Number: 2005-10
Global Warming and Transportation in Washington, Oregon, and California WHEREAS, the scientific evidence that human activities are causing global warming and associated climate change is stronger than ever; and
WHEREAS, global warming is already affecting natural systems around the world, including the western U.S. Examples of this include: 1) the dates of peak snow accumulation and snowmelt-derived streamflow across the West have shifted by 10-14 days earlier, and snowpack has decreased over the same period. Some locations in the Cascades, for example, have already seen a 30-60% decline in snow water equivalent since 1950; 2) warmer average winter temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have enabled the Sachem Skipper butterfly to expand its range northward from California into Oregon and Washington, providing a signal that the region’s ecological systems are responding to climate change; and 3) warmer ocean temperatures in Monterey Bay have contributed to a shift in invertebrate species — southern species have increased in the warmer waters while native northern species have declined; and
WHEREAS, left unabated, global warming is likely to cause severe problems for people and wildlife in the decades to come. Potential impacts for West Coast states include: 1) loss of snowpack and earlier snowmelt due to higher average temperatures as well as changes in precipitation would likely cause a substantial reduction in summer streamflows in the region’s snowmelt-fed rivers by as much as 30% by 2040. This would intensify competing demands for water to meet the needs of agriculture and urban areas, and to sustain the region’s salmon and other aquatic wildlife; 2) sea-level rise would threaten many tidal habitats and the wildlife they support, including many of the ducks, geese, and other migratory birds in the Pacific Flyway that use the region for stop-overs and over-wintering; and 3) persistent drought could increase the incidence and severity of wildfires. Some regions could see as much as a five-fold increase in acreage burned each summer by the end of the century; and
WHEREAS, while the threat of global warming and associated climate change is serious, there are solutions; and scientists have determined that the severity of adverse impacts can be significantly reduced by reducing global greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, there are a number of actions that can be taken at the national, regional, and local levels that will help lower emissions, such as using readily-available technologies to improve the energy efficiency of homes, businesses, and motor vehicles, and promoting greater use of clean, renewable energy sources; and
WHEREAS, for the West Coast states, transportation accounts for the greatest portion of carbon dioxide emissions, and without significant action to address the problem of suburban sprawl, the share from transportation is expected to continue to grow; and
WHEREAS, California has been a leader among U.S. states in developing strategies to address global warming, including enacting a law that directs the state’s Air Resources Board to adopt technologically achievable standards for reducing carbon dioxide pollution from new vehicles purchased in the state, beginning in 2009. Once fully implemented, these standards will reduce emissions of new cars and light trucks by up to 30 percent and save California consumers an estimated net $4.5 billion by 2020; and
WHEREAS, analysis of the Washington Clean Car Bill currently before the State Legislature concludes that the enactment of the emission standards will result in a net savings to vehicle owners by lowering expenses, which would more than offset the added compliance cost of new vehicles; and
WHEREAS, in September 2003, the governors of Washington and Oregon joined California in the establishment of the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative, committing to the development of a region-wide strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, the Staff Recommendations to the Governors, prepared by the Executive Committee of the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative in November 2004, include a number of transportation-related initiatives. Among other recommendations, the Executive Committee urges the governors to consider adopting standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, along the lines of the afore mentioned California law; and
WHEREAS, strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector have the potential to provide significant additional benefits to the region, including reducing harmful air pollutants in urban areas, lessening traffic congestion, promoting a market for emerging technologies, and saving green space and habitat for fish and wildlife;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its annual meeting assembled April 1-2, 2005, in Washington, D.C., hereby supports the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative and urges the governors to develop and implement meaningful strategies to reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions, with specific targets and timetables; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the governors of Oregon and Washington to include more ambitious transportation initiatives to reduce the significant emissions from that sector, including enacting the California standard for tailpipe emissions and, in Washington, adopting the Clean Car Bill, which includes those standards, rather than delegating the task to the State Department of Ecology; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges all of the West Coast states to pursue more aggressive strategies to address suburban sprawl, such as creating additional incentives to increase public transit use, promoting bicycle and pedestrian-friendly options, and linking transportation funding to effective growth management strategies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on other states to join these states in aggressive development of strategies to reduce emissions; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on the United States government to institute policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the implementation of other global warming policies consistent with its previous resolutions.