsible for nearly half of our climate and air pollution in Washington. We need our transportation to be clean, affordable, and accessible. A Clean Fuel Standard will require fuel producers and importers to reduce pollution from the fuels that power our transportation system. It is a tested and effective policy that would clean our air, give us more options to fuel our vehicles (such as electricity and local renewable biofuels), create economic development, cut climate pollution, and move us beyond oil.
REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION
Our local waterways, ocean, and recycling systems are overloaded with plastic pollution. Thin plastic bags that are used for just a few minutes and then thrown away pose a particular problem: only 6% ever get recycled. Single-use bags enter into our waterways and the ocean where they clog the stomachs of wildlife. They also clog recycling equipment where they are costly to remove and are the major contaminant in our commercial compost. The Reusable Bag Act would eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments and help Washington address a growing recycling crisis.
CLIMATE POLLUTION LIMITS
Climate action requires carbon reductions across the board and deep investments in healthier natural landscapes—shorelines, forests, and farms. This means setting credible and ambitious climate pollution limits, providing clear direction to meet these limits, and investing in nature-based solutions like trees and soils to capture excess carbon. This priority will update the state’s greenhouse gas limits to reflect current science and lay groundwork to reach net zero carbon emissions and beyond.
HEALTHY HABITAT HEALTHY ORCAS
Orcas and salmon are iconic to our state and their health is an indicator of our collective health and quality of life. After decades of degradation and habitat loss, we seek passage of a new standard, net ecological gain, to protect and restore habitat faster and leave our environment better than we found it for future generations. In addition to setting a higher standard, we seek to work with local governments for successful implementation to accomplish results as quickly as possible.
Join us in calling on our legislators to support these environmental priorities, and together we can build a climate-resilient community here in Washington.