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Right now leaders from seven US states and four Canadian provinces are gathering feedback on the draft plan for the Western Climate Initative (WCI)– a cap and trade system to reduce global warming pollution. 

This regional effort has the potential to revolutionize how we reduce global warming pollution.  If it’s done right, the WCI could serve as a national and even international model for change.

But, the WCI’s draft plan needs some major improvements to make it both fair and effective:

• WCI needs to look at the whole picture, which means including emissions from transportation (the source of half Washington’s global warming pollution) at the start.
• To be fair, WCI should auction – not give away—pollution permits.
• We also need real pollution reductions, rather than too many carbon “offsets” that delay action to clean up our biggest sources of pollution and don’t always deliver the climate benefits they promise.

Email Governor Gregoire today and urge her to work to improve the WCI:   http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp.

Sample Message to the Governor:

Thank you for your strong leadership on the Western Climate Initiative. This regional effort has the potential to revolutionize how we reduce global warming pollution.  If it’s done right, the WCI could serve as a national and even international model for change.

But I am concerned about the draft WCI plan. I urge you to work for improvements to make WCI fair and effective.  Please include transportation pollution in the cap and trade program from the beginning; ensure pollution permits are not given away to polluters for free; and ensure real reductions in pollution, rather than too many carbon offsets that delay action needed to clean up our biggest sources of pollution.

Please email Governor Gregoire today and urge her to work to improve the WCI to make it fair and effective.

If you’d rather call the Governor and leave a message, please call her at 1-360-902-4111.