Guest Commentary

By Roger Harnack

Guest Columnist Special to 2Over Publishing, LLC

Under outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee, the state has been greenwashing just about everything it can.

What is greenwashing? It’s the act of using false or misleading claims that an action will have a positive impact on the environment.

This November, voters will have an opportunity to undo some of the greenwashing done by the Inslee Administration and state agencies.

Two initiatives on the ballot are designed to restrict government agencies from continuing policies that have, little-to-no environmental benefit and help curtail new ones from being enacted. Those initiatives are 2117 and 2066.

Voters should already be planning to cast a “yes” vote for both in the Nov. 5 general election.

Initiative 2117 deals with the state’s so-called “Climate Commitment Act.” Specifically, the measure would repeal the law that implemented the state’s cap-and-trade program. And it would prohibit any state agencies from creating new cap-and-trade or cap-and-tax programs.

Under the current law, emissions are capped for large businesses. Businesses can then purchase “allowances” from the state for emissions above the cap.

Putting it simply, the Climate Commitment Act is nothing more than a tax on business and a cash cow for government agencies trying to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles, ban natural gas services and appliances, breach dams and more.

Yes, some of the money is given back to the general public — but only to those among the poorest ratepayers in the state. This year, for example, if you’re indigent, you can get a $200 electric bill credit.

That’s a paltry amount given the state last year collected $2.1 billion from the act and earmarked $1 billion more this year.

As you likely realize, most of the money is earmarked to advertise, perpetuate, and encourage construction of so-called “green” projects — which rarely provide a direct benefit to Washingtonians.

That leads me to I-2066, the proposed Natural Gas Policies Measure.

Under this initiative, a “yes” vote would prohibit state and local agencies from restricting access to natural gas. Moreover, it would also ban governmental boards from discouraging the use of natural gas heat or appliances in home and building construction and require utility companies and municipal utilities to provide natural gas to ratepayers, even if other energy sources are available.

The measure also prohibits the state Utilities and Transportation Commission from offering utilities incentives or requirements to scale back natural gas services, or implement policies that make natural gas too expensive for residents and businesses.

This measure made the ballot just as new State Building Code Council made it nearly impossible as of July 1 to erect new buildings with natural gas heat and appliances. And it comes after the Biden Administration attempted to use federal agencies to regulate and ban gas stoves, under the guise of public health.

Let’s be honest: Neither the Climate Commitment Act nor a ban on natural gas will have an environment impact on the state, nation or planet. Both, however, will have a deleterious effect on the cost of fuel, food, homes and more.

Voting yes for I-2117 and I-2066 will help strip some of the governmental greenwashing away. At the same time, it will open the door for common sense business decisions to again be made in our homes and businesses.

— Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Email him at [email protected].