Wednesday, September 28, 2016

September 28, 2016: State Carbon Tax Initiative Backers Undaunted Despite Divide

The state of Washington could become the first state in the nation to enact a carbon tax on big polluters if grassroots activists can overcome opposition from unlikely allies: the business community, low-income and people of color communities, the state Democratic party and environmental groups. Supporters of the carbon tax, Initiative 732, are pulling out the stops to win voters before November. Meanwhile a new report published this week in Nature says that with today's level of fossil fuel emissions the planet is “locked” into eventually hitting its highest temperature mark in 2 million years.

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September 14, 2016: Youth Unveil Proposed Climate Legislation to Protect Constitutional Rights

A group of youth plaintiffs in Washington state are bringing their fight for a stable climate system – which they argue is a constitutional right and as “unalienable” as any right conceived by the founding fathers - to a new level. The youth have gone to the courts, met with the Governor and lobbied the state's department of Ecology. Their latest strategy is unveiling proposed climate legislation which they argue needs to be based on the “best available climate science”, science that's been prescribed for them by no other than eminient climate scientist James Hansen. Martha Baskin has our story.

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