What's it Mean to Go Green? Climate Change Regulations and Definitions

Last week, Gov. Gregoire announced her executive order on climate change. The announcement coincided with the EPA's Seattle hearing on greenhouse gases and climate change. The order came after lawmakers chose not to pass the governor's preferred environmental legislation.

TVW's Capitol Record has reactions, including a statement from the Association of Washington Business on the EPA's regulatory role.

“AWB has long advocated that a federal approach to climate change policy is much preferred over a state-by-state patchwork of conflicting policies that puts Washington state businesses at a competitive disadvantage with other states,” said Grant Nelson, AWB governmental affairs director on climate change issues. “The proposed changes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions would create higher operational costs for industries, higher costs for goods and services for consumers and threatens the availability of good family-wage jobs.

“While AWB prefers a federal approach, we believe that Congress, not EPA should enact a national approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Congress is better positioned than EPA in representing the interests of citizens nationwide, guarding against further harm to our already fragile economy and job loss,” he said.

This map of carbon geography, from the Creative Class blog, shows Washington is already one of the nation's low-carbon leaders. 

Just how far can the governor go in unilaterally regulating by E.O.? As TNT's Joe Turner writes, it's not clear. And, continuing the uncertainty, what it means to be renewable also is not clear, as the New York Times reports. Todd Myers, writing at the Washington Policy Center blog, also casts some doubt on the green jobs said to flow from new regulation. 

All clear now?