WyoFile’s Post

On Election Day, Washington voters decided to uphold the Climate Commitment Act, which will accelerate carbon reductions and the state’s energy transition. This was an important decision for the planet that will also advance Washington’s clean energy economy. For some of the emitters in the state, carbon capture and sequestration will be a key mitigation strategy. With the law affirmed, we look forward to working with partners in Spokane and throughout Washington on the critical work of decarbonizing the infrastructure assets across the Evergreen State. We also encourage the state to set up a robust mineralization and sequestration program that will make use of its unique geology to safely mineralize or store CO2. Read about how voters in Washington and six other states voted in favor of climate action in the 2024 election. https://lnkd.in/e7Ja5AAE

🇺🇸 Wondering what a change in policy might mean for the United States climate goals? The IRA, which passed under President Biden, is the largest piece of climate legislation ever. According to Jonathan Foley, “The Inflation Reduction Act is starting to do some good work,” The law may not be enough to correct the country’s climate course by itself. “Overall, however, it is likely to be helpful. Reversing it would really hurt some recent progress on scaling renewables, EVs, [and] heat pumps.” https://bit.ly/4c70OfF #climatepolicy #inflationreductionact #climatevote #climateaction #projectdrawdown

🌴 What Florida Loses by Deleting "Climate Change" On May 15, 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that erases the phrase “climate change” from state legislation, despite 90% of Floridians acknowledging its reality. This move, effective July 1, drastically alters the state’s approach to energy and environmental policy. Key Changes and Implications: 💡 Energy Policies Overhauled: Offshore wind energy projects are now banned within a mile of the coastline, while nuclear energy is encouraged. This pivot could have long-term environmental risks and repercussions for clean energy development. 🚫 Program Eliminations: The law ends state-funded grants that help local governments reduce greenhouse gas emissions and removes fuel efficiency considerations for state and local vehicle purchases. 🔌 Infrastructure and Energy Supply: Florida’s energy policy focus has shifted from addressing climate change to ensuring a reliable and cost-effective energy supply, emphasizing natural gas and limiting utility companies’ ability to support electric vehicle charging. With sea levels predicted to rise and temperatures soaring, Florida's climate denial could have widespread consequences. We must advocate for sustainable policies and educate our communities about the importance of addressing climate change head-on. By fostering dialogue and supporting organizations dedicated to environmental protection, we can help counteract regressive measures like these. How is your organization responding to these changes? Share your strategies and thoughts. 🌍💬 #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalSustainability #Nonprofit #Fundraising #Florida #EnergyPolicy #GreenTech #Advocacy

Curious about how different policy designs can impact emissions reductions in New York State? Without guardrails, cap-trade-and-invest programs might lead to pollution "hotspots" in disadvantaged communities. Discover how NY can do better in our special report with Resources for the Future on how to distribute emissions reductions more fairly. It's time for climate policies that prioritize equity 🌎🛠️ https://lnkd.in/ee-t3ExY

Climate policies and regulations will not magically benefit environmental justice communities. Policymakers need to intentionally and meaningfully examine and alter the systems and policies that result in disproportionate burdens, disparities, and injustice in these communities. While the CLCPA is a major step forward, environmental justice stakeholders are concerned that a cap-trade-and-invest program with little to no protections will reinforce existing patterns of pollution and sickness in communities of color and low-income communities. We can’t take any more chances on the quality of life and health of New Yorkers. Guardrails for cap-trade-and-invest are essential to ensuring all communities see the benefits of reduced emissions and pollution and do not come at the expense of some. Thanks to Marie French for her coverage on our research: https://lnkd.in/eF22R7BW

The President of the Conservation Council of WA Richard Yin responded to the government’s Future Gas Strategy as follows: “The Labor government has betrayed the Australian people by caving in to pressure from the gas industry. The government’s support for dirty gas, including fracking, is a disaster for local communities and for a safe climate future. This rebadging of Scott Morrison’s gas-led recovery is a wish list for industry that locks in fossil fuel emissions for decades to come. Speaking at a protest outside of the office of Resources Minister Madeleine King, the CCWA president also said: “In WA, we know that the vast majority of gas produced here is exported offshore and does nothing to keep the lights on at home. If WA were its own country, it would be the third largest gas exporter in the world. Projects like Woodside’s Burrup Hub and Chevron’s Gorgon project will emit billions of tonnes of carbon emissions every decade. We know from direct experience the cost of gas to our environment, our families and our future. “Despite this, the Albanese government has chosen to keep exporting this toxic product instead of helping the world transition away from fossil fuels. The government has made a major wrong turn today that is deeply out of step with Australian values. The government has sided with giant fossil fuel companies instead of backing the science, the community and the moral imperative of addressing the climate crisis. This government’s gas strategy endangers a safe climate future. Read our full statement here: https://ow.ly/kZr250RA1Yy

