Climate Change Bill Signing

March 13, 2008

*As Written*

Good afternoon.

Welcome everybody! An awful lot of people in this room helped make this historic day happen.

This bill will help us create a new Washington economy�

�An economy that is based on clean energy� on sustainable practices�and on highly efficient transportation and energy production.

This new green economy is the future. With oil above $110-a-barrel just today, there is just no question about it!

Imagine freeing ourselves from dependence on $4 or $5 dollar-a-gallon gas!

Imagine the freedom and opportunity that comes with producing more power at your home or business than you consume, allowing you to sell power back to the grid!

Far fetched? Not at all. There is a newly remodeled building here in cloudy, rainy Olympia -- the new headquarters of the PUD association -- that has a solar array on its roof.

I was there a few weeks ago on a cloudy day and I was amazed to see that, even on a cloudy day, they were producing almost three times as much power as they were consuming.

The solar power cells on their roof were built by REC Silicon, one of the largest, most sophisticated solar power manufacturers in the world, and guess what?

They were built at REC's manufacturing facility in Moses Lake. REC recently expanded and now has over 350 employees in Moses Lake with plans to add another 170. They will soon decide whether to build a second plant in Wallula, which would employ another 300 employees.

We are leading the world in the production of biofuels that provide a sustainable substitute for petroleum products. Imperium Refining in Hoquiam is the largest biodiesel refinery in the United States.

Weyerhaeuser has teamed up with Chevron in an effort to develop cellulosic ethanol -- ethanol made from what we currently throw away -- garbage, wood waste, agricultural wastes, etc.

We will lead the world in producing cellulosic ethanol, creating thousands of new, green jobs and revitalizing the forest products and agricultural industries.

These are just a few examples of what the new, green economy will do for Washington.

A new, green economy will give us freedom.

It will give us opportunity.

And it will give us independence.

In the past three years, we have issued more than two dozen emergency proclamations for the damage done by droughts, wildfires, floods and windstorms. That�s an amazing number, and it�s sobering!

It�s too dry out there folks, and it�s too wet.

I know there are still people who believe Climate Change is a myth.

Never mind that the world�s best scientists, after years of research, say there is simply no argument. The earth is heating up and we�re the cause.

I happen to believe the scientists.

But even if I didn�t, why would I not do everything I can to help us reduce our use of fossil fuels?

Our reliance on fossil fuels causes so much suffering � from their impact on our air and water to instability and war in the Middle East.

I believe it is our moral obligation to do what we can to protect our planet and our economy too.

We can�t wait -- and we can�t proceed cautiously either.

The old adage "those who hesitate, are lost" could not be more appropriate in this situation.

There are only a few states and countries that are now competing for the facilities, the employers, the intellectual and financial leaders, that will create this new green economy.

I'm proud to say that we are one of those leadership states.

We could, as some suggest, sit back and wait to see whether and how this new economy develops, but that is a losing strategy!

We will be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and we will be a leader in creating the new green economy.

Today I�m signing HB 2815, which gives us a clear path to a winning strategy -- A bill that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington State get us at the forefront of an exciting future.

This bill is comprehensive, it demands results, and it is realistic.

The bill turns our goals for emission-reductions into a plan for real limits.

The bill requires the largest emitters in the state to report those emissions to Ecology starting with 2009 emissions.

It requires the Department of Transportation, with help from other state agencies, to come up with ways to reduce transportation emissions by looking at vehicle miles traveled -- and to consider the consequences of those strategies.

It�s an inconvenient truth that about half of Washington�s carbon emissions are caused every time we turn the ignitions in our cars.

The bill creates lays important groundwork so we can develop green collar jobs � Washingtonians who will make good livings helping us transform ourselves into a greener, cleaner state.

I want to thank all the people who did so much work to create this legislation. We engaged the business and environmental communities and so many other interest groups to get where we are today.

This is unique, and I don�t think you will find another state that can match what we�ve done together � the Washington Way.

As for the Legislature � Thank You!

I especially want to thank:

Representative Dunshee, prime sponsor and advocate for this strong, robust bill.

Senator Pridemore, prime sponsor of the Senate companion, and prime sponsor of the bill last session that paved the way for this one.

Representative Upthegrove, committee chair and manager of the bill in the House, for leadership on this issue.

Senator Rockefeller, committee chair and manager of the bill in the senate, for particularly effective leadership and outstanding cooperation.

And Senator Hargrove, Representative Chase, Senator Brown, and many others for taking an interest and working on the bill.

There is so much work still to be done, but I know we�re up to the challenge.

Now, I�ll sign the bill.