Olympia officials are weighing whether creating a new special funding district is a viable option for paying to save downtown from rising sea levels. Such a move would ultimately raise up to $350 million in taxpayer money to keep the city from going underwater.
The state’s first-ever auction of pollution allowances generated roughly $300 million for programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat the effects of climate change in Washington.
The city of Olympia has made it clear that climate change is at the center of its worries. Earlier this month, council members discussed having legislative backing in their fight against climate change as a top priority for this next year.
In the Washington Legislature, some of the most ambitious efforts to pass legislation this year to rein in climate change are failing. Meanwhile, several less-far-reaching measures are likely to pass.
