>>> WE ARE SEEING DOWNRIGHT
APOCALYPTIC IMAGES OUT OF THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES.
MULTIPLE WILDFIRES ACROSS SIX
STATES ARE BURNING QUICKLY AND
FUELED BY THE RELENTLESS HEAT.
THE SO-CALLED BOOTLEG FIRE IN
OREGON IS THE LATEST OF THEM ALL
WITH ALMOST 150,000 ACRE BURNING
OUT OF CONTROL.
LOOK AT THAT.
THE RECENT RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURES LEFT HUNDREDS DEAD
IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
AN ENTIRE TOWN BURNED TO THE
GROUND IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND
THIS IS DUE TO THE IMPACT OF
CLIMATE CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE
ANALYSIS OF AN INTERNATIONAL
TEAM OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS.
THEY WROTE THAT THE EXTREME HEAT
WOULD BE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE
WITHOUT HUMAN-CAUSED CLIMATE
CHANGE.
JOINING US IS THE GOVERNOR OF
WASHINGTON STATE JAY INSLEE, AND
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US,
GOVERNOR.
>> YOU, TOO.
>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN WONDERING
ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE FOR YEARS, AND DECADES
ACTUALLY, AND YOU WROTE A BOOK
ABOUT IT IN 1987.
AND HOW ARE WASHINGTONIANS
DEALING WITH IT?
>> WELL, THE REALITY IS THAT WE
SHOULD NOT HIDE FROM IT, BUT
FACE IT.
THE REALITY IS THAT WE HAVE A
PERMANENT EMERGENCY IN MY STATE,
AND THE WESTERN UNITED STATES,
AND INDEED THE WHOLE NATION.
BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THIS
IS A REALITY THAT WE ARE
EXPERIENCING.
WHEN YOU ASK, HOW ARE WE FEELING
IT?
THE THING THAT IS MOST
IMPRESSIVE TO ME IN THE LAST TWO
WEEKS IS THAT WE ARE FEELING IT
IN VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING IN OUR
LIVES.
>> MM-MMM.
>> TODAY, WE ARE GETTING READY
TO TEACH OUR KIDS TO STAY INSIDE
BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE FROM THE
FOREST FIRES.
WE HAVE LOST BILLIONS OF
SHELLFISH, AND THE OYSTER
INDUSTRY LOST A MAJORITY OF THE
CROP ROTTING ON THE BEACHES, AND
THE GLACIERS ARE MELTING AROUND
AND THE HIGHWAYS, THE HIGHWAYS
HAVE BUCKLED BECAUSE OF THE
HEAT.
TODAY, ONE OF THE MAJOR
NORTHEAST CORRIDORS IS CLOSED,
BECAUSE OF THE FOREST FIRE OVER
THE NORTHERN CASCADES.
SO THE POINT ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU
CAN RUN, BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE.
LIT FIND
IT WILL FIND YOU IN ONE ASPECT
YOUR LIFE, AND THIS IS DEMANDING
A ROBUST CLEAN ECONOMY.
I HAVE JUST OPENED UP A
GROUND-BREAKING ELECTRIC BUS
MANUFACTURING PLANT IN
WASHINGTON.
AND WE HAVE A RECONCILIATION
PACKAGE BECAUSE OF THE
LEADERSHIP OF JOE BIDEN, SO IT
IS TIME TO ACT RIGHT NOW.
>> WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS,
BECAUSE THE SPIKE IN
TEMPERATURES IS CREATING A TOUGH
ENVIRONMENT FOR FARM WORKERS
AFTER THE LABORERS OF WHICH
THERE ARE MANY IN YOUR STATE,
AND LOTS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT EASY
ACCESS TO AIR CONDITIONING FOR
WASHINGTON STATE, BECAUSE FOR
GENERATIONS THEY HAVE NOT NEEDED
IT, AND IS THERE A
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY SHORT-TERM
SOLUTION TO THAT?
I MEAN, IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE MORE
AIR CONDITIONING, THAT IS NOT
GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IT
IS DRAWING ON THE ELECTRIC GRID.
>> WELL, LOOK, WE KNOW THAT WE
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THINGS
TO SAVE OURSELVES IN THE
SHORT-TERM TO ADAPT TO THIS
CHANGING CLIMATE.
THAT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL COOLING
STATIONS.
WE OPENED UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF
COOLING STATIONS FOR THE FOLK,
AND INCLUDING THE HOMELESS
FOLKS.
WE WILL BUILD MORE AIR
CONDITIONING UNITS WHEN YOU ARE
DOING BUILDING IN WASHINGTON
STATE, BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING
HEAT STRUCTURE, AND WE ARE WILL
HAVE TO CHANGE THE PUBLIC WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE TO DEAL WITH THE
SEA LEVEL RISE, AND WE WILL HAVE
TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT
YOU CANT, YOU CANT REPLACE THE
FUNDAMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF
OUR BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TO EAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE CROPS.
