Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ultimate goal is to have a carbon neutral future and reduce the regions carbon footprint)

Page iii (page 13 of the P !) ifficult" meeting #ashington $tates vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas reduction targets% &" comments' (f the goal is greenhouse gas reduction) then reduction in vehicle miles traveled is identical to increasing efficiencies of the vehicles used% *ou have no thought for the increasing efficiencies of vehicles in the future or even pushing for increased efficienc"% +he car companies ma,e their most profit from the gas gu--ling $/01s) and that is 2h" the" advertise to create the desire for larger and more po2erful vehicles% 3gain) "ou ignore to account for the culpabilit" of the corporations 2ho have for capitalistic profit onl") continue to create the environmental disaster 2e are currentl" facing% Page vi (page 14 of the P !)'
5ecome a carbon6neutral communit" b" 7898% $upporting target' 3chieve a 79 percent reduction of 1;;8 greenhouse gas emissions b" 7878%

Page vi of E=ecutive $ummar" (page 1> of the P !)

5ecome a carbon6neutral communit" b" 7898% $upporting target' 3chieve a 79 percent reduction of 1;;8 greenhouse gas emissions b" 7878%

Page vii (page 1? of the P !)'

+he $ustainable +hurston +as, !orces Preferred @and6/se $cenario) 2hich assumes 2e achieve the priorit" targets) 2ould result in the follo2ing measureable outcomes in 7839'

3> percent reduction in carbon dio=ide emissions per household) leading to a 18 percent reduction in total AB7 from residential uses compared to 7818 2hich 2ill contribute to meeting our greenhouse gas reduction target% (see priorit" goals for AB7 emissions from all sources) Page 7' #e 2ill consume less energ") 2ater) and land) produce less 2aste) and achieve carbon neutralit"% Page 9'

Priorit" Goal' &ove to2ard a carbon6neutral communit" +arget' 5ecome a carbon6neutral communit" b" 7898% $upporting target' 3chieve a C9 percent reduction of 1;;8 greenhouse gas emissions b"
7839%

&" comments' +his reminds me of the Do"oto protocol that the /$ has never ratified% id this come from (A@E(E 3s a matter of fact the Bbama administration is tal,ing 7889 as a base date% President Bbama delivered a pledge at the 788; Aopenhagen summit to cut 3mericas carbon emissions 1?F belo2 the 7889 levels b" the end of this decade% $ee the lin,' 222%eene2s%netGstoriesG189;;;C3?3
+he goals of the +IPA are drasticall" different from the !ederal goals% +he +IPA should align 2ith the federal goals% #hat is to gain b" going after more stringent goals other than failing to meet themE

Page 77' Priorit" goal' &ove to2ard a carbon6neutral communit"% Planning and acting to reduce or offset greenhouse gases 2ill help -ero out the net amount of carbon dio=ide and other heat6trapping gases the region emits into the atmosphere% &" comments' Bffset' to have a carbon Juantit" seJuestered (li,e in trees) or pa"ing carbon
credits% +he seJuestering is a good idea) ho2ever carbon credits Kust shifts the carbon emitted to another part of the 2orld and sets up a commodit" mar,et for the derivative credits% (t 2ill allo2 the big polluters to continue polluting and ma,e mone" on derivatives along the 2a"%

+arget' 5ecome a carbon6neutral communit" b" 7898%

$upporting targets' Greenhouse gas emissions targets' L 3chieve 79 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7878 L 3chieve C9 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7839 L 3chieve >8 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7898 M ecrease annual per capita vehicle miles traveled in the +hurston Iegion to' L 1;;8 levels b" 7878 L 38 percent belo2 1;;8 b" 7839 L 98 percent belo2 1;;8 b" 7898 (Mamended into the +hurston Iegions long6range Iegional +ransportation Plan in 7818) &" comments' +hese 1;;8 baselines 2ere found in the Do"oto protocols) 2hich the /$ is a
signator" but 2ith no intention to ratif" and no binding targets% +he state of #3 became part of the #A( (#estern Alimate (nitiative made up of seven states and four Aanadian provinces) in 788?% #3 committed to set an overall regional goal to reduce emissions (set in 3ugust 788? as 19 F belo2 the 7889 emission levels b" 7878)% #3 2ithdre2 from the #A( in 7811 because of