🇺🇸 #FossilFuelsFirst and the end of #Climate and #Environment justice: Trump’s vision of unleashing a new era of unfettered #Oil #Gas and #Coal production. “People working on the transition have already prepared a slate of executive orders and presidential proclamations on climate and energy. They include withdrawing the United States from the #ParisClimateAgreement, eliminating every office in every agency working to end the #Pollution that disproportionately affects poor communities and shrinking the size of national monuments in the West to allow more drilling and mining on public lands. President Biden has made #EnvironmentalJustice a top priority and has sought to ensure that underserved communities benefit from at least 40 percent of #CleanEnergy development. That initiative will be scrapped, people familiar with the plan said. The move will be part of a greater effort to dismantle what Mr. Trump’s allies view as the “woke” agenda and any programs that do not help improve the economy.” By Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman in The New York Times https://lnkd.in/ee-fPZA6

Another problem with Carbon Capture, which Michael Barnard anticipated: Wyoming Considers Relaxing Its Carbon Capture Standards for Electric Utilities, Scrambling Political Alliances on Climate Change and Energy A bill lowering the amount of CO2 a utility must capture at its power plants has drawn opposition from two groups usually diametrically opposed to each other’s priorities—environmentalists and climate change skeptics. As Wyoming nears the end of its 2024 legislative session, clean energy advocates and climate change skeptics find themselves in an uneasy situation: an alliance. Both groups oppose legislation that would weaken and delay the state’s carbon capture requirements, albeit for wildly different reasons. https://lnkd.in/gnn5EKHC

Benjamin (Benji) Backer is is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition and a Freedom Conservatism signatory. The author of the just-released “The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” Backer serves as a board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington. In a recent New York Times op-ed, Backer argued that environmental protection need not come at the expense of economic growth. No lasting solutions are possible “without the buy-in and leadership of conservative America,” he wrote, arguing that “there are clear opportunities for climate action that conservatives can champion without sacrificing core values.” For example, conservative environmentalists “firmly believe fossil fuels must be part of our transition to cleaner energy sources for years to come. So our movement will aim to improve the environmental impact of all energy sources, not just wind and solar. “We’ll also focus on ecosystem restoration and other conservation measures that lower emissions. And we’ll call on policymakers to prioritize permitting reform, reducing government overreach and making it easier to build clean energy projects in the United States more quickly.” In a separate piece for The Everett Herald, Backer criticized the state of Washington’s attempts to limit power generation by gas-fired plants. “Natural gas is the primary reason the United States has led the world in emissions reductions over the past couple of decades,” he pointed out. “Although natural gas is not currently carbon-free, it is a cleaner alternative to coal.” You’ll find links to these and other #FreeCon commentaries here: https://lnkd.in/epjZd9Kz

Benjamin (Benji) Backer is is the Executive Chairman and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition and a Freedom Conservatism signatory. The author of the just-released “The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” Backer serves as a board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington. In a recent New York Times op-ed, Backer argued that environmental protection need not come at the expense of economic growth. No lasting solutions are possible “without the buy-in and leadership of conservative America,” he wrote, arguing that “there are clear opportunities for climate action that conservatives can champion without sacrificing core values.” For example, conservative environmentalists “firmly believe fossil fuels must be part of our transition to cleaner energy sources for years to come. So our movement will aim to improve the environmental impact of all energy sources, not just wind and solar. “We’ll also focus on ecosystem restoration and other conservation measures that lower emissions. And we’ll call on policymakers to prioritize permitting reform, reducing government overreach and making it easier to build clean energy projects in the United States more quickly.” In a separate piece for The Everett Herald, Backer criticized the state of Washington’s attempts to limit power generation by gas-fired plants. “Natural gas is the primary reason the United States has led the world in emissions reductions over the past couple of decades,” he pointed out. “Although natural gas is not currently carbon-free, it is a cleaner alternative to coal.” You’ll find links to these and other #FreeCon commentaries here: https://lnkd.in/eGVYSKyJ