As many of you know, 350 Seattle is on the Steering Committee of the Alliance for Jobs & Clean Energy (AJCE). This is not something we entered into lightly–we knew there would be a tension between such a beautifully broad coalition, so-called political realities*, and the kind of change we need to rapidly lower emissions in Washington State, inspire the rest of the nation, and do our part to safeguard a livable future.
The language of the initiative is firming up, and frankly, it’s not as strong as we hoped it would be. On its own, it’s simply not going to reduce emissions anywhere near enough. So we’re not fighting for it “on its own”. But we do think it’s an important piece of the puzzle. Why? Because polluters should pay, for one thing–but most of all, because it’s expected to commit 25-33% of its revenues to frontline communities and result in a billion dollars a year invested in renewables and carbon reduction. There are other things in the initiative to love too–like its terrific worker transition fund. It’s only “not enough” if we treat it like the solution, instead of one piece of that solution.
Think of it this way: the carbon pricing initiative is a big step forward–but for bold strides and real progress, we need to use the other foot, too.
We’re going to keep doing all we can to demand visionary action to lower emissions in WA–because we can’t safeguard the future while ignoring the central problem. What will this look like? Many things: regulation, vastly improved transit and affordable housing, fossil fuel infrastructure bans, bold moves towards 100% renewables, and more. There is no time to waste–we need all of it, and no one is better positioned than WA to make it happen.
Please join us for the AJCE kick-off event on Thursday, July 27 at 6pm. We’ll hear from an inspiring group of speakers on the importance of just solutions to the climate crisis, and you’ll find out how you can get involved right now.
What: Seattle Campaign Kickoff for Jobs and Clean Energy
When: Thursday, July 27th, 2017 – 6:00- 8:30pm
Where: Centilia Cultural Center in El Centro De La Raza: 2524 16th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144RSVP HERE (Here’s the FB page–please share!) There will be live music, snacks, and food vendors.
*We’re pretty sure that the realities of physics are actually much, much harder to change. Changing political reality? We do that before breakfast!