the cap N trade reJuirements% +he Bbama administration uses 7889 as the baseline% #h" is +hurston stic,ing to the Do"oto 2hen the /$ is notE

ecrease annual per capita miles traveled' Oo mention at all here about the use of highl" fuel efficient vehicles% (ncreasing efficienc" has the same effect on carbon emissions and fossil fuel use as hammering do2n the per capita miles driven% Ever"thing in this PplanP points to stac, and pac,) high densit" living) 2or,ing and transportation 2ithout using private automobiles as the ans2er to the ills the count" 2ants to solve% 3n" solution be"ond that is not addressed% +he chart on page 77 depicts the follo2ing information' 3verage annual vehicle miles traveled per capita (n 1;;8R18)??9 (estimated) (n 7818R;)7>8 (estimated) (n 7839R?)978 (target) &" comments' +his chart gives some curious results if the increase in population is ta,en into account% (n 1;;8 there 2ere 141)888 people S 18)??9 annual miles per capita R 1)?3C)??9)888 (n 7818 there 2ere 798)888 people S ;)7>8 annual miles per capita R 3)378)888)888 (n 7839 estimated 3?8)888 people S ?)978 annual miles per capita R 7)?>7)C88)888 +he F increase in annual miles driven in +hurston count" from 1;;8 to 7839 is' (7)?>7)C88)88861)?3C)??9)888)G1)?3C)??9)888 R 48F increase% +his is for a 138F increase in population% (n order to reduce carbon emissions in 7839) e=tremel" efficient vehicles must brought into service other2ise the goals can not be met% Page 94' 3> percent reduction in residential carbon dio=ide emissions per household) leading to a 18 percent reduction in total carbon dio=ide emissions from residential uses compared to 7818% Page ?;'
!orest lands store carbon dio=ide and help mitigate global climate change%

&" comments' +his statement is true that forests seJuester carbon) ho2ever the current thin,ing for fuel is to move to2ard less carbon intense (A() sources 2hich leads directl" to using trees for creating methanol% +his 2ill put more pressure on these seJuestered carbon sin,s% Page 1>>' (nvestment goals' E=plore incentives for the installation of distributed generation

eJuipment) such as rooftop solar panels% &" comments' this is the most logical idea and one that needs to be done the 2orld over% To2ever solar panels are not the onl" eJuipment reJuired% +here are grid tie electronics) installation) 2iring and inspection of installation% Aurrentl" an" grid tie s"stems have to be installed b" a licensed electrician and inspected b" @N() 2hich drives the cost through the roof% 3dopt uniform building codes and permitting practices in Kurisdictions to ma,e the installation of solar panels) or other distributed generation technologies) easier and faster% &" comments' 3bsolutel"U (nvestigate a legislative solution to permit Propert" 3ssessed Alean Energ" (P3AE) in #ashington $tate% 3dvocate if solution is identified% P3AE financing supports energ" efficienc" and rene2able energ" proKects b" providing up6front capital that is subseJuentl" paid bac, though a special assessment on participants propert" ta=es%
&" comments' #hat is the interest rateE $urel" this loan 2ill not be given for free% #ill this increase in propert" ta= plus interest needed to support the loan) drive some homeo2ners to lose their propert") ta,en b" the count" for a small percentage of 2hat the propert" is actuall" 2orthE

