This column discusses the ballot initiative in the State of Washington that would scrap the Climate Commitment Act, and it is genuinely concerning. The CCA is a good law, and good laws that address GHG emissions, create workable carbon markets, and establish funding for environmental programs have been difficult to develop. Forcing its repeal, barely two years after it was enacted, will be a major setback with consequences beyond the state.
However, the disconnect between broader climate and sustainability policy aims and economic concerns for ordinary people, which is discussed in the column, is not something that can be dismissed. An individual's, or a household's, or a small business's cost-benefit perceptions and judgments are a hell of a lot narrower than most climate activists and policymakers seem to realize, and as a result, they do a very poor job of making the big picture policy and initiatives relatable to the average person. It's a problem that is certainly not unique to Washington.
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