THE CROPS ARE THREATENED RIGHT
NOW, AND THE VINEYARDS AND THE
WHEATFIELDS, AND WE LOST A BUNCH
OF THE BERRY CROPS, AND PEOPLE
HAVE TO EAT, SO AIR CONDITIONERS
IS NOT THE SOLUTION.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT
IS DRIVING THIS CLIMATE CHANGE,
AND THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE
CAN DO THIS AND WE ARE BUILDING
NEW INDUSTRIES EVERYDAY AND
PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK EVERYDAY
AND IN ELECTRIC CARS AND BUSES,
AND IN WIND TURBINE, AND WIND
EFFICIENCY AND REBUILDING THE
HOMES AND THIS IS THE TYPE OF
THE WORK THAT IS GOING REBUILD
THE ECONOMY AT THE SAME TIME
THAT IT SAVES US, BUT WE HAVE TO
LOOK AT ADAPTING TO THIS IS JUST
LIKE TRYING TO WIND WORLD TWO BY
BUILDING MORE BOMB SHELTERS, AND
WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE FARM
WORKERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WORKING OUTSIDE.
WE HAD ONE LOSS IN OREGON OF AN
AGRICULTURE WORKER WHO IS
FEEDING US.
THAT WORK IS INCREDIBLY HARD,
AND WE HAVE ADOPTED NEW RULES
BOTH IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON TO
PROTECT THE AGRICULTURAL
WORKERS, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE HAVE TO STOP THE HORRIFIC
HEATING THAT IS MAKING IT
DANGEROUS THE WORK OUTSIDE.
>> WELL, LETS TALK A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THE SOLUTION, BECAUSE
YOU RECENTLY PASSED AS I
UNDERSTAND IT A CAP AND
INVESTMENT PROGRAM TO GIVE THE
COMPANIES THE INCENTIVES TO CUT
THE CARBON EMISSION, AND HOW
MIGHT THAT BE A WELL, WE ARE VER
WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
WE HAVE PASSED TWO BILLS IN THE
LAST SESSION.
ONE IN CAP AND INVEST BILL TO
PUT A LIMITATION ECONOMY-WIDE ON
THE AMOUNT OF THE CARBON
POLLUTION GOING INTO THE
ATMOSPHERE.
AND ESSENTIALLY A SURCHARGE FOR
COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
COMPLY WITH THE OBLIGATION.
IT IS ALSO A GOOD BILL, BECAUSE
IT HAS A LOT OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE BUILT INTO
IT.
WE KNOW WHO ARE THE FIRST AND
THE WORST HIT BY THIS.
IT IS THE PEOPLE IN POVERTY, AND
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORK
OUTSIDE.
SO WE HAVE EMBEDDED
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TO BRING
MORE EQUITY TO THIS EFFORT WHILE
WE ARE FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE HAVE ADOPTED A CLEAN FUEL
STANDARD TO GIVE THE CONSUMERS
CLEANER FUELS WITH LESS CARBON
POLLUTION.
OVER TIME, WE KNOW IT IS GOING
TO WORK.
IT HAS WORKED IN CALIFORNIA AND
OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD 106789
WE NOW, IT IS SAFE TO SAY HAVE
THE MOST ROBUST AND
COMPREHENSIVE AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, THE FAIREST
APPROACH TO TACKLING THE CLIMATE
CRISIS, BUT IT HAS TO BE ALL
HANDS ON DECK.
IF WE ARE GOING TO SOLVE THIS
PROBLEM.
FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE THE TOOLS
TO DO IT, AND WE KNOW THOU DO
IT, AND WE KNOW THAT IT GROWS
THE ECONOMY WHILE WE DO IT.
YOU MENTIONED THE BOOK THAT I
WROTE THAT THE BOOK WAS
BASICALLY HOW TO BUILD A CLEAN
ENERGY ECONOMY, AND THE THINGS
THAT I SUGGESTED THAT WE COULD
DO, WE ARE NOW DOING IT.
WE ARE PUTTING THE PEOPLE TO
WORK MAKING THE ELECTRIC CARS
AND WIND TURBINE, AND BUILDING
MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS
AND ALL OF THE THINGS THEY
THOUGHT THAT WERE GOING TO BE
HAPPENING IN 2007, THEY ARE
COMING TO PASS AND A GOOD NEWS
STORY HERE, AND WE HAVE TO USE
THE TOOLS, BUT THE LAWS TO
REQUIRE IT.
>> YES, I READ THAT BOOK BACK IN
THE DAY AND YOU WERE PRESCIENT.
>> WELL, I WAS SURE THAT
SOMEBODY DID.