Page 787' P&18 V coarse particulate matter bet2een 7%9 and 18 micrometers in diameter (less than one6seventh the 2idth of a human hair) that is generated primaril" b" 2ood6burning stoves and vehicles% +hurston Aount"s metropolitan area violated P&18 standards a Juarter6centur" ago but subseJuentl" addressed that problem and 2ill be designated as a limited6maintenance area soon due to its ongoing efforts to reduce 2ood smo,e and per capita miles of driving% +he P&18 V coarse particulate matter bet2een 7%9 and 18 micrometers in diameter (less than
one6seventh the 2idth of a human hair) that is generated primaril" b" 2ood6burning stoves and vehicles% +hurston Aount"s metropolitan area violated P&18 standards a Juarter6centur" ago but subseJuentl" addressed that problem and 2ill be designated as a limited6maintenance area soon due to its ongoing efforts to reduce 2ood smo,e and per capita miles of driving%

&" comments' +he EP3 recentl" tightened the regulation on the level of fine particulate emissions that 2ood burning stoves can emit) from 19 micrograms per cubic meter to 17 micrograms% +his 2as one of those Wsue and settleX suits that the EP3 and environmentalists agree to use to tighten regulations%
222%ne2sma=%comG/$Gheat6energ"62ood6stovesG781CG87G1>GidG9933?7G

Oe2 2ood stoves 2ill be reJuired to meet the ne2 standards% +here is no doubt that in the future all 2ood burning stoves 2ill be reJuired to meet a standard that 2ill reJuire removal and replacement%

#ood heat is rene2able (not li,e natural gas) coal) propane) diesel or an" other fossil fuel) and sustainable% $ee page 1?4 2hich states' Ieduced dependence on fossil fuels and more reliance on rene2able energ" sources 2ill decrease carbon emissions and pollutants in air and 2ater% Page 789' Aarbon dio=ide (AB7) is the main heat6trapping gas that contributes to global climate change V hence) the term Wcarbon footprint%X Bther anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions include methane (ATC)) nitrous o=ide (O7B) and fluorinated gases (e%g%) h"drofluorocarbons)% 3ll of these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to become mi=ed V meaning that the atmospheric concentration measured is roughl" the same all over the 2orld V regardless of the emissions source% &" comments' +he global 2arming potential G#P of methane is >4 times that of carbon dio=ide% +he more ice and permafrost that melts) the more methane 2ill be released from previousl" permafrost areas) increasing the potential for a catastrophic tipping point%
#ashington V part of the Oorth 3merica 7898 coalition) along 2ith 19 /%$% states and four Aanadian provinces V aims to return to its 1;;8 greenhouse gas emissions levels b" 7878) reduce its emissions 79 percent belo2 1;;8 levels b" 7839) and 98 percent belo2 1;;8 levels b" 7898% $uccess depends upon #ashingtons cities and counties measuring and managing their emissions%

&" comments' +he Aenter for Alimate and Energ" $olutions c7es (2as previousl" called Pe2 Aenter on Global Alimate Ahange) 2asGis highl" conservative and supported b" 2ealth" corporations% Pe2 trusts support the Pe2 Iesearch Aenter and is the third largest thin, tan, in A% (t is introducing both polic" and business solutions to climate change% A7es is one of five non profits advisor" groups O37898 partnership% &" concern is that 2ell funded corporationsGbusinesses are positioning themselves to ma,e large profits from the climate disaster called Global Alimate Ahange%%%2hich the" created% Page 784' 3 priorit" goal of this Plan is for the +hurston Iegion to become a Wcarbon6neutralX communit") 2hich means having no net greenhouse gas emissions% +his ma" reJuire minimi-ing the regions direct emissions through energ" conservation and rene2able energ" consumption) as 2ell as offsetting remaining emissions (direct and indirect) through the purchase and retirement of carbon credits% +o2ard that end) the Plans regional greenhouse gas emissions targets V 2hich are more aggressive than the state targets V are as follo2s' 3chieve a 79 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7878Y 3chieve a C9 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7839Y 3chieve an >8 percent reduction of 1;;8 levels b" 7898%

Greenhouse Gas Emissions' Bn6road vehicles account for CC percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in +hurston% Page 711' Ieduce the regions vehicle miles traveled b" focusing more Kob and housing densit" 2here there is access to services as 2ell as safe and viable choices for travel%