Letter to Editor | Approval of I-1631 is Urgent Call to Action

— from Katie Fleming —

As a mom of two young children, this week was another hard one for me in regard to climate change and the future of younger generations. On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change, told us that we have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe. This is an urgent call to action. We must move faster to lower greenhouse gas emissions – Washington state citizens can play an important role in this effort by voting YES on Initiative 1631 on November 6.

I-1631 would put a fee on the state’s largest polluters and invest in protecting clean air, clean water and building new clean-energy infrastructure across the state. Passing this initiative will give our state the resources to tackle the real impacts of climate change. The money raised by the carbon fee will be used to cut fossil-fuel dependency and to help the communities who have been most harmed by fossil fuel pollution. Investments will also be made in cleaner transportation, increased energy efficiency and jobs.

Please join me and the hundreds of businesses, unions, environmental groups, churches, tribes, health professionals and thousands of individuals who have endorsed I-1631 to move us toward healthier communities and stronger economies across our state. Your vote for 1631 is crucial to making that future a reality for those of us here now and for the precious young people you know.