​Key:
    • climate measures taken & not taken by government
    • climate disruption events
    • John Seebeth’s contributions to public awareness of climate change

​Petrocene Age
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Oil

History of climate change science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science

1856 - Eunice Newton Foote
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunice_Newton_Foote

1859 - John Tyndall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyndall

1894 - Arvid Högbom
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014AAS...22310708W/abstract

1899 - Nils Gustaf Ekholm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Gustaf_Ekholm

1905 - Svante Arrhenius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrhenius

1938 - Guy Stewart Callendar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Stewart_Callendar

1953 - Gilbert Plass
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Plass

1957 -  Roger Revelle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Revelle

1958 - The Unchained Goddess - 1958 - Global Warming - Frank Capra (extrait) - VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCHVTQ2fLM0
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The Unchained Goddess (1958) - VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqClSPWVnNE
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November 1965—President Lyndon Johnson’s Science Advisory Committee issued a report:  Restoring the Quality of Our Environment. This report from the Environmental Pollution Panel noted:  Pollutants have altered on a global scale the carbon dioxide content of the air and the lead concentrations in ocean waters and human populations. The report included a section on atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change.

December 1979 - “Puget Consumers’ CO-OP - Ravenna Store: Letter of Reference for John Seebeth
John Seebeth worked for the Puget Consumers’ CO-OP from December, 1979 until December, 1982.  While at PCC, John served as a very dedicated staff member, committed to cooperative principals and was a constant  guardian for the values under which we attempted to operate.  John was likewise a very dedicated worker in regard to the specific tasks and responsibilities assigned to him.
He was elected as the staff representative to the Board of Trustees and functioned in this capacity from May,1982 until leaving.  John also served on the CO-OP Planning Committee and the Ravenna Store Council during this time.
PCC operates within the framework of a democratically owned business and a democratically managed workplace.  This entails a great deal of involvement and participation on the part of the staff, both towards the membership and toward co-workers, in carrying out the daily needs of the organization.  John felt very strongly about this aspect of involvement, and was greatly appreciated for all the time and energy he devoted to the CO-OP.  His willingness to always go the extra mile were appreciated by all.
John was seen as a real asset to PCC, and was seen by all who knew him, as a very special person.  I personally feel very fortunate to have had the experience to know him, and to learn from him.  Carol B., Membership Relations Coordinator
     2/12/23 - “Hello John!
     I wonder if you re member me, Sonja F., your long ago work mate at PCC?…As time races by, I’ve been feeling it more and more important to speak out about those        who’ve had a significant influence in my life, and you are definitely one of those people, John.  That’s been especially true since reading your and Linda’s book.  Your joyful spirit and boundless energy left a lasting impression when I worked with you, but now I have even more respect for the life you’ve lived.  That a young man could see the ghostly things you did in Vietnam, yet continue to give vital aid to the wounded under such dangerous conditions, totally blows my mind.  Belatedly, thank you for your service; I’m sure I never thought to say that when I knew you.
You also made several amazing journey’s, literally and figuratively, once you got back to the states.  I especially admired how you pursued your education and how you ultimately allowed yourself to be open to different ideas about the war, about life.  That must have been hard to do.  You were always open to reinventing yourself - again hard to do - and I was also impressed by the incredible bicycle journey.  I am fascinated to know what you have done in the years since.  Thanks for being such an inspiration, John; the world needs more like you…”

1980 - Ran the Seattle Marathon (26.2 miles) – time: 3 hours: 31 minutes

1980 -  Bicycled from Anchorage, Alaska back to Seattle

1981-  Bicycled Seattle to Portland (200 miles) time: 16 hours (STP)

1981 - Bicycled from Whitehorse, Yukon to Inuvik, Northwest Territories via the Dempster Highway (760 miles) time: 3 weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YdjsmDw4Es

1982 -  Bicycled from Seattle, to San Diego, Ca.

1983 - John’s Baja Bicycling Adventure:  San Diego, CA. to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 1983 (800 miles) time: 3 weeks
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBtUDsA5JtM
​
11/3/83  Seattle Times— A Vietnam hero testifies to battle’s bloody reality - “He rents a little beach-side cottage on Perkins Lane in Magnolia, which he shares with two cats.  Walking out on the porch, he can look directly down onto the crashing waves, and catch sight of the big container ships cruising past.  The view of Puget Sound - of the islands, clouds and mountains - is of picture postcard serenity…
…In the tough Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up, they didn’t hedge.  What Seebeth wants to do with his time is some straight talking to high-school and college kids, who, according to some news reports, are feeling pretty militaristic nowadays.
‘They listen to me, because I talk to them through my [neck] wound.  I scare the hell of them.  I’m very good at it,’ John Seebeth said.
And scared is how he wants the kids to feel, for he has become what the newspaper headlines call an anti-nuclear peace activist, a member of Target Seattle.  Quite a change, considering that not long ago, John Seebeth’s heroism in Vietnam was written up in Soldier of Fortune magazine.
It is powerful stuff that Seebeth tells the kids.  No one falls asleep at his lectures.  Said one young woman, who recently heard him talk at a college, ‘He moved half the class to tears…’
He also will tell them that he’s no leftist who wants to sell out to the Russians.  But he will say it’s time to start talking to the Soviets, that he doesn’t feel any safer now that the U.S. has nuclear missiles six minutes from their country and that they have missiles four minutes away from us.
‘I’ll just feel more insecure, that’s all,’ he said.
And if the kids, or somebody else, answers that we have to get tough with the Russians and increase our nuclear arsenal, John Seebeth will tell them a few more stories from 14 years ago.  He has plenty of them.”
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The Fate of the Earth – 1982
https://www.amazon.com/Fate-Earth-Jonathan-Schell/dp/0394525590
Race to oblivion;: A participant's view of the arms race – 1971
https://www.amazon.com/Race-oblivion-participants-view-arms/dp/0671209310/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678473076&sr=1-1
From Wikipedia:  The Day After
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

1984 -  Bicycled from Amsterdam Holland to Bode, Norway
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4/29/84 - COTNER CONCERNS family newsletter
“Dear Friends,  On February 27th, Sue Gerrish, became the 1984 Miss Washington USA…
…On Sunday, April 29th at 10 a.m., Steve and a friend of ours, John Seebeth, a wounded Vietnam veteran, will be featured speakers at the Edmonds Unitarian Church on, The Realities of War and the Hope for Peace.”  I highly recommend that you come and listen to them.  John is a remarkable individual.  In a recent speech, Sue Gerrish put John Seebeth right up there in the same category as Gandhi, explaining that on a local level he is an excellent example of the principal of “one person making a difference.”  Steve and John gave their first talk at one of Sue Gerrish’s college classes and it was incredibly moving.  They’ve been invited to speak at several Kiwanis Club meetings with comments like ‘it’s the best speech we’ve ever heard.’ John Seebeth has been featured in a national magazine article and more recently in the Seattle Times…”

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1985 - ‘There and Back Again’ - John’s Kayaking Adventure:  Seattle to Haines, Alaska via the Alaskan Highway - from Haines to Ketchikan, Alaska via the Alaskan Inside Passage (300 miles) time: 3 weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mwAXeAb4V8
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March 1987 / OFF TOPIC / Journal American - “The war within - Veterans battle to put painful past behind them” - 3/19/87 (Employed from 1986 to 1988)
“ In some ways, it was like the movie Platoon. The chopper flew right into the gore and violence.  Except the bullets were real.  Former Army medic John Seebeth recalls, ‘I felt invincible, like a demigod.  We’d fly into a hell hole and I’d bring them back to life.’
Many of the grunts he saved are still alive but almost 20 years older now.  Most go to work, raise families and cope with their past on the East Side.  Seebeth, with Washington State Job Securities in Bellevue, spreads information to vets that resources, support groups, benefits and jobs are available.  Veterans’ organizations, corporate programs and private trauma facilities are also at work to help open the ‘closet door’ to the Vietnam-era vets this side of Lake Washington…
…But Eastside vets do have Seebeth and employment representative Paul Coover at Job Securities in Bellevue to give them a hand.
They are able to place most vets with jobs, maybe not the perfect match, but a good start, says Coover.
Last year, that translated into about 1,300 Vietnam-era vets served, or 12 percent of the people who walked in the door of the Bellevue office, Coover says.
Seebeth and Coover hope to reach more of the disabled vets known to live in the outlying East Side areas.  In order to get information about vet agencies and benefits, Seebeth - winner of the 1886 Washington State Employment Securities outstanding employee award - spends one day a week of his Outreach program in North Bend.  In the next month he will open another office in Bothell.
Seebeth also takes a 90-minute Public Broadcasting video called For Vietnam Veterans and Those Who Care to local vets center.
Besides Outreach and the video, Coover says Job Securities offers seminars on how to find jobs, how to crack the ‘hidden job market,’ how to fill out applications, write resumes and conduct interviews.
‘it’s interesting that five years ago no one wanted to talk about vets, but now it’s fashionable,’ muses Coover.  ‘But it’s good that people are developing an understanding.  It’s like time heals all wounds.’”

April 1987 / OFF TOPIC / The Newsletter - Washington State Employment Security— “Outlook Wellness, By John Seebeth, Veterans Placement Specialist, Bellevue JSC” (Seebeth started the program)
Are you constantly stressed out?  What is the connection between diet and cancer?  In need of exercise but wonder where the motivation will come?  How about some good advice on conflict resolution?
These and many other pertinent questions have been getting some attention by staff at the Bellevue JSC.  There has been an organized effort by newly elected Employee Association officers to promote the theme Outlook Wellness.  This effort encompasses ‘brown bag’ presentations and promotes interest in walking during breaks and lunch hour.  At the monthly presentations, an invited speaker comes to Bellevue JSC and addresses the staff on one of many possible topics pertaining to ‘wellness’.  Staff are encouraged to brown bag for lunch.    The presenters are provided by Group Health Cooperative’s Speakers Bureau at month’s notice and free of charge.  Our first presentation - ‘Stress In The Workplace’ -  was discussed by those attending for days following the event.  Those not present expressed regret and felt they missed out.  Cheer up.  There is always next month.”

November 1987 / OFF TOPIC / My remarks given at the event - November 2, 1987
“It is a great honor for me - to stand here - in front of this memorial - to speak to you about disabled veterans.
The helicopter provided speed and access in the evacuation of the wounded unheard of in the wars proceeding.  The thought of flying into a major battle to evacuate the wounded did not intimidate the mostly 19-20 year old crews whom instead hungered for the thrill of it.  You could imagine what it would feel like to be a severally wounded soldier, lying on the jungle floor, holding your guts, waiting and watching the bird of mercy (Dustoff) drop out of the sky whose only objective was to swoop you to the safety of a hospital.
I did this job for 9 months, flying into many battles, treating hundreds of casualties when what turned out to be my last flight, attempting to evacuate a severally wounded American with multiple gunshot wounds to the stomach, our helicopter came under a barrage of enemy fire, resulting in myself getting hit in the throat.  Now it was my turn.  You see it all day long - yet it was always someone else, but now it was for me to go through - to experience what the reality of war was all about - death and dying.
But as I stand here before you, I can say it came close.  Instead, it was the beginning of 2 years in the hospital - a dozen operations to reconstruct the throat, and ample opportunities to meet other war causalities, some I’m sure alive due to ‘Dustoff’ efforts.
Through the years I often wondered how their lives went, in overcoming their disabilities and moving on to their abilities.  Meeting life’s challenges as they did in the Vietnam War.
The unveiling of this billboard and us here celebrating it, is an affirmation in the spirit of ‘Meeting the Challenge.’
To the disabled and handicapped veterans ‘To Access Life & Join the Work Force.’  To the government and business community to provided the training and support systems to assist these men and women whom served their country inorder to once again become productive members of society.  And the healing process continues.”

November 1987 / OFF TOPIC / Department Of Social and Health Services: MEMORANDUM
TO:  John Seebeth
FROM: Sharon Stewart Johnson, Director, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
SUBJ: Veterans Memorial Ceremony
DATE: November 24, 1987
Belated but very warm and well-meant acknowledgement of the presentation you gave at the recent Veterans Memorial ceremony.
I was extraordinarily touched by your story and your telling of it. You appeared to be the man handling a great percentage of the action related to the ceremony being such a success. It was a fine day and you and many others made it so. 

December 1987 / OFF TOPIC / Resource Center for the Handicapped: MEMORANDUM
TO:  John Seebeth
FROM: Rich Walsh
SUBJ: Billboard 400 Campaign and Meeting The Challenge
DATE: December 9, 1987
I would like to take this time to document, in writing, what I consider an extraordinary job, on your part, resulting in the success of both the above mentioned projects.
The professionalism of the preparations, the band, stage, speakers. luncheon, and dinner is attributable to your tremendous efficiency and planning.
I wish you would consider this a job extremely well done.
Speaking for everyone, I am very proud to have you on our team.
cc: Mr. Ernie LaPalm” ​

February 1988 / OFF TOPIC / Paraplegic News - Can We Meet the Challenge? Seattle’s Resource Center for the Handicapped answers with a Resounding, ‘Yes!’
“On November 2, besides the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Olympia, Washington, the first in a series of billboards was officially unveiled,  Despite the gray, overcast afternoon, well over 100 observers were on hand to witness this special moment.  Not since the official ceremony on May 1987, when the Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial was first dedicated, had such a prestigious delegation of government, corporate, and military leaders gathered.
The highlight of the ceremony came when a representative of Ackerley’s Communications signaled to unveil the billboard.  Cosponsored by Washington State Employment Security and Ackerley’s Communications, the billboards urge disabled veterans to ‘Access life - join the work force.’  Three disabled veterans (Jim Martinson, Tom Person, and Charles Sadler), whose eyes and expressions reflect the meaning of the moment, are pictured in front of the memorial, donned in camouflage uniforms.  A hundred billboards will be put up throughout the state, with many more to follow in Florida and Massachusetts.
Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro, the keynote speaker, urged veterans to ‘get involved.’  The times are changing, he said, and it is time for vets to start feeling good about themselves.  That message was conveyed over and over, as Governor Booth Gardner, Commissioner Isaiah Turner, Barry Ackerley, and RCH Executive Director Rich Welsh came to the podium and urged disabled veterans to access life, to go beyond their disabilities and highlight their abilities.
The ceremony was hosted by the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security (IAPES).
As the program ended and the band began packing up their instruments, veterans embraced and shook hands.   This was their day - an affirmation for the survivors and a deep respect and sadness for the fallen.
November 2 represented a truly national movement, with Washington taking the lead, urging disabled veterans to get involved.
The second noteworthy event was the November 19 conference entitled, ‘Can You Meet the Challenge?’  Veteran’s service officers from all over the state attended the meeting at RCH, where local and nationally known speakers discussed the issues and concerns of the disabled vet.
Donald Shasteen, assistant secretary of labor for veterans training and employment, flew in from Washington D.C., to be the keynote speaker.  He relayed  that the current government programs for helping veterans find employment are working, but more needs to be done.  Other speakers, including PVA National President Jack Michaels, DVA National Service Supervisor Dale White, and Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs Director John Reynolds, voiced the same concerns…”

James Hansen 1988 Congressional testimony on climate change that helped raise broad awareness of global warming, and his advocacy of action to avoid dangerous climate change.

6/24/23 - We should have listened to Jim Hansen - Instead we are headed for global chaoshttps://theraven.substack.com/p/we-should-have-listened-to-jim-hansen?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=72245&post_id=130540123&isFreemail=false&utm_medium=email
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January 1989—The Montreal Protocol International Treaty—universally ratified treaty to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances responsible for ozone depletion.

May 1989 / Issaquah Press - Letter-to-editor - “Stop environmental assaults” - 5/3/89
What are we doing to our environment?  The Exxon oil spill in Alaska’s Prince Williams Sound is a case in point. Heralded as America’s worst ever oil spill, its legacy of extraordinary hardships for humans and wildlife will be felt long into the future.  Add this to a history of such disastrous events, including the recent oil spill off the Washington coast, and the public is left with the uncomfortable impression that public officials, environmental regulatory agencies and the petroleum industry are impotent in preventing or containing the spills before doing excessive damage. This despite the fact that the cumulative effect of these spills threatens the health and general well-being of humans and wildlife alike.
Those oil spills are just one of many environmental assaults taking place.  Some of nature’s crucial life-giving elements are increasingly threatened by abuse, while questions of accountability and responsibility go unanswered. Citizens can no longer be complacent about policies and practices that tolerate or encourage blatant disregard for the environment.  From medical and human waste polluting the oceans and rivers, to the fear of global warming and ozone depletion, our environment is fast becoming spoiled and hence, potentially unlivable for future generations.
Ready to say it serves us right?  Not quite yet.  Even though we are powerless to undo Exxon’s or other worldwide assaults against nature, we can contribute to protecting the global environment by protecting our own environment here in Issaquah. We are fortunate to have a wealth of wetlands, vegetated hillsides and watersheds that are necessary for viable streams, lakes and ripen habitats. These fragile ecosystems impact all areas downstream, like Lake Sammamish, Lake Washington, and the Puget Sound.  The life supporting elements in these large bodies of water depend in part on how we in Issaquah protect the upstream sources from mis-use.  
We have a fundamental right to a clean and livable environment, and the ultimate responsibility rests with each of us.  The upcoming November election is the time to voice our frustrations and concerns.  The city is increasingly being confronted with the consequences of its past policies and needs to choose where to go from here.
One choice is to continue our present coarse with its rampant uncontrolled growth which will eventually strangle us in our own waste and congestion.  Or, we can work toward getting individuals elected for mayor and the city council who understand that environmental protection needs to be strongly, and uncompromisingly, incorporated into growth management.  
The future is our responsibility to protect and we must act now.”
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October 1989 / Issaquah Press - Letter-to-editor - “Beyond a regional issue” - 10/25/89
“The Eastside is currently riding a tidal wave of propensity due in part to the region’s robust economic development.  But this material prosperity comes at the great cost to the region’s natural environment.  As fragile ecosystems are being irreversibly damaged by uncontrolled growth, the future consequences for the region’s water cycle could be profound.  We Eastside residents who witness daily the shortsighted destruction of flood plains, wetlands and vegetated hillsides, recognize that if not protected soon by adoption and enforcement of a comprehensive Sensitive Areas Ordinance, those that remain will also disappear.  In their own right these sensitive areas deserve protection because they provide viable natural functions that also benefit the community.  But their protection is also taking on a greater significance with the advent of global warming and its possible consequences…
…I urge the King County Council to adopt a Sensitive Area Ordinance in recognition of these ecosystems’ importance.  Our children and grandchildren will thank us later.”  

1986-1989 The Western United States experienced a lengthy drought. California went through one of its longest observed droughts, from late 1986 through early 1991. Drought worsened in 1988–1989, as much of the United States also suffered from severe drought…” 

4/18/90  Issaquah Press “The Issaquah Basin could become an air-pollution nightmare as development continues to infiltrate the area, an air-quality specialist will tell an Issaquah environmental forum next week.  Naydene Maykut, an air-toxics coordinator, warns that protecting the valley will require government to protect air quality as development continues… Other speakers at the three-day conference include Jerry Franklin, a forestry scientist at the University of Washington and a plateau resident, King County Councilman Brian Derdowski, and Douglas Canning with the Department of Ecology. ‘The forum is designed in the theme of Earth Day,’ said organizer John Seebeth. ‘It will focus public attention on those crucial issues facing the global, regional and local environment.”
                       
August 1990 / OFF TOPIC / Issaquah Press - Letter-to-editor - “Asleep at the wheel” - 8/22/90
It’s a sorry state of affairs concerning the latest development in the volatile Middle East.  The seriousness of the full economic, social and political consequences of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait will not be fully understood for sometime.  But while Iraq’s aggression is condemned as unacceptable, the real issue is why the U.S. has allowed itself to become energy dependent on foreign oil.  The electorate has apparently fallen asleep.  
During the 1973-74 ‘energy crisis,’ the electorate should have learned an important lesson from the country’s dependence on imported oil.  The cost of that dependency came with a sudden shock to the American economy.  Though waiting in long lines at the gas pumps and conserving energy became significant inconveniences, the more serious consequences were the rising number of unemployed and escalating inflation as the result of higher energy prices.
The electorate should also have come to understand that the country’s dependency on foreign oil was a serious national security problem.  Amid rising public concerns about the failing economy, came the realization that if our dependency wasn’t corrected immediately, war was imminent.  In 1990, we are still dependent on foreign oil, and it’s projected that by the year 2000 we will import up to 75 percent of our oil needs, much of it coming from the volatile Middle East.  Much of the blame lies with the elected leadership of this country, and the inattentive electorate.  At a time when it was obvious to officials that alternatives to dependency was essential, the government made feeble attempts at best to turn things around.  Perhaps big business interests had government bound to maintaining the status quo.
The recent developments in the Middle East will most likely cause severe economic and social problems for our region.  The tendency will be to focus anger and hostility toward Iraq. Though this may help vent emotions, it will be more constructive for the electorate to shoulder its responsibility and demand that elected officials move immediately to wean this country away from oil, and take conservation and alternative energy seriously.”

