By Kim Drury

According to the UW, here in the Pacific Northwest four of the warmest years on record have taken place in the last six years.

Is this the climate disruption that is caused by global warming? Scientists, including the UW’s Climate Impacts Group, won’t say “yes, definitively,” but they will say that warmer temperatures and reduced snowpacks are absolutely consistent with what their models have predicted for our region.

But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international community’s most respected assemblage of scientists, is clear that there is no longer any credible doubt that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution.

In our region, the number one source of global warming pollution is transportation – cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles – they all produce a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2 – the leading greenhouse gas.) In the Puget Sound region, drivers log more than 65 million miles each day. And every gallon of gas or diesel burned emits approximately 21 pounds of CO2. So it’s easy to see why the rate of global warming pollution is continuing to increase – there are a lot of vehicles driving a lot of miles and those vehicles aren’t very fuel efficient.

What can we do? The single best action our state can take to reduce global warming pollution is to adopt the new vehicle emission standards now, before our state legislature. The Clean Car Bill follows California’s lead requiring automakers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in new vehicles; it would go into effect in 2009 and would ultimately reduce emissions by about 30 percent. Seven other states, including New York, have already adopted these standards.

New cars under the clean car standards will reduce pollution and save the average driver $18 a month in fuel costs. Statewide that amounts to more than $2 billion by 2020 in saved fuel costs (and means we have to import a lot less oil). The fuel savings more than offset any increase in new car prices. And, consumers will have a lot more clean-vehicle choices available. Not just hybrids, but all model types, including SUVs and trucks.

So who is against a bill that’s good for the environment, our economy and our future? No surprise, the auto industry is fighting the legislation, just like they fought seatbelts and air bags and fuel efficiency standards.

But support for the bill is broad and bi-partisan and includes environmentalists, health advocates, air quality agencies, many businesses, the League of Women Voters, AARP and the ski industry. Island County’s own Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, head of the Senate Transportation Committee, is central to getting the bill passed. And, if you let her know that you want Clean Cars in Washington and that you’d like her support for SB 5397, you’ll be doing your part to help cut global warming pollution.

Kim Drury lives in Langley and is an environmental professional.