When you see petitioners for clean energy . . . sign!

author : Chris Stegman topic : global warming

by Chris Stegman

Initiative I-937 is collecting signatures across Washington to get clean, renewable energy on the November ballot. The initiative will help Washington's economy, environment, and rural communities by requiring electric utilities to purchase 15 percent of their power from new renewable resources by 2020 and improve the energy efficiency of homes and businesses.

Fossil fuels pollute our air and water and contribute to global warming, and their increasing costs are hurting consumers. Thankfully, we can stabilize prices while protecting our health and the environment by diversifying our power supplies with home-grown renewable energy, such as wind and solar.

You can get involved in this exciting effort to fight global warming by volunteering to get I-937 on the ballot. The campaign organized by Washingtonians for Energy Security need help to gather 160,000+ volunteer signatures to qualify I-937 for the 2006 ballot.

Sam Garst, one of the volunteer local coordinators of the petition drive, reports that "In the first two weeks of the campaign Thurston County has taken the lead in Washington with the number of signatures turned in. With only 4% of Washington's population, we have 20% of the signatures and 6 public petition collectors in the top 50 statewide. But, we have a long way to go to reach our local target of 20,000 Thurston Co. signatures."

The Sierra Club, Audubon Society, United Steelworkers, and Climate Solutions have endorsed the initiative. Polling shows that 75% of voters will vote for clean, renewable energy if I-937 gets on the ballot. "To date, 21 states, including Texas, have some form of clean, renewable electricity requirement. It is time for Washington to join other states in the fight against global warming." says Garst.

In addition to taking a meaningful step to fight climate change, passing the initiative will:

* Create jobs

* Boost the state's economy

* Reduce our dependence on foreign and polluting energy sources

* Support farmers and rural communities

* Not raise taxes

You can help by collecting signatures at events and stores with other volunteers - as well as gathering signatures from friends, family and colleagues. But most important, when you see a petition gatherer, go over and sign!

To get involved in Thurston County, contact Sam Garst at 491-9469 or SamGarst@aol.com or Chris Stegman at c.stegman@comcast.net . You can also contact the Campaign Headquarters at 206-283-3335 or visit http://www.yeson937.org to get involved.