1/10/91 Los Angeles Times — “Temperature data collected from more than 2,000 locations around the world shows that 1990 was the warmest year since comparable record-keeping began in the middle of the 19th Century, researchers in the United States and Great Britain reported Wednesday…”

November 1991 / Eastside Journal - Letter-to-editor - “Comprehensive approach sorely needed on local level” - 11/22/91
Your Nov. 5 editorial is the latest in a series of editorials and articles warning about the extent and possible consequences of atmospheric change through global warming and ozone depletion.  Within the international scientific community, an ever growing majority of experts subscribe to the existence of the global warming phenomenon.  Though the consensus warrants that immediate action is needed, a comprehensive approach to lesson the threat and its impacts, regrettably, is lacking on a local level.
With the probability of global warming occurring comes an array of unintended consequences whose hardships will be felt by most living beings.  We, as a region, need to understand this and begin acting responsibly by lessening our contribution to its occurrence.  Other jurisdiction, including Olympia and Vancourver B.C., are now taking the necessary measures that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Nationally, many states, including Oregon, Wisconsin and Missouri, have initiated cost-effective programs that are making significant contributions to preventing climate change.
Within the Puget Sound region, King County and other municipalities need to begin a coordinated, comprehensive process that identifies ways to encourage a reduction of its citizens’ contribution to the problem of global warming.
By taking a proactive role, the county and cities would not only make a difference in lessening both local and global consequences of atmospheric change, but also serve as an example for other regions throughout the state to begin doing their part.”
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12/6/91 Letter from King County Department of Health Director David M. Lurie— “Thank you for your letter of November 19, 1991 in which you inquired what the State Health Department is doing to educate the public about the nature of the depletion of the ozone layer and its implications for the region.  Enclosed is a pamphlet which the State Health Department has for distribution which summarizes the problems which may result from ozone depletion in the atmosphere and actions one can take to help preserve the ozone layer…”

12/6/91 Letter from King County Executive Tim Hill — “Thank you for your letter of October 30, 1991 about the necessity for improving our air quality. As you point out, a major problem is the potential for global warming and the degradation of the ozone layer.  In King County, we are taking a number of steps to reverse the trend toward ever-increasing air pollution emissions… Thank you for expressing your thoughts.  King County has taken concrete and comprehensive steps toward addressing your and my concerns about pollution; yet there remains more work ahead.  A member of my staff will be contacting you in the near future to discuss with you your ideas in greater detail…”
12/31/91 Letter from King County Executive Tim Hill — “Thank you for your December 1, 1991 letter proposing that King County submit a position statement to the June 1992 ‘Earth Summit’ meeting on global environmental and development issues. You provided me with examples of the efforts underway by the cities of Olympia and Issaquah. King County has been a regional leader in protecting our natural resources and will be submitting a position paper to provide input to the United States delegation to the ‘Earth Submit’. The Environmental Division is coordinating this effort and is compiling a report on our accomplishments as well as an identification of new initiatives and national issues requiring local support…” 

1992 - “A record 15 heat warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for the Seattle area. An estimated 50–60 people died because of the heat”.—Seattle Office of Emergency Management

January 1992 / Issaquah Press - Article - “Task Force aims to reduce air pollution in Issaquah” - 1/15/92
“Though its residents generate just a small fraction of the region’s air pollution, the Issaquah area can seem like a magnet for smog…
While it can’t control emissions from elsewhere in the region, the City of Issaquah has launched an ambitious program to curb air pollution.    
The Issaquah Air Quality Task Force was formed last fall and is studying the extent of the problem.  The group will advise the city council on air pollution matters, which could dictate policies on transportation, landscaping and energy efficiency.
Issaquah is only the second city in the state to form such a task force.  Its model is Washington’s first program in Olympia, which borrowed from an air quality group in Vancouver, B.C.
‘Air pollution knows no boundaries,’ said John Seebeth, an environmental activist and co-founder and vice-chairman of the task force.
The group, which has only met once so far, includes two city council members, the city administrator, community members and a number of city staffers.  The members were appointed by Mayor Rowan Hinds. 
The task force plans to issue a draft recommendation report this year, said Kari Evens, a city planner and member of the group…
…The committee had agreed that the city should lead the way towards energy efficiency by example.
‘We’ll be asking questions like what kind of lights does the city use?’ Seebeth said.  ‘What sort of gas mileage do its cars get?  What are we doing to discourage single-occupant vehicles and encourage transit?’”

1/28/92 Letter from WA State Senator Phil Talmadge — “Thank you very much for your recent letter and invitation to the discussion on air quality on February 6.  Unfortunately, I have a conflict and will be unable to attend.  I am, however, extremely interested in this issue, having introduced legislation on choroflurocarbons in past sessions…”

2/7/92 Letter from City of Tacoma Mayor Karen L. R. Vialle —  “Thank you for your invitation to attend the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Round Table. I was unable to participate this time, however, I feel the idea has merit and I would like to be kept informed. The City of Tacoma, Environmental Commission, developed an Air Quality Report with recommendations for areas of improvement in our community.  We also participate in the Pierce County Air Quality Committee.  I have enclosed copies of the Air Quality Report and a Status report on the committee.”
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2/14/92 Journal American  “Concerned about a lack of federal action on the problem of global warming, Issaquah environmentalist John Seebeth decided he could help Eastside officials get a grip on the problem from their own backyards.  Seebeth invited elected officials from Eastside cities, King County and elsewhere to a recent meeting so they could hear for themselves from a panel of experts how atmospheric changes brought on by human activity are threatening earth… Issaquah has named a task force on air quality that is studying that city’s unique air pollution.  The task force will advise the City Council on issues such as transportation policies, which can affect air pollution. Seebeth said he hopes other Eastside cities form similar responses after they recognize that ‘what’s contributing to the global problem is also contributing to local problems.”

1992-1995 I spoke at Roosevelt High School in Seattle to Creative Writing classes taught by Tom Nolet’s. Here are some of the student’s responses:
    • “You made me feel the urgency towards overcoming our generation’s apathetic attitudes in social, political and environmental situations.  I have known for quite some time that our generation is going to have to take action, but having you in front of me, sharing your soul, gave me the courage and the drive to do it.  Death of a loved one or near death of one’s self makes you realize how precious and short-lived our existence is.  I respect you, both for the the courage it takes for you to share your painful memories, and for the drive you have towards solving our life-threatening situations.”

    • “I just want to thank you for being such a wonderful person, because its really hard to stand in front of a bunch of students and talk about your personal experiences. After all you’ve lived in the war, and after you got your throat destroyed you still want to do more to make the world a better place to live, not only for you but for everybody. Your presentation made me realize that I’m not doing anything to help save our earth, but its not that I can’t do anything, it’s because it seems to me that this is such a big problem and it makes me feel small and helpless, but I think that you showed me that everybody can help and make a difference. I hope that you can help some other persons that are not sure of themselves.  I mean about the earth problem and I really appreciate you for sharing your experiences with us.”

    • “I really enjoyed the presentation you gave us.  I think your stories were very interesting and you really brought them to life by the way you explained them and put in little details to make it better to visualize.  As you have already heard your presentation really inspired my class and we are now all getting involved in starting group called T.A.G.G. (Teens Against Guns and Gangs)  I really think that you have helped our class become a proactive class.  We would really enjoy having you come back to share some more of your exciting stories and to help us with our organization T.A.G.G.”

    • “I was touched by your stories of your experiences and I am very glad that you chose to share them with us.  I would have liked to hear more about what you are doing now to give to the community and fight environmental problems because I think it is important for us to understand that we can make a difference and we need to act now. Thanks for allowing us to use your experiences to learn from and sparing us some of the turmoil you went through to learn it the hard way.”

    • “I very much appreciated your sharing your experiences with us. I found it very interesting and full of information. Your memories from the war and the realizations that you suddenly achieved were very helpful. So often people don’t see things. They go through life accepting what’s there!  It’s so necessary for people to wakeup and become aware. I would have liked very much to have had more time to listen to you and hear more about your experiences as an environmentalist.  If there is ever an opportunity for you to return, perhaps next year. I would be more than happy to listen to you further.” 

    • “I thought John’s stories were very moving. It didn’t bother me that they were graphically described, but what affected me was the sense of fear and helplessness John described.  The details were very good.  I found myself actually picturing it, like I was there, also.  I admire John for having the courage to go on, and teach others the things he wished he had known sooner.  His messages about the environment, power, and knowledge and being aware are important to everyone and vital for the future survival of our Earth and people inhabiting it.”  

    “In 1981 I was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Today I am fine.  I find myself thinking about major issues all the time.  You lifted my desire to make a change for the better in this world for future generations to come. Sometime I feel my appreciation for life is greater than those around me.  I am making the turnaround.  I have a lot of hope for the future.  Through people like you we as the children have learned and are aware.  We have been encouraged to get involved.  What you do is very important.” 

    • “Your presentation touched me very deeply and made me take some time to seriously think about the environment and your experience in the war.  I don’t want to say I feel sorry, but I feel empathy for you  and strongly admire your effects and strengths.  You are an extremely impressive person and I was moved by you.  I think that the video was good information, I especially liked the weather forecast.  It frightened me into thinking, and that’s important.  I felt sad and a little angry when I left. I was impacted greatly by you and I thank you deeply for being open with our class and sharing your life. You are a very special and important, please continue to talk to young people - It means a lot!!!”

    • “When I listened to your talk and your feelings, I was very impressed with some of the things you have achieved and some of your views.  I cannot say that I am as alert about things behind the media and the sensationalism that the government has presented to our country over the past, but I can say that I admire, you, after all you’ve been through and the things you’ve realized.  I am not the outgoing type, and that can have an effect on the motivation to realistically make changes in the world, but I want you to know that I do try to make a difference, as small as they might be, and I hope that you really make a difference in those peoples lives who want to listen and those who care.”

2/14/92 Seattle Times —“You can’t say they think small in Issaquah.  While other suburban communities struggle with mundane things like new roads, schools and houses, there’s a group of people here trying to come up with local solutions to a cosmic problem: the effects of global warming.  They’re doing it for a local reason, too: Issaquah, with its back against the wall of the Cascades, gets some of the worst pollution in the Puget Sound area.  And there’s a similar motivation for another group of future-thinkers in Olympia.  Living in a city built on fill atop an estuary, they’re so concerned about melting ice sheets and rising sea levels that they’ve convinced the city to buy nonpolluting electric cars and to enforce a strict tree-protection ordinance.  It’s the spirit of ‘think globally, act locally’ - very locally…” https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19920214&slug=1475673

2/18/92  City of Bellevue Environmental Cabinet — “Responding to the Committee for Greenhouse Action Letter, the City of Bellevue is being urged to draft a statement representing its citizens concerns and support for a U.S. adopted position.’”

3/92 East Lake Washington Audubon Society (ELWAS) newsletter — “On February 6th ELWAS president Meredith Jewett, Irene von Tobel and Amy McQuade attended a meeting that deserves a report to you.  Sponsored by long-time ELWAS member John Seebeth and his Committee for Greenhouse Action, the Global Warming Meeting attracted a large crowd, including citizens; scientists from the University of Washington and the Department of Ecology; city council members from four cities; and representatives from the Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, and Greenpeace.  Councilman Brian Derdowski represented the King County Council. Enthusiasm swept through the room as the politicians responded the expert testimony of scientists and ecologists.  John Seebeth hopes that ELWAS members will respond enthusiastically to the upcoming campaign to help reduce the problem of global warming.”

4/6/92 Letter from Snohomish County Executive Robert J. Drewel — “Thank you very much for the information on global warming.  I have digested its contents and am passing it on to our planning people.  The Planning Department is now in the process of making growth management recommendations and I’m sure they can make good use of this information.”

April 1992 / Seattle Times - Letter-to-editor - “Scientific community warning us of trouble ahead for the planet” - 4/22/92
“Global warming is getting a lot of press nationally.  It’s also an issue with regional consequences.  The media reports that an exceptionally mild winter and spring have resulted in a diminished snow pack.  
A Seattle Water Department spokesperson is quoted: ‘…conditions at Seattle’s Cedar River watershed are the worst in 90 years.’  While uncertainty exists as to whether these conditions are a result of the greenhouse effect, such conditions are a large degree consistent with it.  
The National Weather Service has reported that this past winter was the nation’s warmest on record.
According to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the eight warmest years since 1880 all occurred in the last 11 years.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report assessing the issue of global warming.  Comprised of several hundred scientist from 44 countries, the panel confirmed that humanity faces the prospect of an unprecedented warming trend.  The ‘Environmental 2010 Report’, issued by the the state of Washington and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, states, ‘The average annual temperature in the Pacific Northwest is projected to rise by 3 to 5 degrees C over the next century.
To put that into perspective what these temperature increases mean, the National Academy of Sciences report, ‘Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming’, states that: ‘The larger of these temperature increases would mean a climate warmer that any in human history.’
Robert Fleagle, professor emeritus of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, writes in his policy paper, ‘Policy Implications of Global Warming for the Northwest’: ‘Warming of 3 degrees C would imply upward displacement of the snow line in the mountains… with consequent reduction of the area of winter snow pact.’
Water availability for hydro electric generation, crop irrigation and human consumption could be seriously impacted.  The scientific community is vigorously waving a red flag warning us to start paying attention and begin taking action.
Carbon dioxide(CO2) accounts for the majority of ‘greenhouse’ emissions in Washington State. In the Puget Sound region, our fossil-fuel-dependent transportation system is responsible for much of the CO2 emissions.  Committing resources to significantly reduce these emissions could also provide immediate regional benefits.
Although the prospects of atmospheric change should give us plenty to worry about, there is still hope that we can find a truly sustainable balance between regional economic development and the protection of the environment.”

April 1992 / OFF TOPIC / Seattle PI - Letter-to-editor - “RICH GET RICHER:  The democratic process decaying from inside out” - 4/22/92
“‘Richest Americans get richer,’ (4/21/92) brings to light one example of the democratic process that’s decaying from within.  The most wealthy and powerful citizens in our society have extraordinary influence over the political process that allows them to maintain their most privileged positions.  The ability of our elected officials to properly govern on behalf of all the people is currently being undermined by governmental rules that allow ‘organized money’ undo influence over the political process.
The unfair process works something like this: ‘Organized money’ employs think tanks, public relations agencies, direct-mail companies and opinion-polling firms to generate economic and politically correct information.  Reams of biased information are then taken by lawyers and lobbyists hired by corporate interests and wealthy benefactors to politicians and administrators of public policy.  Many of these public citizens, obliged through reciprocity because of generous campaign contributions or other gifts, utilize that information to support the interests of ‘organized money’ at the expense of governing for the public good.  People interested in learning more about the current status of the democratic process should read a newly released book titled, ‘Who Will Tell the People: The Betrayal of American Democracy, ‘ by William Grieder.
How serious is the problem?  Another just released book, ‘America: What went Wrong?, by Donald Barlett and James Steels, describes how our corrupt political system has resulted in an economic and social quagmire for the American middle class.
It’s high time to re-evaluate governmental rules so that the democratic process begins working for the public good, not for private and organized greed of the most powerfully privileged.”

5/1/92  Letter from King Country Executive Tim Hill — “Thank you for your March 31,1992 letter regarding the serious consequences of global warming for King County. I share your concerns about the potential impacts of global warming to our water supply, agriculture, coastal communities, forests, and wildlife.  While King County has yet to formulate specific policies to deal with these issues, we do have a number of guidelines and programs that address global warming - related activities…”

May 1992 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference” with the climate systems in part by stabilizing greenhouse gases concentrations.”

6/10/92 Letter from Seattle Mayor Norman B. Rice — “Thank you for your recent letter expressing concerns about global warming.  I share those concerns.  I wholeheartedly agree that local governments not only can, but must take a leadership role in addressing this and other global environmental issues…”

1992 KIWANIS CLUB of ISSAQUAH ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD — “This new award was given to Grand Ridge resident John Seebeth for his continued involvement in a variety of environmental efforts aimed ay preserving the earth’s natural resources. ‘Seebeth lives and breathes the environment.’ said Kiwanian Michael Crouse. Seebeth’s contributions include presentations at educational forums for business and schools, writing and overall visibility in the community as an environmental activist.  His extensive knowledge and background in world-wide issues, are a service to the community, said Crouse. Environmental awareness is a priority for Issaquah and Seebeth is part of that, said Crouse.”

7/15/92 Journal American — “Cities must take responsibility for fighting global warming when the federal government has balked, a panel of local scientists and policy-makers said Tuesday night.  Unfortunately, the panel’s wisdom and encouragement fell mostly on the ears of the converted.  Only three Kirkland council members and three city staff were among the two-dozen people who attended the Air Quality and Climate Change Forum. The meeting was organized by Council Member Nona Ganz to spur more city activity on environmental problems such as global  warming… Other council members may have stayed away feeling that the problem is too big for cities to attack, Mayor Dave Russell said…Russell admitted that was his reaction to the problem years ago.  Since then, however, his attitude has changed, especially in light of federal inaction…”

August 1992 / Journal America - Letter-to-editor - “Get, read state energy policy” - 8/25/92
Question: What single issue lies at the heart of almost every major environmental problem we face, including global warming, salmon extinction, air pollution, oil spills, acid rain and nuclear contamination?
Answer: Energy consumption.
Question: What single issue lies at the heart of Washington’s economic future, with far-reaching implications for our transportation system, the comfort of our homes, the vitality of our businesses and industries, employment and the ability of low-income citizens to secure basic services like heat, light and mobility?
Answer: Again, energy consumption.
Question:  How can citizens of Washington State influence energy policy?
Answer:  Obtain a draft copy of Washington’s Energy Strategy by calling 206-956-2230.  Review it and make your comments known at the upcoming public review meeting at the Bellevue Library, September 22.  Also write your concerns to Jim Waldo, Chair, Washington Energy Strategy Committee, 809 Legion Way S.E., P.O. BOX 43156, Olympia WA 98504-3165.
I feel the Washington’s Energy Strategy report should provide clear direction to move forward decisively on energy conservation, renewable resource development, energy efficient mass-transit systems and high-efficiency natural gas uses. These resources and systems could be sufficient to meet our energy needs, help protect our environment, and improve the quality of life for all Washington State citizens.
It is also time to dismantle WPPSS No.1 and No. 3 nuclear power plants.  Please let the state know your feelings on the issue of energy strategy at this critical time when policies are being formed that will have a major impact on the future of Washington State.”

​October 1992 / Journal American - Letter-to-editor - “Transit plan not the best” - 10/29/92
“Next year the public is going to be asked to fund the Metro Regional Transit Plan.  The $9 billion project, if approved, would be the costliest regional public works project ever.
With the costs so great it is important to understand what this high-speed rail system, which is designed to connect widely separated urban centers, will do and not do in addressing the region’s transportation problems…
… Public hearings concerning this plan are being planned for November in Bellevue and Redmond.  Before you are to reach into your wallets to pay for such a system make sure it is the best cost-effective approach to solving the region’s transportation problems.  If not do not settle for second best.”

