Washington invites community to take Carbon Footprint pledge

OLYMPIA — Washington state agencies have developed a new online pledge to help residents take individual actions against climate change. In a fun, easy-to-use format, the new “Shrink Your Carbon Footprint” online pledge: * Helps people identify actions they’re already taking that reduce their individual “carbon footprint” (their contribution to climate-changing greenhouse gas pollution). * Helps people identify what more they can do to further reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Anyone can take the carbon footprint pledge, accessible from the Washington state climate change web portal: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/forms/carbonfootprint_pledge.html “The problem of climate change is global, and the solutions are very complex. It will take all of us doing our part – through individual actions, societal actions and governmental actions - to turn back the clock on the climate-changing greenhouse gas pollution,” said Janice Adair, Washington Department of Ecology manager who chairs the Western Climate Initiative, a multi-state, multi-province regional effort to reduce greenhouse gases. In Washington, transportation accounts for almost half the state’s total carbon footprint. This means individual actions can make a significant difference. After transportation, the next largest contributor to Washington’s carbon footprint is burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Although most of Washington’s electricity comes from carbon-clean hydropower from dams, some of our electricity is produced by coal-burning power plants in and out of Washington. The new Washington state carbon pledge focuses on several aspects of daily life, including: household and kitchen appliances, office equipment, yard care, and personal transportation. Washington is a leader in the fight against global climate change. There is a statutory goal of reducing climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, reducing emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035, and reducing emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. For more information: Governor’s blog To keep up to date on climate change strategies in Washington, visit the state climate change web portal here