Editor,

I’d like to thank our legislature, and our House Representative Dave Paul specifically, for making major progress in addressing climate change and protecting our environment and quality of life.

Some of the bills that Dave Paul sponsored, co-sponsored and/or supported include the 100 percent clean electricity law; stronger efficiency standards for commercial buildings; the Solar Fairness Act; expanded transportation electrification and pollution reduction; appliance efficiency standards that are great for consumers and the environment; a phase-out of climate change super pollutants; habitat protection for shorelines; protections for Southern Resident Orcas from vessel noise and disturbance; tools to prevent toxic chemicals in products we use every day; prevention of oil spills in high-risk areas of the Salish Sea; equitable funding to accelerate toxic cleanups and pollution reduction; and funding to create a task force on environmental justice and health disparities.

As others have noted in this paper, we are already seeing the effects of climate change locally (e.g., shoreline roads north of Port Angeles are being washed out by sea-level rise) and our Island County Planning Department is doing its best to deal with its immediate and longer-term effects.

It’s wonderful to have a House representative who has not only educated himself about climate change but is also willing to do something about it. That takes vision and courage.

Julie Glover

Clinton