NOVEMBER 1992 / Comments given at a public hearing on the Regional Transit System Draft Plan, 11/10/92
“Our long time dependency on a fossil-fuel transportation system has resulted in a growing list of environmental and economic problems.  Topping the list are the region’s contribution to the global problems of ozone depletion and global warming, the regional effects of air pollution, and ever increasing transportation gridlock.  Because of the seriousness and complexity of these problems, viable transportation solutions to address these issues need to go beyond mere technical fixes.  The question now before us here in the Puget Sound Region is what will a post fossil-fuel transportation system consist of?
While the Draft Regional Transit Plan is a good first step in helping to focus the public’s attention on possible solutions to the region’s transportation problems, what’s being proposed in the Draft Plan will in fact have a minimal impact in correcting these problems…”

11/11/92 Seattle Times —“Bellevue’s bad winter air is sparking interest in a much bigger issue: the causes and impacts of global warming on the Pacific Northwest.  A panel of experts and high school students will be among the speakers of the city forum tomorrow to discuss global warming and its implications.  City Councilwoman Georgia Zumdieck said she helped organize the forum because Bellevue air always worsens in the winter because of air currents that tend to blow Seattle’s sometimes polluted air eastward.  Addressing the broader problem of global warming is one way to get at the local problem of polluted air. Katie Choquette, a 10th-grade student at Newport High School, is one of two teens who will discuss global warming…”

12/7/92 Journal American — “This city of 8,200 can’t do much about global warming or ozone depletion on its own. By itself, Issaquah can’t even eliminate the yellowish smog that lingers above the city some summer days. But the community can do its part to fight air pollution, and at the same time raise regional awareness about the issue.  So goes the reasoning behind the city’s recent Air Quality and Atmospheric Change report… But more important than the proposed policy changes and educational efforts, say its authors, is the example Issaquah would provide for other cities.
‘It’s really important to set models like this.  If every city did this, it would be a giant step toward solving these (air quality) problems,“  said Naydene Maykut, a task force member and air quality scientist with the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency,  Issaquah would be the first community in the area to formally adopt a municipal response to global air quality issues.  It is loosely based on similar policies by the cities of Olympia and Vancouver, B.C. said John Seebeth…”

12/22/92 City of Kirkland Memorandum “… Per your request, I have gathered information regarding ‘environmental-friendly policies or programs that have been adopted or are being considered for recommendation for adoption by other cities in the Puget Sound Region… Of the seventeen cities I have contacted only three (Issaquah, Olympia, and Seattle) had developed comprehensive projects and policies related to air quality…the City of Bellevue is currently developing a comprehensive policy statement of which air quality is a component…”
 
2/22/93 Letter from U.S. Senator Patty Murray “Thank you so much for sending me the Executive Summary and Final Report of the Air Quality and Atmospheric Task Force for the City of Issaquah. I am impressed with the thoroughness of the Report and commend all the members of the Task Force for their efforts…I urge you to work closely with the State Department of Ecology and its air quality control program, which I feel is an effective one.  For my part I will pledge to take action on the federal level to make sure that provisions of the Clean Air Act are implemented…”

3/1/93 Letter from WA Governor Mike Lowry  “I was impressed by the scope and depth of your group’s report to the Issaquah City Council on Issaquah’s air quality and how to improve it.  Experts tell me it is a very good piece of work indeed…”

3/24/93 Sammamish Valley News —“Creating an environmental policy for the City of Redmond isn’t just politically correct - it makes sense for the municipal budget, too.  That’s the message Councilman Richard Grubb is sending over a ‘Global Warming Symposium’ stated at City Hall Thursday, March 25.  A panel of environmental experts, including speakers from Greenpeace, the Washington Department of Ecology, the state energy office and the City of Olympia will join members of the city and environmental clubs from  two high schools in the panel discussion that begins at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers…”

6/15/93 Letter from Vice President Al Gore — “Thank you for sending me a copy of the report on air quality and atmospheric change. I found this material both interesting and informative, and I appreciate receiving it…We need and value the views, suggestions, and proposals of the American people, and I can assure you that your insights will be given careful attention.”

1/14/94 Record 100 degree temperature—“SEATAC airport, which serves as the official observation site for the Seattle Tacoma area, recorded a hit of 100 degrees in 1994…” King 5 News

1994 book excerpt: Global Environmental Change:  Interactions of Science, Policy, and Politics in the United States by Robert Fleagle, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington “The Committee for Greenhouse Action (Issaquah Washington) is a committee of one focused intently on “thinking globally, acting locally.” The chair and entire membership of the committee, John Seebeth, is a decorated Vietnam veteran who spent many months of convalescence from severe wounds reflecting on the war and concluding that his survival in a war he now saw as wrong required him to devote his efforts to long-range environmental goals. He made himself broadly and well informed and set to work full-time on a variety of local projects, including organizing briefings for public officials, organizing lectures and discussions, writing newspaper columns and letters, and stimulating Issaquah, a city of 8,000 in a rapidly growing area, to create an Air Quality and Atmospheric Task Force. In November 1992 the task force submitted a carefully prepared report to the City Council…”

3/18/95 NewScientist-- “The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (May 1992) is in danger of failing at the first hurdle. Most of the world’s biggest producers of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, are predicting that they will fail to meet the convention’s first target to stabilize emissions of CO2, at 1990 levels by the end of the decade…"

1997–1998 “The El Niño was regarded as one of the most powerful El Nino-Southern Oscillation events in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding and other natural disasters across the globe.” 

3/10/97 Flyer sent to 500 activists — “Our governments, local, state and federal must take action to protect us from floods and mudslides in winter, water shortages in summer and foul unhealthy air - which may be connected to climate change due to warming temperatures… Governments respond to public outcry and we have to make them see the connection between our increasingly unpredictable weather and our dependency on fossil fuels (mostly gasoline)…CALL THEM ON IT!” 

1997 The Atmospheric Alliance spring newsletter — “We are mobilizing now to generate a torrent of media coverage in the Northwest region. We are working with politically savvy and well-placed politicos, as well as activists like Blair Henry, the Seattle attorney that is organizing for a comprehensive regional response to climate change, and John Seebeth, the decorated Vietnam war medic who is one of the country’s most passionate global warming activist…

June 5-10: Ross Gelbspan, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who broke the story of fossil fuel financing for the Confusionists has just published a powerful new book, The Heat is On:  The High Stakes Battle Over Earth’s Threaten Climate…Ross will be swinging through the Northwest, conducting press briefings and public presentations in Vancouver, Seattle, Olympia, and Portland, and we are working hard to make this a breakthrough series of events.”  

1997 Cover letter (excerpt) mailed with packet containing book and articles   “Planet Earth is warming up. The evidence supporting such a claim is accepted by a vast majority of the scientific community that are now studying it.  What’s to be done was the focus of a United Nations Climate Summit that just concluded in Buenos Aires, Argentina…This is why I have mailed 1,250 packets, including Ross Gelbspan’s book, to policy makers. The need to educate and inspire people to act - to replace our reliance on fossil fuels with alternative energy sources such as wind and solar - is my motive… Many people believe that by acting expediently and wisely we can make the transition to a new energy source while improving our quality of life and preserving our democratic principals.  I also believe this, and we need to act now…”    

December 1997 Climate Summit in Kyoto, Japan— The nations of the world strengthen the1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change by agreeing to effective controls on human practices affecting climate…More than 1,500 scientists signed the Call for Action. Their signatures demonstrate that the world's senior scientific community believes that global warming is a serious threat, and that steps to address it must include complying with commitments made in the Kyoto Protocol. This strong climate-change treaty represents a landmark precedent for tackling other grave environmental problems, many of which have worsened in recent years…”

12/10/98 Letter from WA Department of Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons —“Thank you for sending the Heat is On, by Ross Gelbspan, along with the additional material about the climate.  It promises to be interesting reading!  I will be sure to share it with Ecology staff as well.”

12/17/98 Letter from King County Council member Jane Hague — “Thank you for sending me your letter and The Heat is On book. I appreciate your efforts to educate legislators on this important issue.  King County is taking part in the national and international efforts to address global warming issues.  I currently serve as the Vice President of the National Association of Counties (NACo), an organization which represents the concerns of county governments across the country, is currently devoting a project exclusively to tackle this issue. Once again, thank you for taking a proactive role on this issue.”

12/17/98 Letter from WA Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer M. Belcher— “I really appreciate the copy of the Heat is On’and the background information on global warming.  I look forward to reading it since, as you may know, this topic is of keen interest to me.  Not only does global climate change threaten humanity with the effects shown in the web pages you passed along, but it bears directly on the ability of the Department of Natural Resources to carry out our resource protection and land management duties.  I’ll be sure to share your material with others in the department who have an interest in the topic.  Thanks for your efforts to inform policy makers about the gravity of global climate change.”

12/18/98 Letter from Texas Governor George W. Bush — “I have received The Heat is On.  I appreciate the kind gesture.  Thank you for thinking of me.”

12/20/98 Letter from Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell — “Thanks for the copy of The Heat is On, and other material related to global warming,  I appreciate your concern on this important subject, and I am looking forward to finding time to read it.”

12/21/98 Letter from Secretary of Navy Richard Danzig—“Thank you for sending me a copy of Gelbspan’s ‘The Heat in On’ I may have more familiarity and interest in this issue than most defense officials because my son worked for the Sierra Club handling their media relations on the topic of global warming.  That makes me all the more grateful for your thoughtfulness in trying to educate government officials about this most important topic…” 

12/29/98 Letter from Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata— “Thank you for sending me the book and information packet on global warming.  I’m very concerned about this issue, and your materials should serve as as excellent resource.”

12/30/98 Letter from WA State Senator Karen Fraser— “Thank you very much for the informational materials you sent on climate disruption and climate change issues, including the book ‘The Heat is On.’ I am very interested in the subject of climate change and have attended several conferences on it, including two sponsored by the federal government.  It is my desire to sponsor a briefing for members of the Legislature on this subject during the forthcoming legislative session.  Thank you for your interest in this issue and for providing me with additional materials.”

1/6/99 Letter from Lieutenant Commander David E. Grogan —“Thank you for your recent letter to the Chief of Naval Operations concerning global warming.  The Chief of Naval Operations asked me to respond to you on his behalf. Thank you for sending a copy of the book ‘The Heat is On’ by Ross Gelbspan with your letter.  The book has been provided to the Environmental Protection, Safety and Occupational Health Division so that it will be available to Navy professionals responsible for environmental matters…”

1/8/99 Letter from Connecticut Senator Joseph I. Lieberman—“Thank you for sending me a copy of the Heat is On, by Ross Gelbspan.  As you may know, climate change is a subject of great interest and concern to me and I appreciate your making this book available to me.”

1/8/99 Letter from West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd -- “Thank you for sending the book, The Heat is On by Ross Gelbspan.  I appreciate you sending it to me.”

1/12/99 Letter from Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore, III-- ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sending me a copy of the book The Heat is On by Ross Gelbspan.  I enjoy books immensely and look forward reading this one soon.”

1/12/99 Letter from Michigan Governor John Engler--“ Thank you for the updated copy of ‘The Heat in On’ which you sent me. When my schedule provides for it, I hope to give the book proper consideration.”

1/12/99 Letter from Maryland Governor Barbara A. Mikulski-- “Thank you so very much for the book: ‘The Heat is On’.  I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and I look forward to reading the book with great interest.”

1/15/99 Letter from Washington Senator Slade Gorton—“Thank you for your recent letter concerning global emissions of carbon dioxide and the ‘greenhouse effect…’  As you may know, the United States is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This agreement seeks to limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. The Convention was amended in Kyoto, to require the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012.  Should these changes come before the U.S. Senate for approval, I will give strong consideration to your views…”

1/18/99 Letter from WA State Representative John Edward Pennington— “Thank you for all the information you sent.  I especially appreciate the book on the climate crisis and fossil  fuels.  I look forward to reading it during the coarse of this legislative session.”

1/19/99 Letter from Oregon Senator Bob Smith—“I thank you for sending me the book The Heat is On, by Ross Gelbspan.  I always enjoy reading informative books such as the one you have provided me.  As you may know, I am a strong supporter of the environment.  I have backed legislation that protect our natural resources.  I agree that it is vitally important to protect our planet’s future.  As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Superfund Committee, I am well aware of the beauty and the delicate balance of nature.  I thank you once again for the book as well as your concerns.  I look forward to sharing it with my staff and colleagues.”

1/20/99 Letter from WA State Representative Ruth Kagi— “Thank you for the book by Ross Gelbspan and the packet of information on global warming.  I share your concerns for the possible catastrophic consequences of a warming planet.  I will read the book with interest.  As Robert Fleagel pointed out in his article published in the Times (included in your packet), finding solutions and taking the necessary steps to stop global warming will require a better-informed electorate.  And I add, better informed leaders.  Thank you for striving to educate all of us and for your extraordinary commitment to preserving our environment.”

1/25/99 Letter from South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond —“I am writing to thank you for sending me a copy of the Heat is On by Ross Gelbspan.  This was most thoughtful of you…”

1/29/99 Letter from City of Edmonds Mayor Barbara S. Faley—“Thank you for the book, ‘The Heat is On,’ and the additional  packet of information.  I will review the material as time permits.”

2/2/99 Letter from Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Henry H. Shelton—“Thank you for the information on global warming and the copy of The Heat is On. It certainly makes thought provoking reading about the topic of importance to the nation.  Your service to the Nation in Vietnam and concern for the planet are greatly appreciated.”

2/7/99 Letter from Thurston County Commissioner Diane Oberquell—“I received the information you sent regarding global warming and the impact it will on the Pacific Northwest.  I appreciate your efforts to keep me informed.”

3/11/99 Letter from Vice President Al Gore— “I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the materials you have written on global warming.  I am honored that you thought of me in this way, and I particularly appreciate your commitment to the preservation and protection of our environment.  As you know, I have made environmental protection one of my highest priorities.  Our planet faces a number of difficult challenges in this area, but the President and I are confident that significant progress can be achieved.  Your continued activism and interest in the environment, along with your support and encouragement for our work, are essential to the success of our efforts.”

1990-2000…Globally, the 1990s was the hottest decade ever recorded; each year of the 1990s ranks among the 15 hottest years since 1880, when record-keeping began.’’ — Grist  1/14/00

1/14/00 Letter from WA State Senator Dan McDonald - “Thank you for the information you sent to my office on Global Warming.  I will share this information with Staff and others within the legislature.  I appreciate the time you put into this and for sharing it with me…”

1/22/00 Letter from Pierce County Councilmember Patrick O’Malley— “I recently received your information regarding the impact of global warming on the Pacific Northwest.  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for providing me with the enlightening information.”

1/27/00 Letter from Snohomish County Executive Robert J. Drewel— “Please let me take a moment to thank you for the environmental information on global warming.  It is very thought provoking, to say the least.  Global warming is an issue that each of us should take very seriously, as you most certainly do.  We at Snohomish County strive to protect our beautiful, natural resources as vigorously as we can.  Thank you again, Mr. Seebeth, for sharing this very sobering information.  I have great appreciation for your concern.”

2/1/00 Letter from WA Representative Mike Wensman—“Thank you for the material you sent me regarding global warming.  I am concerned about the consequences of climate changes.  We need to invest in sound scientific evaluation of the causes.”  

2/1/00 Letter from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge-- “Thank you for sending me a copy of ‘The Heat is On’ book.  Your kindness is very much appreciated.”

2/3/00 Letter from WA State Department of Transportation, Acoustic and Air Quality Program Manager Martin A. Palmer—“Thank you for the information regarding global warming and its enormous impact on us.  The information is an excellent compliment to the information we received last year from you.  I appreciate and commend the outstanding effort you are making to improve our environment…”

2/11/00 Letter from City of Seattle Council President Margaret Pageler— “Good to hear from you again!  How are you doing?  You’ll be pleased to know that the City of Seattle will be launching a climate change initiative this year under the leadership of Councilmember Heidi Wills, with help of K.C. Golden and our Environmental Management Office.  I’ve been personality engaged in discussions with key scientists in the area in projecting the impacts of global warming on the Pacific Northwest.  I also chair the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, where our work has substantial climate change implication.  Thanks for your continued vigilance on environmental issues.”

2001 “The Bush administration yesterday appeared to end all hope of reviving the Kyoto treaty on global warming, declaring it had "no interest" in its implementation and taking the first steps towards withdrawing the US signature on the accord…” Guardian — 3/29/01

June 2001 / Seattle PI - Letter-to-editor - “Water a precious resource and must be well-protected ” - 6/18/01
“ With the newly released National Academy of Science Report on global warming, the Republicans finally understand the severity and scale of our atmospheric pollution problem. Now it's time to do something meaningful about it. As Secretary of State Colin Powell stated, we need "a serious solution to a serious problem." We begin by taking responsibility for our own pollution.
Policy makers in the Puget Sound region must look through new lenses in regards to water management, land-use and transportation choices. Water must be protected like the precious resource it is. Great past civilizations like the Mayan and Anasazi disappeared because of population growth and drought. Are we destined to follow the same path?
We need to get serious about a sustainable approach to land use. Sprawl is too destructive to the natural environment and is a major source of atmospheric pollution. Transportation choices are critical. Walking, bicycling and using mass transit will soon be looked upon as patriotic duties because global warming, if not contained, will be as destructive as any war imaginable.The solution for global warming is also the solution for our so-called energy crisis. Alternative energy technologies, such as solar, micro-turbines and fuel cells, are now being commercially produced. When government policies and tax credits -- which now subsidize the fossil fuel and automotive industries -- begin to support clean alternatives, we will not only have a healthier environment, the new energy future will provide jobs and economic growth. It's time to take responsibility for our pollution. It's a dirty habit, it's uneconomical, and a better way exists.”

February 2002 / OFF TOPIC / Eastside Journal - Letter-to-editor - “Budget Demands Scrutiny” - 2/28/02
“As deliberations begin on Bush’s defense budget, Congress would be wise to remember the words of President Dwight Eisenhower ‘…we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence…by the military-industrial complex. The potential for disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.’
When campaigning, George W. Bush vowed to transform the military into a lighter more mobile force.  However, his proposed budget now includes the same outmoded weapons he promised to cut.  Unneeded artillery, such as the 70 ton Crusader, do not serve the needs of modern warfare.  As one economist states, ‘The military build-up seems to have little to do with the actual threat, unless you think that al-Qaida’s next move will be a frontal assault by several heavy armored divisions.’  Billions of dollars for outdated weapons benefit the likes of the Carlyle Group, a financial institution deeply invested in military weaponry.  Disturbingly, Carlyle associates include the President’s father, George Bush Sr.
The administration’s $378 billion military budget demands careful scrutiny.   With increasing recessionary pressure on the economy, unnecessary military spending diverts precious dollars from Social Security and healthcare.  These programs improve the life of many Americans.  Without them, we stand to create desperate people, some of whom could even become domestic terrorists.  It does not make sense to fight terrorism - at home or abroad - with weapon systems of the past.  As a Five-Star General, Eisenhower had a thorough understanding of the military-industrial complex which makes his words of warning all the more essential to heed.”  

March 2002 / OFF TOPIC / New York Press - Letter-to-editor - “Issa Conspiracy” - 3/5/02
“I have been reading your articles concerning the events in Afghanistan and Central Asia since that fateful day of 9/11.  Bombs continue to fall and military action spreads across the globe as the war against terrorism escalates.  Yet, something is not right.
Do we know for certain who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks?  While the U.S. government and media claim bin Laden is behind these horrific acts, the supporting evidence is circumstantial at best.  Still, bombs keep falling as military strategists plan the next campaign against those who may or may not be guilty.  Where is the due process?  What happened to the lawful and long held belief that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty?
Recently, through the Internet, I read about the possibility that there were no terrorists; or if so, they were set-up to take the fall.  Could those airplanes have been commandeered by advanced robotics and remote control technology?  Preposterous?  Who knows, because there has never been an official inquiry to dispel such theories or determine indisputable responsibility.  The American people deserve to know what really occurred that day, and I strongly urge a truthful congressional inquiry.” 

June 2002 / EASTSIDE JOURNAL - Letter-to-editor - “Greater Impact than 9/11” - 6/13/02
“We now learn that the Bush Administration had prior warning of 9/11 but did nothing to alert the nation or foil the attacks.  The cost of this devastating event was high.  Thousands of innocent people lost their lives and the civil liberties of all citizens are threatened in the name of fighting the ‘evil doers’.
On another policy front, the Bush Administration has finally acknowledged that global warming is a fact and human activity (the burning of fossil fuel) contributes to the problem.  At least the administration is warning the nation about this crisis, but like 9/11, no action is being taken to prevent a potential disaster.  We are told to ‘adapt’ to the oncoming changes while the administration ignores behaviors that exacerbate the problem.
Recently, 15 nations comprising the European Union and Japan ratified the Kyoto Protocol, binding themselves to cut greenhouse gas emissions despite United States rejection of the treaty.  It is irresponsible to acknowledge the dangers of global warming without taking meaningful efforts to slow its progress.  Compared to what happened on a single day in September, without administrative action, the costs of global warming will be incomprehensible.”

July 2002 / Eastside Journal - Letter-to-editor - “BUSH: Favors fossil fuel more” - 7/11/02
“Despite campaign promises to cut carbon dioxide emissions, the Bush administration has recently announced the most massive rollback of the Clean Air Act in history.  Under the new rules, the nation’s oldest and dirtiest power plants and refineries are allowed to expand - and increase emissions - without having to add antipollution equipment now required by law to control smog, acid rain and soot.  This follows the President’s denigration of his own administration’s climate action report which echoed the National Academy of Sciences warning that global warming poses a significant threat.
While the planet warms at a dangerous and unprecedented rate, it’s business as usual at the White House.  In June, president Bush reaffirmed Washington’s support to build a pipeline in war-torn countries.  ‘Great progress has been made over the past year toward realizing our shared goal of an east-west corridor to transport…Caspian oil and gas to markets,’ Bush said in a letter to Azerbaijani President Gaidar Aliev - who was accused of abuses in 1999 U.S. State Department human rights report.
Since the Bush Administration holds a higher regard for fossil fuel corporations than the research of American scientists, cities and states are beginning to take their own action against global warming, like California’s innovative legislation requiring a reduction of CO2 emissions in vehicles by 2009.”

