Sustainable Economy
Promoting the growth and development of sustainable industries by helping develop markets for non-toxic recycled products, green buildings, green energy and alternative means of transportation.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Individuals, businesses, schools, and government consume substantial resources in the form of products and services. The increasing demand for products that are healthy for people and the planet has led to wider availability of environmentally friendly products. Government can exercise its purchasing power by putting specifications in contracts to buy products which are safer to produce and use.
Green Building
Green building refers to design, construction, and deconstruction practices that significantly reduce impacts on the environment and occupants in five main areas: sustainable site planning, conservation of materials and resources, energy efficiency and renewable energy, water conservation, and indoor air quality. Green building will be a big part of creating sustainable communities and cities. The High-Performance Public Buildings bill requires all new state-funded facilities over 5,000 square feet to meet green building criteria.
Climate Change
Climate models project an average warming in the Pacific Northwest of 1.0 degree Celsius by the 2020s and 1.7 degrees Celsius by the 2040s. The Cascades are especially vulnerable to temperature increases. Nearly all of the state’s 700 glaciers are receding rapidly, and many have disappeared in the past few decades.
Changes in snow pack and stream flow will have significant consequences for water availability across the state. Agriculture in Washington will become increasingly difficult because of more frequent and prolonged droughts as well as higher temperatures. Marine fish and shellfish will be affected by changing ocean conditions, rising sea levels, and shifts in freshwater input to coastal ecosystems.