Trained in environmental law and having worked for many years on major environmental and energy legislation while on staff in the U.S. Congress, I am passionate about preserving planetary health and our natural resources.
We need clean water and clean air, we must dispose of waste properly and we must preserve species and habitat in order to maintain our own good quality of life.
Today we face some critical environmental challenges that require immediate attention, including water shortages, water quality threats, the need to preserve Puget Sound and the need to wean ourselves from fossil fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Puget Sound is the heart of our life support system. Last session, I supported the first down payment in the urgent cleanup of Puget Sound – and there is a lot more work to do. We need to support the newly-created Puget Sound Partnership and give it the resources it needs to continue its important work in coordinating the long term cleanup.
We cannot neglect the need for major storm-water system retrofits, creosote log disposal, habitat restoration and other critical measures to secure clean water and a healthy ecosystem for flora, fauna and humans.