August 2002 / OFF TOPIC / Eastside Journal - Letter-to-editor - “BUSH CUTS: Help grateful nation support heroes” - 8/25/02
“Several weeks ago, President Bush announced he will not approve funding (already appropriated by Congress) for training and equipment for our nation’s firefighters.  Outdated radio equipment and communication systems were a key reason many emergency personal did not hear warnings to evacuate the twin towers on September 11.  President Bush also denied funding to long-term health monitoring of emergency workers at Ground Zero.  Is this how a grateful nation supports the professionals who serve with distinction?
Contrary to campaign promises, President Bush also killed funding to cover 300,000 veterans currently on waiting lists—in some cases longer than a year—for initial medical exams they need to qualify for prescription drug benefits.  Rather than funding medical centers to meet the demands, President Bush has ordered the Veterans Administration to stop informing new veterans about services to which they are entitled.  Problems with the VA health care system impact the entire family and not just the veteran.  Is this the appreciation we show to those who have sacrificed for their country?  Will such treatment encourage others to serve in the future?
While President Bush cuts benefits to our service providers, he urges Congress to make last year’s tax cuts (primarily benefiting the wealthy) into permanent law.
Instead of using military and emergency personal merely for photo opportunities while ignoring their sacrifice and safety concerns, President Bush should provide the resources needed for those in uniform to continue serving their country in a safe and effective manner.”

August 2002 / OFF TOPIC/ Seattle PI - Letter-to-editor - “There's still a chance for diplomatic pressure”” - 8/28/02
“ Sun Tzu, a Chinese army general, concluded in "The Art of War," which he wrote 2,500 years ago, that the greatest achievement is to take the enemy's country whole and intact without losing a soldier's life and the worst policy is to attack your enemy's cities, risking a high number of casualties and treasure. It is the latter approach that President Bush chooses if he leads our nation into a war with Iraq.
Saddam Hussein aims to thwart a U.S. invasion by massing his military in Baghdad and other major cities where civilian and American casualties would be highest. By avoiding open desert fighting, Iraqi equipment and troops would not be as vulnerable to America's warplanes and high-tech weaponry as they were in the 1991 Gulf War. Urban battles minimize the advantages of air power and mechanized warfare, the hallmarks of U.S. military operations. City fighting in Mogadishu and Grozny (and dramatized in the movie "Black Hawk Down") displays this particularly nasty form of warfare where heavy casualties were practically unavoidable.
After the great costs of war, what happens when Saddam's regime has been crushed? Iraq has never known democracy. A fractured ethnic religious landscape is marked by a 5,000-year history of blood feuds with shifting alliances and borders. It will be difficult to find a successor who will neither perpetuate Saddam's tyrannical rule nor tear the region asunder.
Furthermore, the price of rebuilding a war-ravaged Iraq (estimated between $50 billion and $100 billion) will primarily be paid by U.S. taxpayers because our allies do not support such an attack.
Sun Tzu also wrote, "The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting." It is not too late for President Bush to display true leadership through diplomatic pressure while working with our allies to deal with Saddam -- and other world problems -- rather than following the war path.”

October 2002 / OFF TOPIC/ EASTSIDE JOURNAL - Letter-to-editor - “IRAQ: Don’t Repeat Gulf War” - 10/6/02
As the Bush administration beats the war (oil) drums over Iraq, it would be wise to examine the outcome of the Persian Gulf War.  Initially hailed as a stunning victory for the U.S. and its allies, the eleven years since the 1991 conflict tell a different story.
The forty-three day war originally reported 293 American fatalities and 467 wounded.
Today, the human toll has soared.  According to a recent Veterans Affairs report, an additional 7,758 Desert Storm vets have died, while 198,716 - a staggering 28 percent of the 696,579 vets who fought in the Gulf War conflict - have filed claims for medical compensation with 156,031 claims granted as service-connected.
‘Gulf War Syndrome’ symptoms include: memory loss, dizziness, blurred vision, speech difficulties, nerve disorders, muscle weakness, chronic skin disorders, and cancers.  Just as a high incidence of birth defects resulted from the widespread use of the defoliant Agent Orange in Vietnam, the high incidence of birth defects in Gulf War vets may be associated with exposure to biological and chemical weapons, depleted uranium from ammunition, pesticides, and smoke from oil-well fires.  In addition, thousands of troops received batteries of shots including an experimental anti-nerve gas pill and the now controversial anthrax vaccinations. 
Has the battlefield become too toxic for victors and vanquished alike?  Before President Bush sends another round of American soldiers to a foreign country, all possible diplomatic and multilateral initiatives need to be exhausted.  Let’s not have repeat of the first Gulf War.  

June 2003 / OFF TOPIC / “Veterans For Common Sense” - Article - “Living to Fight Another Way – Issaquah Veteran Speaks Against War” - 6/5/03
https://veteransforcommonsense.org/2003/06/05/living-to-fight-another-way-issaquah-veteran-speaks-against-war/

June 2003 / OFF TOPIC / King County Journal - Letter-to-editor - “Bad planning by U.S.” - 6/26/03
“Organized gangs and looters are disrupting Iraq’s vital services by sabotaging pipelines and toppling electrical towers.  Already battered by war and twelve years of stifling economic sanctions any further destruction of infrastructure hampers the oil and gas industries ability to finance Iraq’s recovery.  Furthermore, without steady electricity huge backups of sewage overflow onto city streets.  No electricity means no clean water, no refrigeration, no lights in cities terrified by lawlessness, and no air-conditioning where summer temperatures can soar to a blistering 140 degree F.
Since the regime change, food and medicines are scare, hospitals are barely functioning, and the numbers of Iraqi children suffering from cholera, dysentery and typhoid has risen dramatically.  According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), this is a stark contrast from their reports last fall when the malnutrition rate was declining and the vaccination rate was rising.  
The U.S. led Coalition Provisional Authority proclaimed the ‘disestablishment’ of the Baath Party forcing all members - even those happy to see the regime changed - out of work.  Because a vast majority of civil servants were Baath party members, police, judges and engineers with skills to run the country are now unemployed.
A large percentage of Iraqi people are desperate.  With no work, and no functioning social structure, anger and resistance toward the American occupation is growing.  This points to an embarrassing failure of U.S. planning.”

July 2003 / OFF TOPIC/  KING COUNTY JOURNAL - Letter-to-editor - “IRAQ: Lesson from the past” - 7/2/03
“At the height of Napoleon’s power, Europe lay at his feet.  But when he put his brother on the throne of Spain in 1808, the nation’s unhappy peasants responded with a tactic that utterly baffled Napoleon.  Bands of lightly armed Spaniards fell upon French soldiers when and where least expected, then faded back into the countryside before a counterattack could be mounted.  As a result, Napoleon was compelled to keep large forces tied down in Spain that he desperately needed elsewhere when his empire began to crumble.
The Spanish word for war is guerra, and, in that language, guerrilla is a small fighting force that wages war.  The term has been adopted by English to describe the kind of unconventional, hit-and-run warfare and those who wage it.  New World colonists - in their drive for freedom from England - adopted such tactics and defeated Britain’s professional army.  Similar tactics were used by General Vo Nguyen Giap, who commanded communist forces against both France and America in Vietnam.  These tactics are now bedeviling U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To successfully counter this strategy, several things need to happen…
• Set up political structures and draw-up new constitutions with Iraqis and Afghans as full 
participants, and then have fair elections, assuring self-rule for both countries.

• Provide enough resources in a timely manner for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts.
• Put enough troops on the ground throughout both countries to provide sufficient security.
• After the newly elected governments are properly functioning and reconstruction and humanitarian efforts are up and running, bring U.S. troops home.”
• July 2003 / OFF TOPIC / King County Journal - Letter-to-editor - “Iraq costing us much” -
• 7/17/03 Although high-level government and military officials assure us the war with Iraq is proceeding as planned, the reality for U.S. troops on the ground tells a different story.  Despite a recent plea by U.S. administrator Paul Bremer for an additional 50,000 soldiers to bolster the 158,000 force, the request appears to have fallen on deaf ears.  And there is a good reason - there aren’t 50k to give.  The Army is nearly at the end of its deployable stngth.

Furthermore, there is concern that re-enlistment and new enlistment of recruits will drop off dramatically because of the growing list of stresses now associated with the military, such as: long and multiple deployments to unfriendly and violent countries, mandatory inoculation with controversial anthrax vaccine and recent cuts in veteran’s benefits.  As far as relying on help from international peacekeepers to support U.S. troops, most countries are not going to send, nor keep, their soldiers in volatile Iraq.
Our troops in Iraq currently face extended deployments.  Anyone who understands troop readiness understands the importance of troop morale.  The uncertainty of the Iraq occupation is causing morale to hit rock bottom.  After President Bush taunted Iraqi resistance fighters to ‘Bring them on,’ an increase in guerrilla-style attacks on American soldiers followed.  What was he thinking?”

September 2003 / OFF TOPIC / King County Journal - Letter-to-editor - “He must take responsibility” - 9/18/03
When George W. Bush took over in 2000, we had a budget surplus of nearly $300 billion.  The dawn of a golden era across America seemed certain as the surplus was forecast to reach $5.6 trillion by 2011. 
Today, rather that a surplus, America faces budget deficit of $480 billion in 2004.  The predicted $4.6 trillion surplus has became a $2.3 trillion deficit with the stain of red ink growing rapidly.  America’s dream of prosperity has been replaced by an unprecedented level of debt.  Our children and grandchildren may know a much lower standard of living as a result of being straddled with this monumental financial burden.
It is no wonder that the American people are balking at President’s Bush’s request for billions more dollars to fund postwar costs in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Vice President Dick Cheney has indicated that the $87 billion will fall far short of the amount needed for next year.
Without assurances of when the U.S. military presence in Iraq will end, a majority of Americans (according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll) disapprove of the $87 billion request and have doubts about the administration’s policies at home and abroad.
At home, joblessness and poverty are rising; education and public services are deteriorating.  Abroad, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians continue dying.  The Bush administration must take responsibility for its miscalculations and share the political rebuilding of Iraq.  Bring peace and prosperity there - without bankrupting future generations here at home.”

October 2003 / OFF TOPIC / King County Journal - Letter-to-editor - “Duplicitous role exposed” - 10/1/03
“On a recent visit to Halabja where 5,000 Kurds were killed in a 1988 gas attack, Secretary of State Colin Powell asserted that the mass grave site was proof the world should have acted sooner against Saddam Hussein.  What was his response to the Halabja atrocity when he was President Reagan’s National Security Advisor that same year?
The U.S. Senate responded to the atrocity by unanimously passing the Prevention of Genocide Act of 1988.  It was designed to punish Saddam with harsh economic sanctions, including the elimination of our military assistance and restriction of oil imports.  
However, the Reagan Administration immediately announced its opposition.  It saw Iraq as a strategic ally against Iran as well as a lucrative market for American products and investments.
In 1989, despite the gassing at Halabja, President George H. Bush promoted even closer ties with Baghdad.  Hussein was allowed to buy ‘dual use’ technology - advanced equipment used for civilian and/or military purposes. Today. the Bush administration seeks approval for the invasion of Iraq.  Rather than providing justification, the Halabja atrocity only exposes the duplicitous role the U.S. played 15 years ago.”

February 2004 An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States National Security By Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall—Report prepared for U.S. Dept. of Defense “There is substantial evidence to indicate that significant global warming will occur during the 21st century. Because changes have been gradual so far, and are projected to be similarly gradual in the future, the effects of global warming have the potential to be manageable for most nations. Recent research, however, suggests that there is a possibility that this gradual global warming could lead to a relatively abrupt slowing of the ocean’s thermohaline conveyor, which could lead to harsher winter weather conditions, sharply reduced soil moisture, and more intense winds in certain regions that currently provide a significant fraction of the world’s food production. With inadequate preparation, the result could be a significant drop in the human carrying capacity of the Earth’s environment…”

February 2004 /  KING COUNTY JOURNAL - Letter-to-editor - “Time to pay attention to this” - 2/16/04
“Above all else, the duty of government is to protect the security of its people.
For years, world-respected scientists have warned policymakers of pollution-driven changes in weather patterns.  Because their forecasts involved tremendous economic impacts to corporate America, climate research has become a political football, and public misconceptions abound.  
Most people do not understand that global warming means global chilling, too.  Ferocious storms, hotter, dryer summers, and longer, colder winters are part of the extreme weather patterns associated with global warming.
Variation in ocean currents is a fingerprint of global warming, and new research from Britain, Canada and the United States has uncovered the largest and most dramatic oceanic change ever measured.  The circulation of the North Atlantic/Gulf Stream is breaking down because of a warming-generated change in water salinity.
Samples of polar ice cores indicate that such breakdowns of the Gulf Stream occurred in the past, and when they did, abrupt climate change followed.  Within decades, parts of Europe and North America turned into the climate of Labrador with farmland turning to tundra and winter temperatures dropping below -20 Celsius.
Sudden loss of farmland and water supplies have historically caused mass migrations in  search of resources.  Given the option of starving or raiding, humans will raid.
There is no doubt among the credible scientific community that human-created pollution is exacerbating climate change.  It is high time for the Bush Administration to give this critically important issue the attention it rightly deserves.”

July 2004 / OFF TOPIC / Issaquah Press - Letter-to-editor - “Hypocritical Administration Acts Dishonorably” - 7/16/04
When George W. Bush sent U.S. troops to Iraq in March 2003, he warned Iraqis about their treatment of American prisoners of war: ‘I expect them to be treated, the POWs I expect to be treated humanely, just like we’re treating prisoners that we have captured humanely.  If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals.’  Regretfully, we did not live up to the standard we demanded from others, thus losing our moral authority.
Pointing the finger down to the frontline, U.S. officials claimed the torture resulted from the lack of troop discipline.  Yet, a recently released report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) entitled, ‘The Road to Abu Ghraib’, points the finger upward to policies of the Bush Administration. HRW describes the pattern of official decisions which encouraged the use of torture and prisoner abuse by U.S. forces in Iraq and in other detention facilities around the world.  HRW also revealed high level ‘coverup’ to quash the allegations.
The use of torture and other illegal methods of interrogation are poor techniques which yield unreliable results.  Torture can induce the detainee to say what he thinks the interrogator wants to hear.  It also puts U.S. and allied personal at greater risk of abuse if they become captured.  Even so, the U.S. continues to use these inhumane methods, more egregious knowing that many abused detainees were innocent.  According to a Red Cross report given the Bush Administration earlier this year, 70% to 90% of prisoners detained in Iraq ‘had been arrested by mistake.’
Torture by U.S. personnel discredits this nation and its Armed Forces.  Such dishonorable behavior undermines America’s role as a world ideal. A grave problem facing the Bush administration is its hypocrisy.  It talks one way and acts another.  It talks of spreading democracy while undermining The Bill of Rights with the Patriot Act; it expresses sympathy for military families and then cuts their benefits; it claims to promote the rule of law while scoffing at laws it considers inconvenient - like the Geneva Conventions protection of POWs.”

March 2005 / OFF TOPIC / Issaquah Press- Letter-to-editor - “More needs to be done to help wounded when they return home” - 3/30/05
“David Hayes makes an important point by saying that U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan don’t warrant the unwelcome treatment Vietnam veterans received when they returned home from the war.
Sadly, today’s troops are being treated just as reprehensibly.  They may receive a fine flag-waving welcome where they are not spit upon or called names, however, current budget proposals to cut spending on veterans’ health care should make all Americans ashamed of the way we treat those we’ve asked to sacrifice so much.
A growing number of troops whose body armor helped them survive bomb and rocket attacks are suffering brain damage as a result of the concussive blasts.  According to doctors at Walter Reed Army medical Center, 60 percent of wounded soldiers coming back from Iraq have traumatic brain injuries (TBI).  Some military doctors say TBI has become the signature wound of the Iraq war.  Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has recently zeroed out funding for the reauthorization of the Federal TBI Act, which provided essential services for those with TBI.
And while many returning soldiers and Marines no longer have to dodge Iraqi snipers and shrapnel, they must now fight the lingering - and just as debilitating - psychological effects of war.  A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 1, 2004) concluded that nearly one in five combat soldiers leaves Iraq with mental health problems such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  The military has expressed ‘alarm’ about the number of suicides among soldiers serving in Iraq.  Yet at this time of growing need, VA hospitals across the country are closing their doors because of service cuts.  With long waits for health care service, it is not surprising that veterans are beginning to show up in large numbers at homeless shelters.  Similar to Vietnam, will we have a new generation of homeless vets?
While the Bush administration has no problem going deep into debt to wage war, it cannot find the funding to care for the returning warriors.  To really support our troops, insist that America take care of them by fully funding veteran’s programs and benefits.”

2006 Annual Fire Report - Pacific Northwest “Fire season 2006 developed into one of the most severe and long duration fire seasons in the PNW Area since 1970…The whole calendar year January through December 2006 trended more than one and one half degree F above average at many PNW locations.”

2006 “A World of Hurt or Hope:  The National Security Implications of Global Warming/ Abrupt Climate Change” Power Point presentation delivered to the Veteran's for Peace National Convention in Seattle, Washington by John Seebeth.
    • “That’s an absolutely spectacular power point.  What a great job!…I’m so pleased you’re getting this message out to a critical constituency…”Ross Gelbspan — 8/13/06

12/13/07 “the top 11 warmest years all occurring in the last 13 years…The University of East Anglia and the Met Office's Hadley Centre released preliminary global temperature figures for 2007

7/30/09 Pacific Northwest Heatwave and record high temperatures Seattle reaches 103 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in recorded history while Olympia hits 104 degrees; Kent reaches 106 degrees; Winlock 110 degrees; and Chehalis 111 degrees. Well into a season whose generally sunny weather is already notable for tying Seattle's driest spell ever recorded -- no measurable rain for 29 days (in May and June, until some showers on June 19th) -- the heat suddenly ratchets up during the final week of July…” History Link .Org

1/12/11 “Global surface temperatures in 2010 tied 2005 as the warmest on record, according to an analysis released Wednesday by researchers at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York…” — NASA

2012 Washington wildfires were a series of 1,342 wildfires that burned 259,526 acres (1,050 km2) over the course of 2012…”

1/18/13 Los Angles Times “…Inslee was returned to Congress from a different district and easily held that seat until he left to campaign for governor again last year. In Congress, he became a leader on new energy technology and climate change. I once asked him how anything would ever get done to forestall the looming climate calamity, given the pitiful lack of political will on the issue. As always, he was upbeat, certain that smart leaders would find a solution, certain this was not another quixotic fight.So, it was no surprise that, in his inaugural speech as governor, Inslee told the assembled legislators he believes the state can lead the world in providing a technological response to the climate challenge. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger demonstrated in California that states can take effective action to reduce carbon emissions even while the federal government dawdles. Inslee wants his state to follow a similar path and, in the process, create new jobs in the clean energy industry…”

5/7/13 Record Temperature “Until yesterday, Seattle had never been this hot this soon. The city soared to a staggering 87 degrees Monday, crushing the daily record high of 79 and giving Seattle its warmest day on record this early in the year…” — Seattle Weather Blog

Governor’s Office “In April 2014, Gov. Inslee signed Executive Order 14-04 outlining a series of next steps to reduce carbon pollution in Washington state and improve energy independence through use of clean energy. The Executive Order builds upon earlier studies and work groups to take action in 7 key areas:
     • Carbon pollution – Gov. Inslee established aCarbon Emissions Task Force which provided recommendations on the design and implementation of a market-based carbon pollution program.
     • Coal-fired electricity imported from other states ("coal-by-wire") – State agencies are working with key utilities to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the use of electrical power produced by coal.
     • Clean transportation – The greatest percentage of carbon emissions come from cars, trucks and other transportation-related sources. WSDOT is leading an effort with other agencies and governments to promote strategies, policies and investments that support electrification of our transportation system, lower-emission multi-modal options, and clean fuels.
     • Clean technology – The state Dept. of Commerce is working with WSU and others on a program to develop and deploy new renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, including those with an emphasis on solar power.
     • Energy efficiency – One of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions is to use energy more efficiently. The state Dept. of Commerce is working with WSU and others to improve the energy performance of public and private buildings.
     • State government operations – The state Dept. of Enterprise Services is leading efforts to achieve carbon reduction and energy efficiency improvements throughout state government including meeting  goals established by Inslee’s Results Washington.
    • Carbon pollution limits – The state Dept. of Ecology is reviewing the state’s greenhouse gas emission limits and recommending updates…”

7/11/14 The hottest temperatures of the year so far are expected in the Puget Sound “A heat wave expected this weekend could aggravate raging wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington.  Temperatures there are expected to climb past 100 degrees, according to Matt Fugazzi, forecaster for the National Weather Service in Spokane. A hot, dry spell, he said, can turn land into “organic gasoline, just waiting for any spark or trigger.”
area as well…” — Seattle Times

3/2/15 “Fourteen of the 15 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000, according to the UN World Meteorological Organization, as rising carbon emissions continue to trap heat and drive climate change…” — Guardian 

3/23/15  Slowdown of the great ocean circulation “According to a new study just out in Nature Climate Change by Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a group of co-authors, we’re now seeing a slowdown of the great ocean circulation that, among other planetary roles, helps to partly drive the Gulf Stream off the U.S. east coast. The consequences could be dire – including significant extra sea level rise for coastal cities like New York and Boston…”— Washington Post

7/17/15 Heatwave "Scorching temperatures above 110°F are more often associated with the stark landscapes of places like Death Valley than the cooler reaches of the Pacific Northwest. But a suped-up heat wave has left parts of Washington feeling much more like the desert Southwest and has shattered longstanding high temperatures records in many spots…” — Climate Central

8/1/15 hottest month ever recorded in Seattle “Seattle sizzled last month like it never had before.  July 2015 was the hottest month ever recorded in Seattle, with an average temperature of 71.2 degrees—eclipsing the previous mark of 71.1 degrees, set back inAugust of 1967. The month featured an astonishing 10 days with high temperatures in the 90s—capped by a sweltering 95-degree reading on July 19. In over 120 years of weather records, Seattle had never seen more than 9 days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees in a single year, let alone a single month…” 
—Seattle weather Blog

9/17/15  “Climate change is no longer just a thing of the future—it is here now.  This was the message King County Executive Dow Constantine and members of county staff delivered during a media tour last Friday. The tour focused on the local impacts of climate change.  Constantine said indicators such as low snow pack in the mountains, the high heat this past summer and more frequent and devastating wildfires throughout the state are just a dress rehearsal of what’s to come…” — Redmond Reporter

9/17/15 “King County Executive Dow Constantine and Council Chair Larry Phillips signed into law one of the most ambitious climate action plans in the United States. It provides a roadmap for the region to reduce carbon pollution, increase transit, protect open spaces, improve recycling options, and prepare for climate change impacts…” — KING COUNTY BULLETIN

11/29/15 King 5 News “Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is heading to the U.N. climate change conference in Paris this week to promote efforts to reduce carbon emissions.  The Seattle Times says the governor is part of a U.S. State Department delegation. But the Democratic governor will not be involved in the actual negotiations, involving representatives of more than 190 nations, to get a historic agreement to limit climate change.  Inslee has made reducing greenhouse gas emissions one of his key priorities…”

Dec. 7, 2015  The Spokesman Review “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed onto agreements with other nations to fight climate change. Inslee has been attending a global summit in Paris.”

