The Herald Sunday editorial, “Paris talks and local efforts,” praises the Paris climate accord, hoping it will provide a thoughtful policy direction. Unfortunately, it is more likely to serve as environmental aphrodisiac, encouraging passion to overwhelm progress.
The editorial says “solar is increasingly popular in Washington state,” noting a 9 percent increase since 2013. This is extremely misleading. Solar represents less than 0.01 percent of Washington’s energy. Further, solar is an expensive way to cut carbon emissions, nearly twice as expensive as wind and hydro power and is projected to stay that way for many years. Solar is sexy but is not environmentally responsible.
Additionally, the editorial claims Everett Community College will save $20,000 a year by using “green” building standards. Such projections are routinely inaccurate. Washington’s legislative audit agency found “green” schools cost more to build and actually use more energy than traditional buildings.
While environmental activists like to tout Washington’s leadership on climate policy, the real record is one of failure. Witness the millions spent by Snohomish County to build an oilseed crushing plan to produce biofuel — a plant that is still producing nothing years after being built, wasting time and money that could have produced real carbon reductions.
If we are truly serious about solutions, we will demand results, not make excuses or waste money to show “leadership.” If the Paris accords are just another catalyst to temperamental environmentalism, they will reinforce these counterproductive trends, we will lose more time, waste more money and squander more opportunity to help the environment.
Todd Myers
Environmental Director
Washington Policy Center
Seattle
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