Many green efforts beginning to wither
Article in The Columbian.
"The 2009 Legislature is proving unfriendly to bold environmental initiatives.
Washington
environmental groups set their sights this year on winning passage of
legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions, promote super-efficient
energy use in buildings, spur transit-friendly development and pay for
the cleanup of the state's waters through a tax on petroleum refiners.
Gov.
Chris Gregoire's own environmental agenda includes legislation to
reduce Washington's contribution to global warming through a regulatory
cap and a bill to raise energy efficiency standards in the state
building code by 30 percent over time.
But halfway through the
session, the fate of most of these bills remains clouded, and
Washington's reputation as a national leader on climate change could
hang in the balance..."