9/15/16  “Between record-setting temperatures, shrinking snowpack, rampant wildfires, and acidifying waters, the threats of carbon pollution have become increasingly conspicuous since 2008, when the Washington State Legislature set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The goal was to return to 1990 levels by 2020, and then to cut those 1990 levels in half by 2050.  Since then, however, little has been done to make those targets a reality. Until now.  On Thursday, the Washington Department of Ecology unveiled the state’s first initiative to cap and reduce the carbon pollution that contributes to global climate change. The Clean Air Rule, which goes into effect Oct. 17, will initially apply to 24 businesses that each produce at least 100,000 metric tons of carbon each year, including all five oil refineries in Washington, as well as power plants, fuel distributors and other industries. Collectively, they account for two-thirds of all the carbon pollution produced in the state…”— Crosscut

9/16/16 “Mayors from across the Eastside gathered Sept. 9 at Cascadia College in Bothell for Leadership Eastside’s annual mayors’ panel — including Bellevue Mayor John Stokes.  Leadership Eastside CEO James Whitfield moderated the panel.  The luncheon event also allowed participants in Leadership Eastside’s leadership development classes and other attendees the opportunity to participate in small group discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing the Eastside, which fed into the discussion topics during the panel.  When asked what they are most proud of in their communities, many of the mayors cited their work to curb the effects of climate change. “Environmental sustainability is something we’ve been working on,” said Mercer Island Mayor Bruce Bassett, citing his city’s participation in a climate collaborative.  “I’m really proud of our Climate Action Plan,” Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen said, adding her city has been working hard to reduce its carbon footprint.  Others said collaboration, both inside and outside of their own communities, has been key.  “Redmond’s contribution to the greater good is regionalism,” said Redmond Mayor John Marchione, going on to cite work with other communities on transportation and working with  Issaquah for dispatching services.  For Issaquah, the city’s social media usage for neighborhood outreach has been an area of growth, according to Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler. “It’s just one tool to connect with citizens….” — Bellevue Reporter

9/26/16 “Arctic Ocean was tied for the second-lowest extent on record is a sobering reminder that the planet is swiftly heading toward a largely ice-free Arctic in the warmer months, possibly as early as 2020…  Few people understand that the Arctic sea ice “death spiral” represents more than just a major ecological upheaval in the world’s Far North. The decline of Arctic sea ice also has profound global climatic effects, or feedbacks, that are already intensifying global warming and have the potential to destabilize the climate system. Indeed, we are not far from the moment when the feedbacks themselves will be driving the change every bit as much as our continuing emission of billions of tons of carbon dioxide annually. 
So what are these feedbacks, and how do they interact? The most basic stem from turning the Arctic Ocean from white to blue, which changes the region’s albedo — the amount of solar radiation reflected off a surface. Sea ice, in summer, reflects roughly 50 percent of incoming radiation back into space. Its replacement with open water — which reflects roughly 10 percent of incoming solar radiation — is causing a high albedo-driven warming across the Arctic. .." — Yale Environment 360 

11/9/16 “Washington State voters rejected a proposal for the nation’s first carbon tax Tuesday, defeating a landmark attempt to address climate change that had divided environmental activists. Despite being a major effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, some environmental justice advocates argued the measure would work against working people and the poor, a stance that put them uncomfortably aligned with the fossil fuel industry that also opposed the measure…”
— Inside Climate news 

1/3/17 “In the North Atlantic, east of North America and south of Greenland, the ocean’s upper layers are much warmer than one might presume given the extreme latitude. This unexpected warmth is a product of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vitally important system of ocean currents that moves warm salty water northward from the tropics and cold fresher water south. The AMOC looms large in the Earth’s climate: it is responsible for redistributing nutrients throughout the Atlantic Ocean and is a major driving force controlling the climate on both sides of the pond. … To date, most climate research suggests that the AMOC is relatively stable and carries water throughout the ocean in a reliable, repeating cycle. But anthropogenic climate change seems to have made the current weaken slightly, raising the question of whether more dramatic shifts are in store…”— Hakai Magazine--

1/18/17 “2016 was the hottest year in 137 years of record keeping and the third year in a row to take the number one slot, a mark of how much the world has warmed over the last century because of human activities, U.S. government scientists announced Wednesday…” — Climate Central

June 1, 2017 Governor’s Office “Inslee, New York Governor Cuomo, and California Governor Brown announce formation of United States Climate Alliance
‘I am proud to stand with other governors as we make sure that the inaction in D.C. is met by an equal force of action from the states. Today’s announcement by the president leaves the full responsibility of climate action on states and cities throughout our nation. While the president’s actions are a shameful rebuke to the work needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren, states have been and will continue to step up.’” —- Jay Inslee

8/2/17  “Seattle broke a high temperature record Wednesday as thermostats hit 90 degrees…”— MYNORTHWEST

June 1, 2017 US withdraws from Paris Agreement “United States President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would cease all participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation contending that the agreement would "undermine" the U.S. economy, and put the U.S. "at a permanent disadvantage…”

4/11/18 “In recent years sensors stationed across the North Atlantic have picked up a potentially concerning signal: The grand northward progression of water along North America that moves heat from the tropics toward the Arctic has been sluggish. If that languidness continues and deepens, it could usher in drastic changes in sea level and weather around the ocean basin…” — Scientific American

5/17/18  “Concerns over whether King County and local cities are on track to meet their climate goals have prompted a group of citizens and organizations to band together to push for more robust climate change solutions.  In 2015, King County and 13 cities signed on to a climate initiative known as King County-Cities Climate Collaboration, or K4C.  It outlined a commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions compared to by 25 percent of 2007 levels by 2020, 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.  The initiative also suggested implementing policies that would put the price on carbon, reduce vehicle miles traveled, concentrate urban growth and push renewable energy use…”— Issaquah Sammamish Reporter

9/12/18  NW driest on record “…It’s what the Northwest is expected to look like a couple decades down the road if we humans can't get climate change under control.  “It's the driest on record,” assistant state climatologist Karin Bumbaco said, referring to precipitation in the Puget Sound region from May through August, a measure that has been tracked since 1895. The region received just 2.5 inches of rain during those months, less than half the normal 7 inches…” — KUOW

9/28/18 “Washington’s average annual temperature has grown by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895. The year 2015 is the warmest in state history, according to the University of Washington. In fact, this decade is also the warmest.  Global warming is here. And UW scientists think it’s going to get warmer. “Substantial warming is expected in the coming decades, which will make some of the recent notably warm or record-setting years more like an average year in the future,” according to an August UW report called ‘An Unfair Share.’  That inevitable heat is expected to affect the poor and communities of color the worst. “Race and ethnicity play a central role in conversations about disproportionate climate risks,” the report said. The question is: How, and by how much?…”
— SEATTLE WEEKLY

12/10/18 “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Monday laid out an aggressive set of legislation aimed at dramatically reducing the state’s carbon emissions over the next decade and a half. Inslee’s plan would make Washington one of the first states in the country to eliminate its reliance on coal to power its electric grid. The bill he plans to support this year would require state utilities to end the use of fossil fuels by 2045…” — THE HILL

11/7/18 “The Evergreen State’s third and latest attempt to put a price on climate pollution failed Tuesday as voters rejected the historic ballot measure, notching yet another win for the oil and gas industry…” — The Huffington Post

11/23/18 Seattle Times— “WASHINGTON (AP) — As California’s catastrophic wildfires recede and people rebuild after two hurricanes, a massive new federal report warns that these types of disasters are worsening in the United States because of global warming. The White House report quietly issued Friday also frequently contradicts President Donald Trump.  The National Climate Assessment was written long before the deadly fires in California this month and before Hurricanes Florence and Michael raked the East Coast and Florida. It says warming-charged extremes “have already become more frequent, intense, widespread or of long duration.” The report notes the last few years have smashed U.S. records for damaging weather, costing nearly $400 billion since 2015…”

11/26/18 The Seattle Times—“Gov. Jay Inslee, a champion of action on climate change and an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, said global warming is an ‘assault’ that will affect everyone in Washington and cut at the state’s heart, adding that it was ‘unbelievable we still have someone in the White House who denies this science.’  Inslee plans to unveil a suite of proposals to address climate change here, he said, on the heels of a recently released climate report that forecasts what Inslee described as ‘dire’ impacts that would hurt the nation’s economy ‘worse than the last recession’ and be permanent…”

1/17/19 Washington Post Editorial from Governor Inslee  “We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it. The Democratic Party must nominate a candidate who will put fighting climate change at the top of the agenda. And that’s why I’m seriously considering running for president. The science is clear. We have a short period of time to act. And whether we shrink from this challenge, or rise to it, is the biggest question we face, as a nation and as a people. It is also our chance to realize the greatest economic opportunity of this century: to create millions of good-paying jobs building a future run on clean energy. For millions of Americans, climate change is no longer just a chart or a graph. It’s the smoke on our tongues from massive wildfires. It’s the floodwater invading our homes, and record-breaking hurricanes and heat waves.
     Confronting this change has been the driving force of my time in public life. About a decade ago, I co-wrote a book about the need to transform our economy to one run on clean energy and the need for a national Apollo mission-style project to take on this herculean task.
As governor of Washington, I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when you invest in clean energy — reducing carbon pollution and supporting family-wage jobs that are growing twice as fast as those in any other industry.
     In my state, I created a Clean Energy Fund and invested in electrifying our transportation system — from vehicles and buses to transit and even ferries. We need much, much larger investments that will be sustained over time, but we have the blueprint. I was also the first governor to use executive authority to cap carbon pollution from all its largest sources. And this year we are pursuing a comprehensive suite of policies to achieve 100 percent clean electricity, increase energy efficiency in old buildings and promote net-zero energy in new buildings, require clean fuels and zero-emission vehicles, and eliminate climate super-pollutants. Other states have been tremendous leaders in advancing climate solutions. The all-out national effort that we need can take some of its inspiration from strategies that have been pursued in our states. But to win a national mandate for action everywhere, we must nominate a candidate who will deploy clean energy and cut carbon pollution on the ambitious scale required, even if it means deferring other worthy goals. This will be hard. The oil companies, the big polluters and the climate deniers are incredibly powerful. They will do everything they can to protect their profits.
     But our next president must summon the full energies of our nation to realize what the science is demanding of us. We must strive to achieve net-zero carbon pollution by midcentury, create a 100 percent clean-energy grid, and deploy new strategies and massive investments to transition off fossil fuels and decarbonize transportation, buildings and industries. The reason I believe we are going to succeed in this — the reason I’m optimistic — is that this is a matter of character as much as it is a matter of science. This is an issue of the basic, fundamental character of the American people. And I know something about the American people. We are optimists, can-do people. We invent, we create, we build. We do not shy away from a challenge. This is our nature. Confronting climate change will require a full-scale mobilization — a national mission that must be led from the White House. This is the challenge we face and the choice facing American voters in 2020…”

2/6/19 National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration—“Earth’s long-term warming trend continued in 2018 as persistent warmth across large swaths of land and ocean resulted in the globe’s fourth hottest year in NOAA’s 139-year climate record. The year ranks just behind 2016 (warmest), 2015 (second warmest) and 2017 (third warmest)…”

3/1/19
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Says He's Running for President in 2020 for One Urgent Reason: The Climate Crisis (VIDEO)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/01/washington-gov-jay-inslee-says-hes-running-president-2020-one-urgent-reason-climate
Meet the first Democrat running for president on climate change
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/3/1/18244206/jay-inslee-2020-campaign-president-climate-change-interview
Jay Inslee Tops New Ranking Of 2020 Candidates’ Climate Proposals
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2020-climate-ranking_n_5d1a320ce4b07f6ca5819cd9
Jay Inslee tops Greenpeace climate grades, Joe Biden gets a D-
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/jay-inslee-tops-greenpeace-climate-grades-joe-biden-gets-d-n1011996
Joe Biden’s Climate Plan Melted During the Debate
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/08/joe-bidens-climate-plan-melted-during-the-debate/
DNC Chair Tom Perez Tries to Justify Failure to Prioritize Climate Crisis - The Democratic Party leadership’s failure to take global heating seriously is out of step with Democratic voters who now consider climate change to be a top-tier issue
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/06/18/dnc-chair-tom-perez-tries-justify-failure-prioritize-climate-crisis
The DNC Strategy Will Defeat Climate Voters, Not Trump
https://truthout.org/articles/the-dnc-strategy-will-defeat-climate-voters-not-trump/
Gov. Jay Inslee Slams DNC for Refusing to Hold Climate Debate (VIDEO)
https://truthout.org/video/gov-jay-inslee-slams-dnc-for-refusing-to-hold-climate-debate/
Jay Inslee Says He May Defy the DNC on a Climate Change Debate
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/06/jay-inslee-says-he-may-defy-the-dnc-on-a-climate-change-debate/
CNN Will Host Climate-Focused Town Hall As Issue Gains Momentum In 2020 Race
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cnn-climate-change-town-hall_n_5d3a6994e4b0c31569e8ebd1
The Democrats Finally Debated the Green New Deal
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/the-democrats-finally-debated-the-green-new-deal/
The DNC Nixed a Climate Debate Because That’s What Chairman Perez Wanted
https://truthout.org/articles/the-dnc-nixed-a-climate-debate-because-thats-what-chairman-perez-wanted/
The DNC rejects a climate change debate and puts virtual caucusing in doubt
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/8/25/20832300/dnc-climate-change-debate-virtual-caucus-iowa-nevada-hack-democratic-national-committee
Sixth Installment of Jay Inslee's Climate Plan Champions Regenerative Farming and Massive Investment in Rural America
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/21/sixth-installment-jay-inslees-climate-plan-champions-regenerative-farming-and
Jay Inslee Says Fossil Fuel Execs Are ‘Killing People’
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jay-inslee-fossil-fuel_n_5d41c300e4b0db8affb24736
Inslee drills urgency in climate fight during presidential debate
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/the-house-is-on-fire-inslee-drills-urgency-in-climate-fight-during-presidential-debate/281-708b3075-b004-4547-8f23-107e8b6ef06f
 Key Moments From Gov. Jay Inslee's Second Debate Performance (VIDEO)
https://patch.com/washington/sammamish/s/gspet/key-moments-gov-jay-inslees-second-debate-performance
As Inslee Drops Out of 2020 Race, Applause and Gratitude for Elevating Climate Crisis to 'Forefront of the National Conversation'
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/22/inslee-drops-out-2020-race-applause-and-gratitude-elevating-climate-crisis-forefront
DNC Chair Tom Perez Introduced a Resolution That Could Kill a Climate Debate
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/tom-perez-introduced-a-resolution-that-could-kill-a-climate-debate/
No Climate Event in 2,000 Years Compares to What’s Happening Now
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/07/why-little-ice-age-doesnt-matter/594517/
Climate Emergency Declarations Are the First Step. Here’s What Comes Next.
https://truthout.org/articles/climate-emergency-declarations-are-the-first-step-heres-what-comes-next/
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3/1/19  The Atlantic— “In the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field, sticking out is hard. Whatever qualification makes a candidate seem special, another boasts the same distinctive trait or experience. Governors? A bunch of them are circling the race. Senators? The list of announced candidates keeps growing. Progressives, women, African Americans, midwesterners—the field has multiples of everything.  Except in the case of Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who will be the only climate-change candidate when he announces his bid for the presidency in Seattle on Friday morning. That’s how he thinks he’s going to win. “It’s less of a concern,” Inslee says of his singular focus on global warming, “than being totally ignored in a presidential race.”

3/4/19 Pacific Standard  “Many of Inslee's top accomplishments as congressman and governor involve combating climate change. Inslee signed an executive order in 2014 to increase clean energy and to reduce and eventually eliminate coal-fired electricity. In 2015, Inslee directed the Washington Department of Ecology to impose a cap on carbon emissions. He also co-founded and co-chaired the U.S. Climate Alliance, a group of 17 U.S. governors working to uphold America's goals from the Paris Agreement. During his time as congressman, he co-wrote the book Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean-Energy Economy about a program to fight climate change and boost the nation's economy through clean energy innovation and job creation.  "[O]ur next president must summon the full energies of our nation to realize what the science is demanding of us," Inslee wrote in a Washington Post op-ed in January. "We must strive to achieve net-zero carbon pollution by midcentury, create a 100 percent clean-energy grid, and deploy new strategies and massive investments to transition off fossil fuels and decarbonize transportation, buildings and industries.”
3/26/19 King 5 News—"2019 has been a year for weather records.  After earning the titles of snowiest February, coldest February since 1989, and hottest winter day, Seattle experienced its second driest March in decades. 
5/10/19 King 5 News “Record-breaking heat is in the forecast for Seattle and the Puget Sound region this weekend and into early next week. Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s by Saturday, and possibly reach triple digits…”
8/4/19 Associated Press—“ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Nestled in the foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains, the bustling Seattle suburb of Issaquah seems an unlikely candidate for anxiety over wildfires. The region, famous for its rainfall, has long escaped major burns even as global warming has driven an increase in the size and number of wildfires elsewhere in the American West.  But according to experts, previously too-wet-to-burn parts of the Pacific Northwest face an increasing risk of significant wildfires due to changes in its climate driven by the same phenomenon: Global warming is bringing higher temperatures, lower humidity and longer stretches of drought…”

3/26/19 King 5 News—"2019 has been a year for weather records.  After earning the titles of snowiest February, coldest February since 1989, and hottest winter day, Seattle experienced its second driest March in decades. 

