Prof. Aseem Prakash is quoted in an article from Associated Press News about Gov. Jay Inslee playing defense to the upcoming Washington State initiative to repeal the carbon pricing program.
Behind the repeal effort is Let’s Go Washington, a group primarily bankrolled by hedge fund executive Brian Heywood that submitted more than 400,000 signatures from Washingtonians to get a vote on the November ballot. They argue that the law has helped push up gas prices that currently are third-highest in the nation.
Repeal would sink Washington’s plans to link up its carbon market with others, and could be a blow to its efforts to help other states launch similar programs. And for Inslee — who put climate front and center during his brief presidential campaign in 2019 — repeal would be an especially gut-wrenching loss...
...The win-win narrative touted by Inslee is a common one in the climate movement, said Aseem Prakash, professor of political science and founding director of environmental politics center at the University of Washington. But it’s not working because it’s become increasingly clear that there is a cost to climate transition, Prakash said.
“He’s playing defense on the cost ... and that’s a losing strategy, because the narrative is now that the conservatives are saying we told you so, they’re going to impose tax on you,” said Prakash.
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