New England ahead of West Coast on carbon control

GUEST COLUMN

To the Editor:

I’ve been a commercial salmon fisherman on Kodiak Island since 1969. My brothers make their living fishing Bering Sea crab and Bristol Bay salmon. Our family was commercial fishing in Alaska since before statehood. We also own and operate an engine-generator business in Seattle, Marine Engine Repair Co. We build work boat engines and generators for the commercial fishing and tug boat fleets on the West Coast. Our past, present, and future is tied to a healthy, sustainable ocean. I don’t scare easy and I’m scared. 

I’ve witnessed the results of the steady rise in ocean temperature and acidity first hand. I’m troubled about the viability of the ocean my grandchildren and their children will inherit. This is not just our livelihood, it’s our way of life and it’s changing rapidly. I’m seeing warm water fish in places they’ve never been and cold water fish moving further north, salmon run timing is becoming less predictable and run strength less consistent, and shellfish are dying at infancy because the acidity of the water is too high for them to build a protective shell. We experienced a huge toxic algae outbreak last year, closing Dungeness crab and razor clam fisheries for much of their seasons. These threats are directly linked to carbon emissions, but we’re still lacking a carbon policy here in Washington.

I talk to a lot of fishermen on the West Coast, and what’s really scary to me is that there are so many in denial.  We go about our daily lives and don’t think about how this plays out. What’s the end game? What’s the future look like with a hot, sour, and breathless ocean?

When it comes to carbon policy, the East Coast has adopted one of the best models in the world: nine states, from Maine to Maryland (minus New Jersey), participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, which puts a declining cap on power plant emissions and earns revenue by auctioning off emissions allowances.

The money made from the RGGI carbon allowance auction is directly invested back into projects like outfitting businesses with more efficient equipment, free weatherization, and direct electric bill assistance. RGGI has achieved a 30% reduction in emissions since 2008 (more than double the national average) while growing the economy more than the rest of the country, and creating 23,000 jobs. On top of these impressive results, electricity prices fell by 3.4% in RGGI states, while going up 7.2% in non-RGGI states. 

Among the 40 carbon markets currently in operation across the world, RGGI is one of the best, consistently achieving strong emissions reductions more quickly than the cap requires, while at the same time improving the economy. From what I’ve heard, many Maine fishermen may have saved on their electric bills and taken advantage of the free weatherization program without realizing where the funds came from.

RGGI is currently up for renewal, and right now program representatives are seeking stakeholder input on where the cap should be set from 2020: whether to set a 2.5% decline per year, or 5% per year. This decision is made by consensus among the nine states. Although RGGI has consistently achieved a 5% reduction since 2008, more conservative states are pushing for the 2.5% option.

I hope those of you who rely on fisheries for your livelihood understand the importance of RGGI and are speaking up to ensure maximum effectiveness of a program that is protecting our ocean (and saving you money at the same time). If the cap is set at a 5% decline each year through 2030, it will put Maine on track to meet the state’s aggressive climate requirements while creating jobs and keeping money in the local economy.

I can’t afford to fix the whole world, I can only do what I can do and that’s get involved in my own backyard.  I’m educating myself on the facts and trying to pull my head out of the sand. My company is building engines with 95% less harmful emissions than the old tried-and-true diesels of the past. They are complex and costly. But we have to do this and more if we want a future on the ocean. 

Many companies can’t afford new energy-efficient equipment. But with programs like RGGI, businesses that otherwise couldn’t have cut their carbon footprints can – saving money and reducing pollution simultaneously. Here in Washington State there’s a carbon tax on the ballot this year. Unfortunately, it gives the revenue away in tax breaks instead of reinvesting it like RGGI. Similar programs have been proven too weak to work so I’m holding out for the kind of strong policy that Maine currently enjoys. 

All we can do as individuals is take care of our own backyard, but if we all do that, change happens on a global scale.  Often the problem seems too overwhelming for an individual to make a difference. But we can help shape the future through our actions.

Those of us who depend on a healthy ocean have to do our part. The ocean absorbs about 25% of all carbon emissions, and over 90% of the excess heat. The Gulf of Maine is particularly at risk: scientists say it’s warming 99% faster than the world’s large bodies of saltwater. The fishing industry is of great importance to Maine, and your state’s policymakers should know where the industry stands on RGGI and climate action. 

Wondering how to help? Get involved. Write letters and emails, call your representatives, let the Governor’s office know where you stand, get a seat at the table when decisions are made on where the money goes, and contact key representatives responsible for deciding RGGI’s future.

Robert Allen

Seattle, WA

For more information on how to make your voice heard about RGGI, call Nick Battista at the Island Institute at 594-9209.