5/10/19 King 5 News “Record-breaking heat is in the forecast for Seattle and the Puget Sound region this weekend and into early next week. Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s by Saturday, and possibly reach triple digits…”

8/4/19 Associated Press—“ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Nestled in the foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains, the bustling Seattle suburb of Issaquah seems an unlikely candidate for anxiety over wildfires. The region, famous for its rainfall, has long escaped major burns even as global warming has driven an increase in the size and number of wildfires elsewhere in the American West.  But according to experts, previously too-wet-to-burn parts of the Pacific Northwest face an increasing risk of significant wildfires due to changes in its climate driven by the same phenomenon: Global warming is bringing higher temperatures, lower humidity and longer stretches of drought…”

8/4/19 PATCH— “King, Pierce, and Snohomish county have risen close to 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s, a new examination of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration temperature data by the Washington Post shows to examine more than 3,100 counties…”

​8/4/19 - Global warming brings increased wildfire risk to Issaquah, other 'too-wet-to-burn' areas
https://www.king5.com/article/news/global-warming-brings-increased-wildfire-risk-to-issaquah-and-other-too-wet-to-burn-areas/281-246d596a-0440-4ce4-8ec3-e3ef18a4e7da

10/1/19 The Issaquah High Times —“…Climate change is the biggest crisis that humanity has ever faced and should be a top priority,” says senior Diane Lee, president of Issaquah High School’s chapter of JSA, a student political debate and activism group. “I know a lot of people that disagree, but I do think that [the global climate strike] is effective. I think that anytime people gather for a cause that they believe in, it will have a ripple effect. Not necessarily in direct government action, but people leaving their jobs, their schools, to protest, that message is very impactful…”

12/5/19 Yale Environment 360— “Some of the most alarming science surrounding climate change is the discovery that it may not happen incrementally — as a steadily rising line on a graph—but in a series of lurches as various “tipping points” are passed. And now comes a new concern: These tipping points can form a cascade, with each one triggering others, creating an irreversible shift to a hotter world. A new study suggests that changes to ocean circulation could be the driver of such a cascade…”

12/23/19 Inside Climate News— “There’s new evidence that, in past geologic eras, much of Greenland’s ice melted when Earth’s temperatures were only slightly warmer than today’s, and that human-caused global warming will push the ice sheet past that tipping point in the next few decades.Exactly how much of the ice melts, and how fast, depends in large part on how long temperatures stay above that threshold, scientists write in a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The findings are a warning that we are probably overestimating the stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet, said University of Bergen paleoclimatologist Ulysses S. Ninnemann, a co-author of the study…”

Jan. 14, 2020  - “2020 State of the State Address: The Best of Who We Are - Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his 2020 State of the State address on Jan. 14, 2020, reminding legislators that the state sees the best of Washington when the people embrace big ideas and see them through together.”
https://governor.wa.gov/news/speeches/2020-state-state-address-best-who-we-are
​
1/16/20 Smithsonian Magazine-- “Another year, another temperature record broken. The decade spanning 2010 to 2019 was the hottest documented since 1880, climate experts say…”

9/8/20 King 5 News—“Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a statewide emergency due to the ongoing wildfires burning across the state. He is also planning to sign a proclamation that will allow families who have lost their homes because of wildfires to get cash assistance.  "This is an extraordinary series of events we have suffered," said Inslee during a press conference Wednesday. The governor spoke with media after receiving an update from fire officials and toured the damage done by the Sumner Grade Fire…"

9/16/20 EarthSky—“Multiple studies released this year paint a dire picture of the ongoing melting of Earth’s freshwater ice sheets and glaciers, 99% of which are found in Greenland and Antarctica…”

9/3/20 - Constantine announces King County climate action plan
https://www.issaquahreporter.com/news/constantine-announces-king-county-climate-action-plan/
​
9/3/20 “Every year, boy scout kids learn about Leave No Trace principles when they arrive at summer camp. The kids seamlessly assimilate that minor digressions may have little significance, but that thousands of such instances seriously degrade the environment and quality of life experience for all. 

Circular economics pursue a similar objective by favoring economic development, restorative and regenerative by design, decoupling growth from finite resource consumption, eventually engendering a nimble footprint on earth. It focuses on three principles: design waste-and-pollution-free products; recycle and upscale materials in use; and regenerate natural systems. It spurs circular design thinking as a substitution for the linear growth mindset.   It was "The limits to growth" report issued by the Club of Roman 1972, which brought the finite resource constraint to the unfettered economic growth ideal to the world's attention…” — FORBES

12/15/20 Governor’s Press Release —“Climate change is a health issue, an economic issue and an equity issue. We must address these very real threats to our state, and we cannot wait,” Inslee said at a press conference Tuesday. “The time to act is now. These proposals would reduce nearly 30 million metric tons of emissions by 2030 — a 35% reduction from current projections. And these standards and investments — with justice at their core — will grow clean energy jobs in Washington…”

“According to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth’s surface temperatures in 2019 were the second warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880. Globally, 2019 temperatures were second only to those in 2016 and continued the planet’s long-term warming trend. The past five years have been the warmest of the past 140 years…” — NASA  Earth Observatory

Washington State Climate Action Plan
www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment

King County Strategic Climate Action Plan 
www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/climate/strategies/strategic-climate-action-plan.aspx

Snohomish County  Office of Energy and Sustainability
snohomishcountywa.gov/1410/Office-of-Energy-Sustainability

Thurston County Activities Related to Climate Change Climate and Sustainability Program
www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/climate/climate_program.htm

Pierce County Climate Action Plan
www.co.pierce.wa.us/5558/Climate-Change-Resilience

Seattle Climate Action Plan
durkan.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SeaClimateAction_April2018.pdf

UW Climate Action Plan (CAP)
green.uw.edu/inform/uw-climate-action-plan 

Everett Climate Action Plan
everettwa.gov/1734/Climate-Action-Commitment

Tacoma Climate Action Plan
www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=103658

Spokane Climate Action Plan
my.spokanecity.org/news/releases/2017/08/04/mayor-releases-10-step-plan-to-implement-sustainable-actions/

Bellingham Climate Action Plan
www.cob.org/services/environment/climate/

City of Olympia Climate Action Plan
olympiawa.gov/city-government/codes-plans-and-standards/action-plan/environment-action-area.aspx

Bellevue Climate Action Plan
bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/environmental-stewardship/climate-change

Kirkland Climate Action Plan
www.kirklandwa.gov/Residents/Community/Kirkland_Green/climateprotection.htm

Redmond Climate Action Plan
www.redmond.gov/Environment/climateactionplan

Sammamish Climate Action Plan
www.sammamish.us/media/1255/7669.pdf

Issaquah Climate Action Plan
www.issaquahwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=358

1/14/21 “The results are finally in: 2020 was one of the hottest years in recorded history, according to data released today by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By NASA’s reckoning, it tied with 2016 for the hottest year in the books, while NOAA placed it in the number-two spot…” — SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

2/15/21 “Scientists have found that permafrost buried beneath the Arctic Ocean holds 60 billion tons of methane and 560 billion tons of organic carbon — making it a major source of greenhouse gases not currently included in climate projections that could have a significant impact on climate change in the longer-term…” — Yale Environment 360

4/7/21 “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was talking to a reporter this week about the advice he would give to President Biden when his phone rang.  It was the White House.  Inslee, a Democrat, told the president's advisers to stop being humble about the $2.2 trillion infrastructure package Biden unveiled last week. Change the tone. Brag about how much it would do to slash carbon pollution and how it was bolder than any other previous proposal.  That was his advice…” — CLIMATE-WIRE

4/23/21 “Permafrost, which underlies 40 per cent of Canada’s landmass, is continuously frozen earth beneath the surface layers that freeze and thaw with the seasons. ..While the impacts are felt most acutely in the North, permafrost thaw has implications for the global climate as well...Scientists are now investigating how increased warming of the North could be part of a vicious cycle known as the permafrost carbon feedback loop — the more the climate warms, the more permafrost thaws and potentially emits more greenhouse gasses, which further warms the climate and thaws more permafrost…” — The Narwhal

5/3/21 “Lawmakers in Olympia have bound Washington state’s fortunes — literally — to the fight against climate change with a legislative blitz, enacting a “historic” suite of climate protections.  Before adjourning on April 25, Democrats passed a pair of sweeping restrictions on greenhouse gas pollution intended to aggressively cut Washington’s carbon footprint while driving billions of dollars into state coffers and toward clean energy.  The Climate Commitment Act will require industrial polluters to buy pollution credits from the state in a cap-and-trade market system similar to one operating in California. The bill stipulates that tens of millions of dollars collected each year should be used to underwrite cleanup in the most polluted areas of the state, clearing the air and restoring the land in communities where Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans suffer disproportionately.  The Legislature also passed vehicle-fuel restrictions meant to force producers of carbon-heavy fuels like gasoline and diesel to buy biofuels and underwrite new charging stations for fleets of electric cars and trucks. Electric vehicles are expected to proliferate on Washington roads, in part because of House Bill 1287, which sets goal of phasing out the sale of fossil-fuel powered passenger vehicles by 2030, but lawmakers stopped short of banning the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars, as some lawmakers wanted.  Along with legislation that addresses environmental racism, these revenue-generating, pollution-reducing bills and a collection of less expansive efforts could finally put Washington on track to begin achieving its goals for reducing the state’s contributions to climate change…” —Crosscut

5/17/21 “ Does it seem just a bit unusually warm the last few days? Did the heat interfere with your plans for going outside and enjoying our beautiful state?  If so, we cannot just turn up the AC; we have to turn up our level of efforts fighting the underlying cause of our changing world - climate change…” — Seattle Times Guest Editorial, Governor Inslee

6/28/21 “Seattle's record of 107 degrees has been surpassed in other local cities.  Neighborhoods in the Cascade Foothills broiled Monday where communities saw temperatures soar well above 110 degrees.  One of the hottest places – Issaquah.  When the Issaquah Highlands hit 116 degrees – some headed straight to the valley to find relief…” — KOMO 

7/2/21 “A pair of climate scientists on Thursday said the record-high temperatures that have ravaged the northwestern U.S. and western Canada over the past week—killing hundreds and sparking dozens of wildfires—represent the "world's most extreme heatwave in modern history."
"Never in the century-plus history of world weather observation have so many all-time heat records fallen by such a large margin than in the past week's historic heatwave in western North America," meteorologist Bob Henson and former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hurricane scientist Jeff Masters wrote for Yale Climate Connections…” — Common Dreams

7/30/21 “President Biden is sounding the alarm about the need for more resources to fight a series of wildfires in western states, as climate change has worsened the spread and ferocity of the blazes…The president opened the meeting with a nod to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who sought the Democratic nomination for president against Biden by stressing the threats from climate change.  The mix of intense heat, droughts and other events tied to rising average temperatures has turned the fires into a national challenge as the smoke is worsening air quality as far away as New York City.  ‘Jay, you’re beginning to convince the American people there is a thing called climate crisis.’ the president said at the start of his remarks, before reeling through a series of troubling numbers…”— Associated Press

11/4/21 “President Biden this week in Glasgow at the COP26 summit called climate change “the existential threat to human existence” and vowed that the United States would lead on the issue “by the power of our example.” But at the same time though, he seems to ignore the threat coming from the single largest American polluter  — the U.S. military. The American armed forces are not just destroying the environment via its direct operations, but its very nature makes the military intrinsically dependent on burning tons of fossil fuels…” — Responsible Statecraft

Streamed live on Nov 4, 2021  Permanent Emergency: Gov. Jay Inslee on Fighting Climate Change - VIDEO
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLjTcgEMz10

11/5/21 “While a renewable energy transition is important… it is only part of the story. Adopting a circular economics — which keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible and designs avenues for waste and pollution — across all sectors and value chains will be crucial to painting a complete picture of a resilient, net-zero world. Nations must commit to develop policies that seize the full potential of a circular economy through using fewer resources, using and reusing products for as long as possible, reusing materials and opting for low carbon alternatives. Doing so will improve sustainable practices and enable countries to achieve their climate goals faster…” 
— World Resource Institute
​
11/16/21 “After a summer that featured the “world’s most extreme heatwave in modern history" which experts linked to human-caused global heating, the Pacific Northwest was inundated with floodwaters Monday, fueling fresh calls for ambitious action to combat the climate emergency… Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat who ran for president in 2020 on a climate-focused platform and attended COP26 earlier this month, issued a severe weather emergency proclamation for 14 counties…”— Common Dreams

11/17/21 “The key outcomes of COP26 are now clear, and we must be clear-eyed in our response to them. Any chance of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius is now lost. That means that whatever we do, by the middle years of this century vulnerable states around the world will be suffering severe and possibly politically fatal impacts from climate change. This is a threat to the world in general and the United States in particular that dwarfs rivalry with China, let alone Russia or Iran…Finally, COP26 has demonstrated that as far as action against climate change is concerned, the geopolitical and ideological battle lines being drawn as part of the “new cold war” between the United States and China (and supposedly between “democracy” and “authoritarianism”) are at best irrelevant, at worse a disastrous distraction. The new U.S.-Chinese statement on cooperation work against combat climate change is a good step in the opposite direction — but it requires real content, and is at permanent risk of being destroyed by a new deterioration in the security relationship…” — Responsible Statecraft

12/6/21 “…From the sharp increase in catastrophic weather events, it is obvious that ‘Mother Earth’ has correctly identified the North American continent as the source of its gigantic pollution problems. Extreme Fossil Fuel pollution from the United States and Canada has previously heated up the Gulf Stream which flows north into the Arctic Ocean as the Svalbard current, where it is now destabilizing the shelf methane hydrates in the Laptev Sea and on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf…”— Arctic News

1/7/22 “How wet was Thursday? Wet, very wet.  It was Seattle’s seventh-wettest January day ever, with 2 inches recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Another .32 inches or so had been recorded by Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service of Seattle…”—Seattle Times

1/11/22 “More than a dozen climate change proposals are expected to come before the Washington Legislature in the session that began this week.  Gov. Jay Inslee is hoping to build on last spring’s passage of two major climate measures — a cap-and-trade program for industrial carbon emissions and a low-carbon fuel standard…” — CROSSCUT

1/17/22 “After much of Washington state baked during last summer's extreme heat before being put on ice during this winter's deep freeze, Gov. Jay Inslee is ramping up his administration's effort to respond to the planet's changing climate.  The governor is proposing to spend $626 million for climate protection, funding that would be allocated to reduce carbon emissions from buildings, invest in clean energy and transportation and appropriate $100 million toward rebates for buyers of electric vehicles…” — KOMO NEWS

2/4/22 “The Gulf Stream has weakened substantially in the past decades, as revealed by the latest data and new studies. Weather in the United States and Europe depends strongly on this ocean current, so it’s important we understand the ongoing changes and what they mean for our weather now and in the near future…” — Severe Weather Europe

2/16/22 “…decades of living with nuclear weapons have produced a broad body of knowledge as to what a nuclear war might do to the planet, and to humanity. If even a ‘small’ nuclear war were to break out, tens of millions of people would die after the initial blasts. A blanket of soot would wrap the rays of the Sun and cause a nuclear winter, destroying crops all over the planet and plunging billions into famine. In the northern hemisphere, there would be such severe ozone depletion from the nuclear smoke that organisms would suffer from increased exposure to damaging ultraviolet light…”
— Salon  

2/17/22 “Around 15,000 years ago, the Earth began to transition from a state of heavy glacial coverage to a period of warming. As temperatures rose, large ice sheets that once blanketed much of North America and Europe thawed, and the oceans began to rise.  But after 2,000 years of warming, the Earth abruptly cooled to near-glacial conditions. And it stayed that way for more than a thousand years.  Scientists have long debated how this abrupt climatic event, which they call the Younger Dryas, occurred. This question has become an urgent one as some researchers think an abrupt climatic event could happen again and disrupt the Gulf Stream, the forceful ocean current that transports warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up North America’s Northeast coast…” — NOVA

2/18/22 “Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee visited Gonzaga’s Humanities Building to participate in a climate change dialogue session with GU students on Feb. 18.  Several students asked Inslee a broad range of climate-related questions, ranging from race-related environmental politics to the housing crisis amid climate change. Inslee used the Q&A session to answer students’ inquiries and connect those questions with his legislative missions. Inslee noted that one of the most important forces in climate change relief was directly in front of him—the students…” — The Gonzaga Bulletin

3/4/22 “Last year, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who ran an historic—if unsuccessful—climate-centered campaign for president in 2019, signed two major climate initiatives into law, as part of his state’s Climate Commitment Act.  The first initiative established a cap-and-trade program that provides incentives for utilities, oil and gas producers and other polluting businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, setting a statewide “cap” on emissions that decreases over time…"
— Inside Climate News

3/8/22 “The Washington State Legislature is being called on by a coalition including 32 local elected officials, 7 labor unions, the Tulip and Puyallup Tribes, and more than 70 community-based and environmental organizations to reinstate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction requirements in House Bill 1099 (HB1099)…” — Issaquah Reporter

3/16/22 “In the year 2021 methane (CH4) concentration in the atmosphere exceeded 1,900 ppb for the first time in human history recorded by Global Monitoring Laboratory, Earth System Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
That level of 1,900 ppb is triple the pre-industrial level of 700 ppb. Furthermore, it is suddenly mysteriously accelerating over just the past 13 years. In turn, this exceptional acceleration could hasten global warming considerably. Of even more concern, the acceleration appears to be regenerating on its own accord sans human influence…” — Counter Current .Org
​
3/22/22 “Antiwar and progressive veterans organizations across the country are marking the first Earth Day after the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Russia’s subsequent invasion of Ukraine by highlighting the ways in which militarism fuels the global climate emergency, and how the planetary crisis, in turn, impacts service members…” — Truthout

3/23/22 “Extreme heat in both the Arctic and Antarctic “could have devastating impacts” on the regions and must serve as a wake-up call to the urgency of the climate crisis, scientists have said…”
— INDEPENDENT

4/20/22 - Eastside cities launch new communitywide climate challenge for Earth Day
https://bellevuewa.gov/city-news/eastside-climate-challenge

4/20/22 “The Cities of Redmond, Bellevue, Issaquah, and Mercer Island have partnered to launch the Eastside Climate Challenge to provide individuals and organizations opportunities to learn about climate change solutions and help achieve community-wide climate goals, according to a joint press release today…” — 425 Magazine

4/21/22 “For Earth Week, Teen Vogue wanted to hear from U.S. high school students about how climate change concerns show up in your lives and how you cope with these stressors. Have you lived through extreme weather events? Do you talk to people about how they experience this crisis in their lives? Are you taught about it in school?’’…
…Sammamish, Washington — I am lucky to live in an affluent area with good infrastructure, where I can take basic resources, and some luxuries, for granted. However, I’m more than aware that others do not have this privilege, and news headlines of natural disasters, unexpected weather patterns, and other climate crises displacing people of lower socioeconomic status affirm the dire situation. Additionally, last summer I was staying in Pullman, Washington, for a research internship, and the temperatures record highs, in the 110s. With air-conditioning units and fans sold out, and the very poor air quality making open windows impossible, it was difficult to get comfortable. It became quite scary when I started receiving amber alerts for fires and evacuation alerts in the nearby counties, and when the apartment complex a street down from mine actually burned down. As elected student government president, I am initiating discussions with our administrators on topics [such as] cafeteria waste, green building features, and high morning traffic with too many idle cars to count. With my team at Sustainability Ambassadors, a local nonprofit, I have developed a video curriculum that is being implemented into the Lake Washington School District biology program. I have also rallied my local government to create an environmental board, where I am now serving a two-year term to advise the Issaquah City Council on relevant policies from the angle of sustainability. I believe that even those who do not see addressing climate change as a personal duty will encounter a necessity to join the fight in the next few decades…” — Teen Vogue 

4/22/22 “In few parts of the country are residents more aware of climate change than King County.  According to projections from Yale Climate Opinion Maps, an estimated 84% of King County  residents believe global warming is happening, 70% believe it’s caused mostly by human activity and 78% believe it’s affecting the weather…” — Seattle Times 

4/27/22 “Southern California’s gigantic water supplier took the unprecedented step Tuesday of requiring about 6 million people to cut their outdoor watering to one day a week as drought continues to plague the state…” — The Huffington Post

4/27/22 “Carbon dioxide (CO₂) reached an average daily concentration of 422.06 ppm on April 26, 2022, at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.  Furthermore, very high methane levels were recorded recently at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, with surface flask readings appearing to be as high as 1955”— ARCTIC NEWS

