Fossil fuel to the fire

Protectors of the Salish Sea have been demonstrating to try to block construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Tacoma, by getting Gov. Inslee to declare a climate emergency.

Jim Camden argues that Inslee has no basis in law to take any action which could stop the LNG project and that a court would quickly rule against any executive action Inslee might attempt at the urging of the protectors (“Inslee no hero to protectors of the Salish Sea,” Oct. 6).

The law does allow the governor to declare a disaster emergency. Climate scientists have been warning that a crisis is now upon us and building new fossil fuel installations like this one are literally like trying to put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it. It seems to me that the proposed LNG facility would be a disaster, and could also be termed a public health emergency for that matter.

The climate crisis is an existential threat. We should be developing strategies to reduce its effects as much as possible. We only have a decade to be well into replacing most fossil fuel energy with sustainable, non-polluting sources.

The state should be able to argue before the courts for an expansive interpretation of existing law which deals with public emergency. If new laws are indeed necessary, the legislature had better get with the program and we the people must insist on it.

Robert Helmick

Rathdrum, Idaho