State lawmakers lukewarm to global warming

It would seem the ideal moment for Washington environmentalists to mount their most aggressive assault yet on global warming.

Public awareness is at an all-time high. A report by international scientists released Friday said it's "very likely" a human-made problem. California and Oregon have major initiatives to tackle the issue. Former Vice President Al Gore's global-warming movie is up for an Oscar. And for the first time, President Bush mentioned "global climate change" in his State of the Union address last month.

Perhaps most important: A strongly Democratic Legislature, recent victories on two ballot initiatives and a sympathetic governor add up to serious clout for environmentalists.

Yet reception to global-warming measures in Olympia this year has been cool so far.

An absence of leadership on the issue from Gov. Christine Gregoire and powerful legislators, combined with environmentalists' fear of losing a big political fight by pushing new regulations too fast, mean major global-warming measures have gotten little attention.

A bill that would duplicate part of California's limits on greenhouse gases is generating little enthusiasm. Even some of the strongest supporters of such an approach are settling for fairly uncontroversial steps, mostly spending more to encourage alternative fuels.

"We're just trying to do the incremental steps that get us there," said Clifford Traisman, a top environmental lobbyist in Olympia. "Obviously, we're going to be bringing climate-change legislation to the Legislature for many, many years."

There are signs the mood could shift this week, a month into the session. A senior state senator plans to introduce a package of bills he says would help tackle the issue. And an adviser to Gregoire says she will have a "significant announcement on climate change" this week.

But it remains to be seen whether these initiatives will gain much traction. If they do, they could face powerful business opposition.

Not a priority

Even while some environmentalists talk of unifying West Coast states in a single crusade against global warming, Washington is separating itself from its southern neighbors.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski is seeking legislation this year to cut emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. It would include a so-called "cap and trade" program that would limit industrial emissions but let companies make up for pollution by paying others to pollute less.

Kulongoski's pitch follows California, which last year made headlines with a law mandating greenhouse-gas emissions be cut to 1990 levels by 2020.

In Olympia, Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, is sponsoring a bill that would seek similar cuts in Washington by 2020. But she isn't getting the political support to pass such controversial legislation.

Environmentalists say they like the bill, but it's not a top priority. Gregoire's staffers said they haven't read it closely. And a powerful business lobby flatly opposes it.

Chase said she's not discouraged. Environmentalists already had settled on their four top priorities for the 2007 Legislature before she came out with her plan, she said.

"If we get it through I will be very pleased," she said. "If we don't, we'll just keep coming back on it."

Package to be offered

Late last week, Sen. Erik Poulsen, D-Seattle, who chairs the Senate's Water, Energy and Telecommunications committee, said that Wednesday he will offer a package of measures on climate change. One would limit how much power utilities can buy from air-polluting coal-fired plants. It would also create a panel to devise a plan to trim statewide greenhouse-gas emissions.

It's late in the session to be introducing far-reaching and potentially controversial legislation.

But "if we put out a bold but not ridiculous proposal, maybe we will be able to gain some support for something that's a little more provocative," Poulsen said.

And even if his measures don't pass this year, "I'm hoping to lay the groundwork for passing something next session."

It's not clear what Gregoire plans. Friday, Matt Steuerwalt, the governor's energy-policy adviser, declined to say what is coming.

A week earlier, Steuerwalt said Gregoire hadn't asked for a statewide study of climate change nor pushed for any comprehensive regulation of greenhouse gases.

"We haven't had a conversation with her yet about what approach she does want to take, except 'Let's take the steps that do make sense, that actually achieve results,' " he said.

Meanwhile, environmentalists worry that Washington state is falling behind.

"We have not yet developed the kind of comprehensive commitment to emission reduction and energy independence that many states, cities and virtually all advanced nations have," said K.C. Golden, of the local environmental group Climate Solutions.

It took time in Oregon, too. Kulongoski started his initiative as early as 2004, when he first formed a panel to study climate change. That created momentum to pursue legislation now, said David Vanthof, a senior adviser to Kulongoski on climate change.

"I think we got started on this stuff a little earlier than Washington has," he said.

Gregoire has been an ally of environmentalists on climate change in the past. In 2005, she helped gather the crucial votes to pass a law that limits greenhouse-gas emissions from new cars. And last year, she backed a proposal to boost in-state production of biofuels from products such as soy or canola oil.

This year, she has made the cleanup of Puget Sound her top environmental issue. She also backed a phase-out of a potentially toxic flame retardant and spending more money to protect land from development.

That matches closely with the top goals of environmentalists, and they are confident many of their key bills will become law.

Fuel efficiency

On climate change, environmentalists have set their sights primarily on improving the fuel efficiency of the state motor pool, studying use of plug-in hybrid cars that can switch between electricity and liquid fuel, and spending $13 million to boost biofuel research and production.

That approach has won general support from the Association of Washington Business (AWB), one of the state's most influential lobbying groups. But statewide greenhouse-gas regulations such as California's would hurt Washington businesses and provoke a fight, AWB lobbyist Grant Nelson said.

"The main core of the environmental community is not really pushing those bills," he said. "A smart move on their part, I think."

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com