4/29/22 “Research published Thursday in the journal Science warns that runaway global warming driven by carbon dioxide emissions has put marine life at risk of the most catastrophic mass extinction since the "Great Dying" 250 million years ago, when 90% of all Oceans species were wiped out… If humanity acts swiftly to bring carbon emissions into line with the limits set out by the Paris agreement, warming can be dramatically slowed and devastating marine life extinctions can be prevented…The barriers to the kind of sweeping, global climate action that the scientific evidence demands remain immense, however, as the rich countries most responsible for planet-warming emissions burn fossil fuels at a rate that spell disaster for the future…  At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow late last year, nations adopted a pact stressing the "importance of protecting, conserving and restoring natures and ecosystems, including... marine ecosystems…  But climate advocates were dismayed by how little concrete action the gathering spurred, given the enormous consequences of failing to slash carbon emissions worldwide…” — Common Dreams
​
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8/4/19 - Global warming brings increased wildfire risk to Issaquah, other 'too-wet-to-burn' areas
https://www.king5.com/article/news/global-warming-brings-increased-wildfire-risk-to-issaquah-and-other-too-wet-to-burn-areas/281-246d596a-0440-4ce4-8ec3-e3ef18a4e7da
9/3/20 - Constantine announces King County climate action plan
https://www.issaquahreporter.com/news/constantine-announces-king-county-climate-action-plan/
4/20/22 - Eastside cities launch new communitywide climate challenge for Earth Day
https://bellevuewa.gov/city-news/eastside-climate-challenge
11/17/22 - Local residents push Sammamish to take action on climate change
https://sammamishindependent.com/2022/11/local-residents-push-sammamish-to-take-action-on-climate-change/
2/8/23 - The State of Sustainability is Strong in Issaquah
https://issaquahhighlands.com/the-state-of-sustainability-is-strong-in-issaquah/
4/10/23 - No time to lose on transitioning to clean energy | Guest column
https://www.issaquahreporter.com/opinion/no-time-to-lose-on-transitioning-to-clean-energy-guest-column/
6/24/23 - We should have listened to Jim Hansen - Instead we are headed for global chaoshttps://theraven.substack.com/p/we-should-have-listened-to-jim-hansen?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=72245&post_id=130540123&isFreemail=false&utm_medium=email
7/5/23 - The planet saw its hottest day ever this week. The record will be broken again and again
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/05/world/hottest-day-world-climate-el-nino-intl/index.htm
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Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (2023) 
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Weather-Story-Hotter-World/dp/1399720201/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1689430058&sr=1-2
​
MAY 2019 - Can Jay Inslee Make Climate Change More Than a Campaign Talking Point? - “You can’t just talk about climate—you’ve got to mean it.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/climate-change-inslee-2020-elections/
JUNE 2019 - JAY INSLEE JUST DROPPED THE MOST AMBITIOUS CLIMATE PLAN - FROM A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. HERE’S WHO IT TARGETS. - “There’s a complicity in continuing to invest. That’s a different type of responsibility.”
https://theintercept.com/2019/06/24/jay-inslee-climate-change-pollution/
AUGUST 2019 - How Big Oil Blocked Gov. Jay Inslee on Climate Change
https://features.weather.com/collateral/big-oil-blocked-gov-jay-inslee-climate-change/
SEPTEMBER 2020 - Gov. Jay Inslee on the Climate Crisis: ‘We Cannot Give in to Defeat and Pessimism’ - The Washington state governor writes about the wildfires that have ravaged the West Coast, the importance of this election, and why we have no more time to lose
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/jay-inslee-wildfires-washington-climate-crisis-1065359/
APRIL 2021 - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: Time to 'Seize the Moment' on Climate Change, Clean Energy
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-04-22/washington-gov-jay-inslee-time-to-seize-the-moment-on-climate-change-clean-energy
MARCH 2022 - Q&A: Gov. Jay Inslee’s Thoughts on Countering Climate Change in the State of Washington and Beyond - Inslee, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2019 as a climate change candidate, says, “The way to build hope is to take action.”
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04032022/qa-gov-jay-inslees-thoughts-on-countering-climate-change-in-the-state-of-washington-and-beyond/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoavu87iegQMVoxCtBh1Zdgz-EAAYASAAEgKi_fD_BwE
MAY 2021 - Governor Inslee is leading the race against climate change. Other governors should keep up.
https://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2021/05/18/governor-inslee-is-leading-the-race-against-climate-change-other-governors-should-keep-up/
MAY 2023 - Even as he prepares to leave office, Jay Inslee is pushing for climate action - The longtime Washington governor said he will continue to focus on the issue in the future. ‘When you have the kind of passion that I do, it’s not going to be dimmed just because I’m out of public office.’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/04/jay-inslee-governor-washington-climate-change/
MAY 2023 - Jay Inslee’s Lesson in Bowing Out Gracefully - After making his mark on climate change policy throughout the country, the Washington governor has announced that he won’t seek reelection.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/jay-inslee-retirement/
MAY 2023 - Inslee statement: “We’ve made Washington a beacon for progress for the nation. I’m ready to pass the torch.”
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2023/inslee-statement-weve-made-washington-beacon-progress-nation-im-ready-pass-torch
JULY 2023 - Inslee and legislators say it’s time for “radical transparency” as Big Oil rakes in excessive profits
https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-and-legislators-say-its-time-for-radical-transparency-as-big-oil-rakes-in-excessive-9a3ab71f894a
JULY 2023 - New law pushes Washington cities and counties to plan for climate change - They’ll have to incorporate strategies to cut emissions and better withstand natural disasters and severe weather into their long-term plans.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/07/24/new-law-pushes-washington-cities-and-counties-to-plan-for-climate-change/
JULY 2023 - Issaquah is now the only city in Washington with LEED Gold status
https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/issaquah-leed-gold-status/281-e89b6fa7-8144-41f4-8143-19975138049b
JULY 2023 - ‘The Climate Change Bomb Has Gone Off,' Says Jay Inslee Amid Extreme Heat - “What the scientific community is telling us now, is that the Earth is screaming at us," said the Washington governor. "We need to stop using fossil fuels. That is the only solution to this massive assault on humanity.”
​https://www.commondreams.org/news/inslee-climate-extreme-heat
September 2023 - ‘It’s only going to get worse': Scientists speak to WA governor about warming climate
https://www.yahoo.com/news/only-going-worse-scientists-speak-035900986.html
​September  2023 - The Axe Files with David Axelrod & Gov Inslee 
https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/axe-files/episodes/de1f07ae-0b37-42af-aefe-b07c0148fb0c
​December 2023 People over pollution: Inslee unveils 2024 policies building on landmark climate achievements
https://medium.com/wagovernor/people-over-pollution-inslee-unveils-2024-policies-building-on-landmark-climate-achievements-ca773287ca86
January 2024 - Gov. Inslee to WA lawmakers: ‘I’m not riding into the sunset’
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/gov-inslee-to-wa-lawmakers-im-not-riding-into-the-sunset/
January 2024 - End of an era: Who comes after Kerry?
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/17/end-of-an-era-who-comes-after-kerry-ee-00136043#:~:text=Potential 
January 2024 - Jay Inslee Fast Facts
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/05/us/jay-inslee-fast-facts/index.html
Community Climate Justice  - Governor Inslee's Plan for Environmental & Economic Justice in an Inclusive Clean Energy Economy
https://www.jayinslee.com/issues/climate-justice
January 2024 - Pacific Coast Leaders Release Strategy for Building More with Less Carbon
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/pacific-coast-leaders-release-strategy-building-more-less-carbon
February 2024 - Jay Inslee reflects in his final year as governor
​https://www.chronline.com/stories/jay-inslee-reflects-in-his-final-year-as-governor,334421
March 2024 - WA Gov. Inslee signs slate of climate and environment bills into law
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-gov-inslee-signs-slate-of-climate-and-environment-bills-into-law/
April 2024 - Gov. Inslee urges Washington state to stay the course in ‘glide path’ toward zero emissions
https://www.kuow.org/stories/gov-inslee-urges-washington-state-to-stay-the-course-in-glide-path-toward-zero-emissions
April 2024 - From Earth Day to Arbor Day, one week in Washington shows momentum in clean energy transition
https://medium.com/wagovernor/from-earth-day-to-arbor-day-one-week-in-washington-shows-momentum-in-clean-energy-transition-c9489a4b2b9c
May 2024 - Inslee touts benefits of forest preservation near Lake Whatcom 
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article288483599.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
May 2024 - On the road: energy retrofits and career connections in Kitsap and King counties
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/road-energy-retrofits-and-career-connections-kitsap-and-king-counties
May 2024 - Inslee directs regulators to reconsider wind farm proposal
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/inslee-directs-regulators-reconsider-wind-farm-proposal
May 2024 - Massive wind farm proposal in Washington state gets new life from Gov. Jay Inslee
https://apnews.com/article/washington-wind-farm-endangered-hawk-inslee-b5b79db2ede77506cb6894ee8421845a
May 2024 - What Washington’s governor is learning from California on climate
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/30/washington-california-climate-lessons-00160575
June 2024 - Governor Jay Inslee responds to new climate change report
https://www.khq.com/news/governor-jay-inslee-responds-to-new-climate-change-report/article_4d23d812-2782-11ef-9a37-cbcaeef8ba59.html
June 2024 - WA Gov Jay Inslee is a climate champion (still slaying fossil fuel dragons)
http://redgreenandblue.org/2024/06/25/wa-gov-jay-inslee-climate-champion-still-slaying-fossil-fuel-dragons/
July 2024 - In Washington state, Inslee's final months aimed at staving off repeal of landmark climate law
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/washington-state-inslees-final-months-aimed-staving-off-112186437
July 2024 - Harrell and Inslee Tout Climate Work as Seattle Hosts Bloomberg Summit
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/07/13/harrell-and-inslee-tout-climate-work/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
July 2024 - Washington Governor Inslee Vows to Defend Law Under Attack - VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvW0x9JZ4FU
July 2024 - ‘This is an assault’ that means people’s lives: Gov. Inslee on Project 2025’s plans for the climate - VIDEO
https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/-this-is-an-assault-that-means-people-s-lives-gov-jay-inslee-on-project-2025-s-plans-for-the-climate-215850053510
September 2024 - Gov. Inslee tours ‘green’ WWU project as voters ponder Climate Commitment Act’s future
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article292269265.html
September 2024 - Inslee fights repeal of his signature cap-and-trade law
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/09/16/jay-inslee-cap-trade-law-climate
September 2024 - Forbes Sustainability Leaders 2024 - WA Gov Inslee
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elisabethbrier/article/forbes-sustainability-leaders/
September 2024 - Inslee and governors of 23 states launch ‘climate-ready workforce' initiative
https://www.knkx.org/environment/2024-09-24/gov-jay-inslee-new-york-climate-week-us-climate-alliance-workforce-apprenticeships
October 2024 - Inslee pushes to keep Climate Commitment Act - VIDEO
https://fuel-streaming-prod01.fuelmedia.io/v1/sem/2e895795-0ccc-4d07-bf9a-1e485cce2da4.m3u8?swc=f2fde608-bca7-4d85-b332-4d0f03d89d58
October 2024 - How the ‘climate voter’ might matter in a down-to-the-wire US election (Inslee quote)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/16/us-election-hurricanes-climate-voter
October 2024 - New analysis ranks the most energy-efficient states. See why Washington came out on top
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article293854909.html
October 2024 - Will Washington voters buy into Inslee’s vision on climate policy?
https://www.route-fifty.com/management/2024/10/will-washington-voters-buy-inslees-vision-climate-policy/400473/
OCTOBER 2024 - The ‘Greenest Governor’ Fights to Save a Landmark Climate Law 
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/us/washington-state-climate-initiative-2117.html
OCTOBER 2024 - With I-2117 choice, WA voters could influence national climate policy 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/with-i-2117-choice-wa-voters-could-influence-national-climate-policy/
NOVEMBER 2024 - Inslee statement on general election results
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/inslee-statement-general-election-results
NOVEMBER 2024 - WA Gov. Inslee responds to election results: ‘Their leadership will be crucial’ - VIDEO
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-gov-inslee-responds-election-results
NOVEMBER 2024 - Under Trump, WA can serve as a beacon of climate policy, Inslee says
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/under-trump-wa-can-serve-as-a-beacon-of-climate-policy-inslee-says/
NOVEMBER 2024 - Inslee attending COP29, will stress urgency of subnational leadership on climate change
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/inslee-attending-cop29-will-stress-urgency-subnational-leadership-climate-change
NOVEMBER 2024 - On KIRO Newsradio, Gov. Jay Inslee points to Climate Commitment Act as a success
https://mynorthwest.com/4008223/on-kiro-newsradio-gov-jay-inslee-points-to-climate-commitment-act-as-a-success/
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Snatam Kaur - Earth Prayer 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYolzWpE1Z4
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​The ‘Greenest Governor’ Fights to Save a Landmark Climate Law 
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/us/washington-state-climate-initiative-2117.html
Will Washington voters buy into Inslee’s vision on climate policy?
https://www.route-fifty.com/management/2024/10/will-washington-voters-buy-inslees-vision-climate-policy/400473/
An attempt to repeal Washington’s landmark climate law failed massively
https://grist.org/politics/washington-climate-law-repeal-failed-cap-and-trade/
Conservatives tried to repeal one of the country’s strongest climate policies. They failed big time.
https://www.vox.com/climate/383706/climate-washington-cap-trade-carbon-tax-repeal-election-2024
63% of voters reject I-2117 in Washington state
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/elections/votes-against-i-2117-lead-washington-state/281-6ee8b741-c055-4a77-a216-33cf40973b45
Climate Initiatives Fare Well Across the Country Despite National Political Climate
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07112024/state-climate-initiatives-fare-well-across-country/
Initiative 2117: Voters support WA’s carbon market 
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/initiative-2117-voters-supporting-was-carbon-market/
Washington's statewide initiatives saw big shift in support. What happened?
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/elections/washington-initiatives-change-in-support-opposition/281-fb2773a5-ddbf-4648-b2be-cb1eabbb9216
US election may roll back climate action
https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/10/27/opinion/columns/us-election-may-roll-back-climate-action/1991936
Spokane City Council passes resolution that opposes Initiative 2117
https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/elections/elections-2024/spokane-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-climate-commitment-act-initiative-2117/293-4804c196-987d-4714-b030-6090aad2c1b3
Initiative 2117 poses threat to the Climate Commitment Act this November
https://www.dailyuw.com/news/initiative-2117-poses-threat-to-the-climate-commitment-act-this-november/article_c9f65e78-95af-11ef-9514-4708c1a973d7.html
Washingtonians will make their voices heard on climate change on Election Day
https://salish-current.org/2024/10/30/washingtonians-will-make-their-voices-heard-on-climate-change-on-election-day/
All eyes on Washington as voters consider repeal of landmark Climate Commitment Act
https://www.knkx.org/politics/2024-10-30/washington-voters-consider-repeal-climate-commitment-act-initiative-2117-carbon-tax-markets
State invests more than $8M in Cowlitz Indian Tribe clean energy projects. It pledges to continue efforts ‘for generations.’
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/oct/30/state-invests-more-than-8m-in-cowlitz-indian-tribe-clean-energy-projects-it-pledges-to-continue-efforts-for-generations/
With I-2117 choice, WA voters could influence national climate policy 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/with-i-2117-choice-wa-voters-could-influence-national-climate-policy/
Ballot initiative would undo Washington’s landmark climate law
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/10/23/washington-initiative-2117-climate-commitment-act/
Rulemaking Alert: Plan to Reduce Emissions in Overburdened Communities under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
https://natlawreview.com/article/rulemaking-alert-plan-reduce-emissions-overburdened-communities-under-washingtons
New analysis ranks the most energy-efficient states. See why Washington came out on top
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article293854909.html
Safety Valve | Vote 'no' to defunding the Climate Commitment Act 
https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/opinion/safetyvalve/safety-valve-vote-no-to-defunding-the-climate-commitment-act/article_a25d9f14-8cab-11ef-844f-3ba90534d1c7.html
WA voters on track to vote against repealing Climate Commitment Act: WA Poll
https://www.king5.com/video/news/politics/elections/281-bc0bf48e-ec97-405c-a52a-cdb351656ff9
Lands commissioner: Climate Commitment Act is too important
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/lands-commissioner-climate-commitment-act-is-too-important/
Washington state's landmark climate law could be repealed in November
https://www.philippinetimes.com/news/274722869/washington-state-landmark-climate-law-could-be-repealed-in-november
Washington’s Landmark Climate Law Hangs in The Balance This Election
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2024/10/16/797203.htm
Voters to face climate-related ballot initiatives, such as repealing law to reduce emissions by 95% by 2050
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/voters-climate-ballot-initiatives-repealing-law-emissions
Initiative 2117 is on the general election ballot. Here's what it does
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/elections/initiative-2117-climate-commitment-act-repeal/281-3168d30f-ddbc-4ef6-a993-b5a998b42d0e
Why Washington State’s landmark climate law may be repealed soon
https://www.fastcompany.com/91210210/washington-climate-law-carbon-emissions-repeal-election
LOOKING BACK:  Judge Dismisses Youth Climate Change Lawsuit in Washington State
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15082018/youth-climate-change-lawsuit-dismissed-washington-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADogIi3OeTc3q73u9M13ZJanLmsFF
Inslee pushes to keep Climate Commitment Act - VIDEO
https://fuel-streaming-prod01.fuelmedia.io/v1/sem/2e895795-0ccc-4d07-bf9a-1e485cce2da4.m3u8?swc=f2fde608-bca7-4d85-b332-4d0f03d89d58
Washington's carbon pricing law faces repeal in November election
https://www.dailyclimate.org/washington-s-carbon-pricing-law-faces-repeal-in-november-election-2669400340.html
Seattle leaders declare opposition to measure to nix Climate Commitment Act
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_b2871ce2-8730-11ef-8486-074fc1765e5d.html
Debate to repeal Washington's Climate Commitment Act takes center stage at Seattle University
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/elections/debate-to-repeal-washington-climate-commitment-act-at-seattle-university/281-b93cd155-9c21-43a9-8bc3-9858971e2708
Here are takeaways from debate over Initiative 2117, which would repeal Washington’s climate law
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/oct/10/here-are-takeaways-from-debate-over-initiative-211/
Initiative backer Let’s Go Washington fined $20,000 for campaign finance violations
https://www.kuow.org/stories/initiative-backer-let-s-go-washington-fined-20-000-for-campaign-finance-violations
Jane Fonda rallies against I-2117 in Seattle — and hints at moving here
https://www.kuow.org/stories/jane-fonda-swings-through-seattle-to-rally-against-i-2117
Washington Voters Are Poised to Decide the Fate of the State’s Landmark Climate Law
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/washington-voters-are-poised-decide-fate-state-s-landmark-climate-law
Washington state's landmark climate law hangs in the balance in November
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/washington-states-landmark-climate-law-hangs-balance-november-114770670
How Initiative 2117 will impact the Climate Commitment Act and carbon taxes
https://thetacomaledger.com/2024/10/14/how-initiative-2117-will-impact-the-climate-commitment-act-and-taxes/
VIDEO: Inside Washington's Climate Commitment Act that faces repeal in November
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2b946902-8b26-11ef-9d0b-93f91705897d.html
Let’s Go Washington faces PDC questions over signature collection
https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2024/10/lets-go-washington-faces-pdc-questions-over-signature-collection
Climate Protection: What can I do about global warming pollution?
https://mltnews.com/climate-protection-what-can-i-do-about-global-warming-pollution/
Climate Commitment Act: We are all part of the problem — and solution 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/climate-commitment-act-we-are-all-part-of-the-problem-and-solution/
Letter to the editor: Economic fairness depends on the Climate Commitment Act
https://myedmondsnews.com/2024/10/letter-to-the-editor-economic-fairness-depends-on-the-climate-commitment-act/
Stand with TNC Against Initiative 2117
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/washington/no-on-21170/
Local state candidates discuss education, Climate Commitment Act
https://thereflector.com/stories/local-state-candidates-discuss-education-climate-commitment-act,363117
Seattle joins other Washington cities in opposing I-2117, a measure to nix state’s climate program
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/seattle-joins-other-washington-cities-in-opposing-i-2117-a-measure-to-nix-states-climate-program/
Bill Nye Sounds the Alarm on the Threat Initiative 2117 Poses to Washingtonians' Health - VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW_A4qbaPG4
(RE)EXPLAINING WASHINGTON’S CLIMATE COMMITMENT ACT
https://www.sightline.org/2024/10/08/reexplaining-washingtons-climate-commitment-act/
The states where climate progress is on the ballot
https://grist.org/elections/states-climate-progress-election-washington-minnesota/
Washington Transit Agencies Sound the Alarm About Impacts from I-2117
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/09/27/washington-transit-agencies-sound-the-alarm-about-impacts-from-i-2117/
Why Washington tribes are fighting effort to gut the state's Climate Commitment Act
https://www.kuow.org/stories/majority-of-washington-tribes-oppose-effort-to-gut-climate-commitment-act
Inslee and governors of 23 states launch ‘climate-ready workforce' initiative
https://www.knkx.org/environment/2024-09-24/gov-jay-inslee-new-york-climate-week-us-climate-alliance-workforce-apprenticeships
Climate Commitment Act dollars at work: $10 million investment supports new clean energy projects in tribal communities
https://www.commerce.wa.gov/es/category/comunicados-de-prensa/
Washington discussing shared carbon market linkage system with California, Québec
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/washington-discussing-shared-carbon-market-linkage-system-with-california-qu-bec/article_89247f92-7a98-11ef-9044-4ff961c63d74.html
Climate Commitment Act: Don’t repeal 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/climate-commitment-act-dont-repeal/
