Re: “Carbon dioxide emissions head for another record in 2025” (Nov. 12, Nation & World):
The article points out that emissions are increasing because we’re burning more coal as we export natural gas. In Washington, drought is decreasing hydroelectric production. We should be building new energy projects, but the permitting process is slow and cumbersome. We need to streamline it, removing redundancy while continuing to require environmental impact studies and input from affected parties.
Historically, the slow process helped protect us from dangerous or harmful projects. Now though, 95% of new energy projects in the queue are renewables and storage. Solar and wind coupled with batteries are quick, inexpensive ways to increase energy supply and reduce utility bills without increasing emissions.
We as citizens must tell our elected officials what we want, so recently I and fellow Citizens Climate Lobby volunteers met with staff for Washington U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and all but one of our representatives to ask for a comprehensive permitting reform bill. Republicans have long been interested in this, and now Democrats are coming on board. As usual, our conversations were productive, and we’re very grateful to everyone we met with.
Michelle Williams, Mercer Island
