As most of you are aware, the midterm elections are right around the corner. These days it seems hard enough to get votes out of a majority of the country for presidential elections, let alone midterms. However, this year is distinctly different – there’s a buzz around these midterms that hasn’t existed in years past. With a republican majority in congress, and now the Supreme Court, and with devisive legislation being put forth by the Trump administration, this midterm electoral fervor simply feels like partisan politics, but for one state there’s groundbreaking environmental measures at stake.
Washington has a measure on their upcoming ballot titled, Initiative 1631 (I-1631), which would place the country’s first fee on carbon emissions. The profits from this measure would be allocated into three funds – air quality and energy, water and forest health, and a fund for community-based projects.
I-1631 will take effect January 1st of 2020, and targets the large emmiters of carbon dioxide. Placing an initial $15 dollar fee on every metric ton of CO2 emitted, this initiative will by $2/metric ton every year until their carbon goals for 2035 are met.
This measure is reworked version of a similar attempt at a carbon tax that failed in Washington during the 2016 elections.
Oil companies have already invested tens of millions in fighting this climate measure, which comes during an administration that, in two years, has already fostered a new fracking boom across the country and leased roughly 12.8 million acres of federally owned land for oil drilling.
EcoTech 