Forbes Sustainability Leaders 2024 - WA Gov Inslee
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elisabethbrier/article/forbes-sustainability-leaders/
New Jobs Study Finds WA's Climate Commitment Act is Catalyst for Jobs and Economic Growth
https://www.goskagit.com/new-jobs-study-finds-was-climate-commitment-act-is-catalyst-for-jobs-and-economic-growth/article_a5baa81c-30f9-5a1b-8964-f914cf03a0bb.html
Governor visits Washington Conservation Corps restoration crew
https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/september-2024/governor-visit-washington-conservation-corps-restoration-crew
Washington launches FundHubWA to help people and organizations find climate and clean energy funding
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/washington-launches-fundhubwa-help-people-and-organizations-find-climate-and-clean-energy-funding
No on I-2117 to retain Climate Commitment Act 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/no-on-i-2117-to-retain-climate-commitment-act/
Inslee fights repeal of his signature cap-and-trade law
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/09/16/jay-inslee-cap-trade-law-climate
Gov. Inslee tours ‘green’ WWU project as voters ponder Climate Commitment Act’s future
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article292269265.html
Washington ballot initiatives lose ground with voters in new poll
https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/09/washington-ballot-initiatives-lose-ground-voters-new-poll
WA’s carbon auction prices — and gas prices — are down from 2023
https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2024/09/was-carbon-auction-prices-and-gas-prices-are-down-2023
NBC News medical analyst says repealing Climate Commitment Act could have negative health impacts
https://www.king5.com/video/news/politics/state-politics/281-73cac56e-9bb1-4bd1-9d72-658e2e763087
Almost 700,000 WA households receive $200 credit on their electric bills
https://mltnews.com/almost-700000-wa-households-receive-200-credit-on-their-electric-bills/
Interactive map tracks Climate Commitment Act investments to show ‘risk of repeal’
https://www.knkx.org/environment/2024-09-16/interactive-map-tracks-climate-commitment-act-investments-to-show-risk-of-repeal
Washington governor's debate: Ferguson, Reichert on Climate Commitment Act - VIDEO
https://www.king5.com/video/news/politics/state-politics/281-287f3280-d657-43b7-bb4e-d2c3fdad47c2
Watch Our Ad: “Ripple Effect”
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ripple-effect
Debate intensifies over initiative 2117 impact on gas prices and environment
https://www.kxly.com/news/politics/4thepeople-elections-coverage/debate-intensifies-over-initiative-2117-impact-on-gas-prices-and-environment/article_9e47f766-6d8a-11ef-adcf-1fe9fdd926ea.html
Seattle nonprofit says effort to repeal Climate Commitment Act would eliminate new food donation sources
https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-nonprofit-worries-fall-ballot-measure-initiative-2117-effort-to-repeal-climate-commitment-act-would-reduce-food-donations
The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Keep WA’s Climate Commitment Act — vote no on I-2117
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-seattle-times-editorial-board-recommends-keep-was-climate-commitment-act-vote-no-on-i-2117/
I-2117 is scorched-earth folly 
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/i-2117-is-scorched-earth-folly/
Foes of measure to repeal WA climate law launch their first TV ad
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/09/05/foes-of-measure-to-repeal-wa-climate-law-launch-their-first-tv-ad/
Watch Our Ad: “Ripple Effect”
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ripple-effect?utm_source=ema_2024-09-04_ripple_1&refcode=ema_2024-09-04_ripple_1
Redmond City Council Adopts Resolution Opposing Initiative 2117 to Repeal the Climate Commitment Act
https://www.redmond.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2164
Governor’s San Juan visit focuses on climate change, Climate Commitment Act
https://salish-current.org/2024/08/30/governors-san-juan-visit-focuses-on-climate-change-climate-commitment-act/
Deadline approaching for $200 energy bill credits, a small piece of a big state law under scrutiny this November
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/sep/03/deadline-approaching-for-200-energy-bill-credits-a/
Vote No on I-2117 If You Love Bikes and Trails
https://cascade.org/news/2024/09/vote-no-i-2117-if-you-love-bikes-and-trails
Washington launches support program for agricultural fuel users
https://www.goodfruit.com/washington-launches-support-program-for-agricultural-fuel-users/
Health Experts, Parents, Community Leaders Warn Initiative 2117 Would Allow More Pollution by Rolling Back Most Consequential Washington State Clean Air Program in Decades
https://no2117.com/experts-parents-leaders-warn-i-2117-would-allow-more-pollution/
No 1-2117 Blog & Fact Sheets
https://no2117.com/blog/
Map Update Reveals $186M in Climate Investments at Risk in Pierce County
https://thesubtimes.com/2024/08/26/map-update-reveals-186m-in-climate-investments-at-risk-in-pierce-county/
Should WA's foresters harvest timber or sell it for carbon credits?
https://www.cascadepbs.org/environment/2024/08/should-was-foresters-harvest-timber-or-sell-it-carbon-credits
Can Washington afford the environmental and economic costs of I-2117?
https://komonews.com/news/local/initiative-2117-washington-state-boing-field-2021-climate-commitment-act-governor-jay-inslee-no-campaign-greenhouse-gases-northwest-progressive-institute-energy-efficiency-wildfire-season
Wenatchee nonprofit secures climate commitment act funds
https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/paywalloff/wenatchee-nonprofit-secures-climate-commitment-act-funds/article_1c33488e-6560-11ef-a21e-97b8cccabc19.html
Community grants available to improve outdoor air for most vulnerable
https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/aug-29-community-grants-open-to-improve-air-quality
Washington state doles out $14 million of CCA revenue to orgs, tribes
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_41f2a09a-6562-11ef-942e-ff3b4798a554.html
The group that accused Gov. Inslee of bribing voters hands out discounted gas to encourage voters to kill WA carbon tax
https://www.inlander.com/news/the-group-that-accused-gov-inslee-of-bribing-voters-hands-out-discounted-gas-to-encourage-voters-to-kill-wa-carbon-tax-28529696
VOTE: How do you plan to vote on I-2117 to repeal portions of the Climate Commitment Act?
https://komonews.com/news/local/gas-prices-seattle-washington-skagit-county-national-king-county-initiative-i-2117-climate-commitment-act-emissions-duwamish-valley-cca-komo-pulse-poll-daily-question-vote-voters
NEWS GLEAMS | DOH Awards $14M in Climate Commitment Act Funds; State Environmental Justice Council Seeks Community Rep
https://southseattleemerald.com/2024/08/19/news-gleams-doh-awards-14m-in-climate-commitment-act-funds-state-environmental-justice-council-seeks-community-rep/
Washington State Supreme Court quashes Jim Walsh’s lawsuit to hide the costs of his destructive initiatives from voters
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/08/washington-state-supreme-court-quashes-jim-walshs-lawsuit-to-hide-the-costs-of-his-destructive-initiatives-from-voters.html
ONLINE MAP ADDS HUNDREDS MORE STATEWIDE PROJECTS AT RISK
https://www.streetinsider.com/dr/news.php?id=23609726&gfv=1
Yakama Nation among organizations awarded Climate Commitment Act funding
https://www.fox41yakima.com/yakama-nation-among-organizations-awarded-climate-commitment-act-funding/
Vote NO on Initiative 2117: Protect Jobs and the Climate Commitment Act
https://www.wfse.org/local872/news/vote-no-initiative-2117-protect-jobs-and-climate-commitment-act
What’s the cost if WA voters erase capital gains tax or end cap-and-trade?
https://www.issaquahreporter.com/northwest/whats-the-cost-if-wa-voters-erase-capital-gains-tax-or-end-cap-and-trade/
New grants will help Washington landfills reduce methane emissions
https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/ecology-opens-landfill-methane-grants
ICYMI: It's been a hot rebate summer
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/icymi-its-been-hot-rebate-summer
Washington is offering $200 to some residents to help pay electric bills
https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-is-offering-200-to-help-pay-electric-bills
Is Washington’s Climate Commitment Act In Trouble?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/prakashdolsak/2024/07/31/is-washingtons-climate-commitment-act-in-trouble/
Inslee defends energy credit program against claims of influencing voters
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_1b8d7a34-4df6-11ef-b984-bbe6169e8b64.html
State agency: Repealing Climate Commitment Act means billions in lost revenue
https://www.chronline.com/stories/state-agency-repealing-climate-commitment-act-means-billions-in-lost-revenue,346733
In Washington state, Inslee's final months aimed at staving off repeal of landmark climate law
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/washington-state-inslees-final-months-aimed-staving-off-112186437
Washington to provide $200 energy credits to low-income households ahead of vote on climate law
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/washington-to-provide-200-energy-credits-to-low-income-households-ahead-of-vote-on-climate-law/
Governor visits at Strawberry Festival
https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/news/governor-visits-at-strawberry-festival/
BI seniors take stand against Climate Act repeal
https://www.bainbridgereview.com/news/bi-seniors-take-stand-against-climate-act-repeal/
Are offshore wind turbines in Washington’s future?
https://crosscut.com/environment/2024/07/are-offshore-wind-turbines-washingtons-future
City of Burien releases statement supporting Climate Commitment Act
https://b-townblog.com/city-of-burien-releases-statement-supporting-climate-commitment-act/
Here’s what Washington voters need to know about Initiative 2117
https://www.krem.com/article/news/politics/washington-initiative-2117-climate-commitment-act/293-55600530-038f-4830-900a-771c1027253b
More Than 700,000 People Getting $150 Million in Energy Rebates
https://www.newsweek.com/more-700000-people-getting-energy-rebates-washington-1926517
Money from Washington’s landmark climate law will help tribes face rising seas, climate change
https://wtop.com/national/2024/07/money-from-washingtons-landmark-climate-law-will-help-tribes-face-rising-seas-climate-change/
Commentary: Repealing Climate Commitment Act comes at too high a cost
https://www.thereflector.com/stories/commentary-repealing-climate-commitment-act-comes-at-too-high-a-cost,345905
QIN/Shoalwater included in $52 million through Climate Commitment Act funding
https://www.kxro.com/qin-shoalwater-included-in-52-million-through-climate-commitment-act-funding/
Washington Governor Inslee Vows to Defend Law Under Attack - VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvW0x9JZ4FU
Harrell and Inslee Tout Climate Work as Seattle Hosts Bloomberg Summit
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/07/13/harrell-and-inslee-tout-climate-work/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Climate Commitment Act dollars at work: Commerce funds efforts to bring more community voices to table in growth management planning
https://www.commerce.wa.gov/news/climate-commitment-act-dollars-at-work-commerce-funds-efforts-to-bring-more-community-voices-to-table-in-growth-management-planning/
Washington Governor Jay Inslee on his last big climate fight - VIDEO
https://www.volts.wtf/p/washington-governor-jay-inslee-on
People over pollution: Inslee unveils 2024 policies building on landmark climate achievements
https://medium.com/wagovernor/people-over-pollution-inslee-unveils-2024-policies-building-on-landmark-climate-achievements-ca773287ca86
Climate Commitment Act Repeal Imperils Port’s Pollution Reduction Efforts
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/07/02/cca-repeal-imperils-ports-pollution-reduction/
\WA ballot initiative would cut $848.6M of environmental programs
https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/07/wa-ballot-initiative-would-cut-8486m-environmental-programs
If Climate Commitment Act is repealed, what local projects are at risk?
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/if-climate-commitment-act-is-repealed-what-local-projects-are-at-risk/
Solar array planned for former Purdy landfill
https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/community/purdy-landfill-solar-array-climate-commitment-act-2024/
We're all in: Governor Inslee's next big climate fight
https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2024-06/were-all-governor-inslees-next-big-climate-fight
Inslee vows to assist families with energy costs, prevent gouging by oil firms
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/12/11/inslee-vows-to-assist-families-with-energy-costs-prevent-gouging-by-oil-firms/
Gov. Inslee proposes another $941 million for clean energy, climate action in WA 
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/gov-inslee-proposes-another-941-million-for-clean-energy-climate-action-in-wa/
‘It’s just starting’: Inslee champions climate initiatives in Marysville
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/its-just-starting-inslee-champions-climate-initiatives-in-marysville/
Starting his final year in office, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee stresses he isn’t finished yet
https://apnews.com/article/washington-governor-inslee-state-of-state-72733791bdc56cd5476f6e77d01cf933
Q&A: Gov. Jay Inslee’s Thoughts on Countering Climate Change in the State of Washington and Beyond
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04032022/qa-gov-jay-inslees-thoughts-on-countering-climate-change-in-the-state-of-washington-and-beyond/
WA Gov Jay Inslee is a climate champion (still slaying fossil fuel dragons)
http://redgreenandblue.org/2024/06/25/wa-gov-jay-inslee-climate-champion-still-slaying-fossil-fuel-dragons/
Oil companies' lies are costing us dearly: what they don't want us to understand about the fuel market
https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2023-07/oil-companies-lies-are-costing-us-dearly-what-they-dont-want-us-understand-about
In Washington, new policies and tools ensure climate action starts where environmental harm is greatest
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/washington-new-policies-and-tools-ensure-climate-action-starts-where-environmental-harm-greatest
WA to distribute $72 million from carbon market auctions for community energy projects
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-to-distribute-72-million-from-carbon-market-auctions-for-community-energy-projects/
Outgoing Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on his climate record
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/04/outgoing-washington-gov-jay-inslee-his-climate-record/
Climate projects land $75M to boost environmental justice, job training in Washington state
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/climate-projects-land-75m-to-boost-environmental-justice-job-training-in-washington-state/
Gov. Inslee tours Georgetown treatment station promoting Climate Commitment Act
https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-climate-commitment-act-cca-georgetown-seattle-wet-weather-treatment-station-duwamish-river-climate-change-legislature-tour-king-county-executive-dow-constantine-mike-fong-commerce-komo-pulse-poll-vote-daily-question
Gov. Inslee announces grants from Climate Commitment Act funding, pushes to preserve it
https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/gov-inslee-announces-grants-from-climate-commitment-act-funding/281-fdbf419b-6179-419e-a6b8-cc59a18f5ffb
How Washington raised $300 million for climate action from polluters
https://grist.org/economics/how-washington-raised-300-million-for-climate-action-from-polluters/
Inslee and legislators say it’s time for “radical transparency” as Big Oil rakes in excessive profits
https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-and-legislators-say-its-time-for-radical-transparency-as-big-oil-rakes-in-excessive-9a3ab71f894a
Inslee tells the Washington story at Climate Week NYC
https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-tells-the-washington-story-at-climate-week-nyc-9a6d59d3a280
Spokane organizations receive $600,000 in Climate Commitment Act funding
https://www.fox28spokane.com/spokane-organizations-receive-600000-in-climate-commitment-act-funding/
Climate Commitment Act dollars at work: Commerce awards $72.6 million for community decarbonization work in 24 counties
https://www.commerce.wa.gov/news/cca-community-decarbonization/
VOTE: How do you feel about Washington state's Climate Commitment Act?
https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-climate-commitment-act-cca-georgetown-seattle-wet-weather-treatment-station-duwamish-river-climate-change-legislature-tour-king-county-executive-dow-constantine-mike-fong-commerce-komo-pulse-poll-vote-daily-question#
WA decides: Initiative 2117 to repeal the Climate Commitment Act
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/05/20/wa-decides-initiative-2117-to-repeal-the-climate-commitment-act/
Big Oil Has Spent Millions of Dollars to Stop a Carbon Fee in Washington State
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29102018/election-2018-washington-carbon-fee-ballot-initiative-price-carbon-big-oil-opposition/
WA carbon prices lower than expected in second year of auctions
https://crosscut.com/briefs/2024/06/wa-carbon-prices-lower-expected-second-year-auctions
Lacey Receives Climate Commitment Act Funding
https://www.thurstontalk.com/2024/06/07/lacey-receives-climate-commitment-act-funding/
Governor Jay Inslee responds to new climate change report
https://www.khq.com/news/governor-jay-inslee-responds-to-new-climate-change-report/article_4d23d812-2782-11ef-9a37-cbcaeef8ba59.html
Lacey Receives Climate Commitment Act Funding
https://www.thurstontalk.com/2024/06/07/lacey-receives-climate-commitment-act-funding/
Judge rules WA tax initiatives need fiscal impact info on ballots
https://crosscut.com/briefs/2024/06/judge-rules-wa-tax-initiatives-need-fiscal-impact-info-ballots
King County is transforming 1,000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle, adding the iconic structure to Eastrail with funding from the state, Amazon, City of Bellevue
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/about-king-county/about-dnrp/newsroom/news-releases/05-31-wilburton-trestle
Group launches site mapping projects funded by Climate Commitment Act
https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/climate-science/group-launches-site-mapping-projects-funded-climate-commitment-act/281-49a0c28e-3d23-41c0-ac16-4b14598f3a75
What Washington’s governor is learning from California on climate
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/30/washington-california-climate-lessons-00160575#:~:
WA conservative groups are banding together to dump carbon pricing
https://crosscut.com/environment/2024/05/wa-conservative-groups-are-banding-together-dump-carbon-pricing
Washington tribes launch Climate Commitment Act projects
https://www.khq.com/news/washington-tribes-launch-climate-commitment-act-projects/article_584cc62e-1d3f-11ef-8980-6bf7c8d8633a.html
Inslee directs agencies to coordinate environmental justice efforts for identifying overburdened communities
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/inslee-directs-agencies-coordinate-environmental-justice-efforts-identifying-overburdened
Commerce awards nearly $40 million in Climate Commitment Act funds for local electrification programs
https://www.commerce.wa.gov/news/commerce-awards-nearly-40-million-in-climate-commitment-act-funds-for-local-electrification-programs/
Washington voters favor anti-tax initiatives — for now
https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/05/washington-voters-favor-anti-tax-initiatives-now
Inslee directs regulators to reconsider wind farm proposal
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2024/inslee-directs-regulators-reconsider-wind-farm-proposal
Massive wind farm proposal in Washington state gets new life from Gov. Jay Inslee
https://apnews.com/article/washington-wind-farm-endangered-hawk-inslee-b5b79db2ede77506cb6894ee8421845a
Amazon, BP Counter Push to Repeal Washington Climate Law
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-01/amazon-bp-counter-push-to-repeal-washington-climate-law
Washington state is giving $5 million to a massive aluminum production plant in Spokane. Why?
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/may/22/washington-state-is-giving-5-million-to-a-massive-/
Gov. Inslee urges Washington state to stay the course in ‘glide path’ toward zero emissions
https://www.kuow.org/stories/gov-inslee-urges-washington-state-to-stay-the-course-in-glide-path-toward-zero-emissions
NO on I‑2117 launches new website and video urging Washingtonians to defend the Climate Commitment Act
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/04/no-on-i-2117-launches-new-website-and-video-urging-washingtonians-to-defend-the-climate-commitment-act.html
Washington’s key climate law is under attack. Big Oil wants it to survive.
https://grist.org/politics/washington-cap-and-invest-law-repeal-oil-companies/
Washington’s cap on carbon is raising billions for climate action. Can it survive the backlash?
https://grist.org/politics/washington-carbon-cap-investments-gas-prices/
Washington state now has the nation's most ambitious climate policy
https://www.volts.wtf/p/washington-state-now-has-the-nations
WA lawmakers rush to show climate act’s value before it goes to ballot
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-lawmakers-rush-to-show-climate-acts-value-before-it-goes-to-ballot/
Washington Enacts Bill to Join the California-Quebec Carbon Market
https://www.ncelenviro.org/articles/washington-joins-the-california-quebec-carbon-market/
Auction results and budget decisions emphasize importance of investments from Washington state’s Climate Commitment Act
https://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2024/03/13/auction-results-and-budget-decisions-emphasize-importance-of-investments-from-washington-states-climate-commitment-act/
Campaign to defend Washington state's climate law raises $11 million, far outpacing opposition
https://www.kuow.org/stories/campaign-to-defend-washington-state-s-climate-law-raises-11-million-far-outpacing-opposition
Initiative to axe carbon emissions law could ‘slam the brakes’ on Washington’s climate tech sector
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/initiative-to-axe-carbon-emissions-law-could-slam-the-brakes-on-washingtons-climate-tech-sector/
Gov. Inslee visits Walla Walla to see impact of Climate Commitment Act funds
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/top-video/gov-inslee-visits-walla-walla-to-see-impact-of-climate-commitment-act-funds/video_42f064ea-fd35-11ee-b886-a7786198bdc2.html
Earth Day gives WA a chance to remember its obligations — and reject Initiative 2117 | Opinion
https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article287775835.html#storylink=cpy
We Must Save the Climate Commitment Act from Cynical Climate Arsonists
https://www.thestranger.com/guest-editorial/2024/04/22/79473086/we-must-save-the-climate-commitment-act-from-cynical-climate-arsonists
Why young people need Washington’s Climate Commitment Act 
https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article287951850.html
From Earth Day to Arbor Day, one week in Washington shows momentum in clean energy transition
https://medium.com/wagovernor/from-earth-day-to-arbor-day-one-week-in-washington-shows-momentum-in-clean-energy-transition-c9489a4b2b9c
The multimillion-dollar fight over WA’s cap-and-invest program
https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/05/multimillion-dollar-fight-over-was-cap-and-invest-program
Gov. Jay Inslee visits air quality monitoring site at Mountain View High School
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/may/01/gov-jay-inslee-visits-air-quality-monitoring-site-at-mountain-view-high-school/
Inslee touts benefits of forest preservation near Lake Whatcom 
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article288483599.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Washington state is moving to cap carbon emissions
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/28/washington-state-is-moving-cap-carbon-emissions/
Washington state just started capping carbon emissions. Here’s how it works.
https://grist.org/economics/washington-state-cap-and-invest-california-lessonsit-works/
Inslee, Environmentalists Want More Aggressive Action Toward Reducing Greenhouse Gases
https://www.invw.org/2020/01/14/inslee-environmentalists-want-more-aggressive-action-toward-reducing-greenhouse-gases/
The greenest governor in the country tells Grist about his big climate plan
https://grist.org/climate-energy/washington-governor-jay-inslee-cap-and-trade-carbon-tax/
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