Center for the Environment
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Launched in 2003, WPC’s Center for the Environment focuses on free-market solutions to environmental issues. It brings balance to the environmental debate and promotes the concept that human progress and prosperity work in a free economy to protect the environment. It is a resource for Northwest residents concerned about the environment and is a clearing-house for academic research from other think tanks and institutions. The Center for the Environment offers a unique and innovative perspective on environmental policy. Along with Policy Brief, Policy Notes, Legislative Memos, and Opinion Editorials, the Center also issues a regular monthly publication called “Environmental Watch”. |
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Environment Publications | Environment Blog
Seattle's climate ideas can hurt whole state
There are certainly lessons from Greg Nickels' efforts at leadership on global warming. But what we need to know is very different from what environmentalists tell political leaders in Olympia.
Read the full op-ed by Todd Myers at Crosscut >>
2010 Environmental Briefing
February 9th, State Capitol Campus
WPC environmental director Todd Myers and policy analyst Brandon Houskeeper briefed legislators and staff and gave an overview of their latest research and analysis on the key environmental issues facing Washington citizens during the 2010 Session.
2010 Recommendations for Effective Environmental Stewardship
As legislators and the Governor grapple with the economic problems facing Washington state, this is a good time to reassess our environmental priorities to ensure we are really protecting the environment while promoting jobs and prosperity. Washington Policy Center’s 2010 Recommendations for Effective Environmental Stewardship offers proven and innovative ways to help the environment by creating personal incentives to reduce greenhouse gases and harnessing the knowledge of millions of Washington residents to take steps toward sustainability.
Washington Policy Center’s recommendations include five proposals that are effective and efficient:
• Develop a personal incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating a revenue neutral carbon price and offering investment tax credits to promote creativity and innovation.
• Give school districts the flexibility to make building improvements by removing the costly and ineffective “green” building mandates.
• Complete a comprehensive review of the Growth Management Act and two decades of amendments and changes.
• Ensure the state is receiving the carbon emissions reductions it pays for by requiring audits and accountability of emissions reductions project, as recommended by WPC’s proposed Climate Accountability Act.
• Analyze Washington’s environmental priorities with a comprehensive cost/benefit analysis of the state’s top environmental expenditures, as recommended by WPC’s proposed Environmental Priorities Act.
Read the full Policy Note here >>
How Government Officials Increase Home Prices
Policies that increase tax revenues and regulate the growth of communities have a direct impact on the cost of construction in our state. Lawmakers use a variety of tools to control growth and manipulate revenues, such as building, utility and impact fees, land use regulations and business taxes. The increased costs effect businesses ability to remain competitive, as well as the price that consumers must pay for the goods and services provided.
Read the full Policy Brief here >>
The Worst, and Best, Environmental Moments of 2009
The past year was not a good one for promoting environmental sustainability in Washington state. The overriding theme of 2009 was the way politics displaced environmental honesty. Environmental policy offers benefits in two ways: benefits to the environment and political benefits to politicians associated with environmental policy. Sometimes, however, these two are at odds, especially when what is popular does not actually help the environment or what is good for the environment is difficult, costly or decidedly un-sexy. Last year, popular trumped positive.
Read the full Policy Note here >>
Stimulus Rules Slow Environmental Progress and Job Creation, by Todd Myers
Environmental Watch, November-December 2009
The goal of the stimulus package is to quickly create jobs, focusing on “shovel ready” projects. Some of ARRA’s environmental projects in Washington state, however, are a case study in the failure of government to improve environmental sustainability and reduce environmental impact. Comparing the results of stimulus programs like these to the success of businesses and individuals at reducing their environmental impacts is more evidence that the consistent focus on government-chosen and government-funded projects is likely to continue to fall short of the opportunities to promote environmental sustainability.
Read the November-December issue of Environmental Watch here >>
When Environmental Politics Kill Environmentalism
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In politics, however, there is an even higher form of flattery: having your opponent lie about your beliefs.
Todd Myers interviewed on KING TV about the EPA's Endangerment Finding
Todd Myers speaks at the 3rd Annual Evergreen Leadership Conference
The Center for the Environment
Launched in 2003, WPC’s Center for the Environment focuses on free-market solutions to environmental issues. It brings balance to the environmental debate and promotes the concept that human progress and prosperity work in a free economy to protect the environment. It is a resource for Northwest residents concerned about the environment and is a clearing-house for academic research from other think tanks and institutions. The Center for the Environment offers a unique and innovative perspective on environmental policy. Along with Policy Brief, Policy Notes, Legislative Memos, and Opinion Editorials, the Center also issues a regular monthly 
publication called "Environmental Watch."
Director Todd Myers
Todd Myers is the Director of WPC's Center for the Environment. He formerly served as Director of Communications for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and was Director of Public Relations for the Seattle SuperSonics and Director of Public Affairs for the Seattle Mariners. He has a Masters Degree from the University of Washington and has been with the Policy Center since 2004.
, Policy Analyst
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Brandon Houskeeper joined the Washington Policy Center in the fall of 2007 as the Director of WashingtonVotes.org and as a general policy analyst providing research and support on a variety of issues. Before joining the WPC, Brandon served as the Government Affairs Director for a professional home builders association bringing with him over six years of experience and understanding of the legislative process at the state and local level. Brandon earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Washington. |
Contact Information
For questions or for more information from the Center for the Environment please e-mail tmyers@washingtonpolicy.org or bhouskeeper@washingtonpolicy.org.
Check back often for more events
7th Annual Environmental Policy Luncheon & Conference
Featuring Climatologist Pat Michaels
Panel 1
The first morning panel, “Precautionary Principle”, featured , 
Senior Fellow, Alabama Policy Institute; , Director of Risk and Environmental Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute; and , President and Government and Public Affairs Director, The Holt Company. Dr. Hill’s remarks focused on WPC’s latest publication, Environmental Indicators, answering key questions such as, what is the state of our environment and is it improving or getting worse. Dr. Logomasini discussed Precautionary Principle and the role that this principle plays in moving environmental policies. Finally, Mr. Holt covered the issue of drugs in the environment and the advancement of policies to regulate industry as a reaction. of Boeing moderated the “Precautionary Principle” panel.
Watch the first panel (coverage by TVW):
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View Dr. John Hill's slide presentation
View Dr. Angela Logomasini's slide presentation
View Tom Holt's slide presentation
Panel 2
The second panel, “Free-Market” Environmentalism, featured, Director, WPC’s Center for the Environment, discussing what it means to be a “Free-Market” Environmentalist. He was joined by (R) of the 7th Legislative District and Ranking Member of the House Ecology and Parks Committee. Rep. Short provided a review of environmental legislation from the 2009 Legislative Session, focusing on legislative attempts to pass a cap-and-trade bill and the Governor’s Executive order on cap-and-trade.
Watch the second panel (coverage by TVW):
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View Todd Myers eco-fad slide presentation
Following lunch, made his keynote speech Watch the video from TVW:
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View Pat Michaels Climates of Extremes slide Presentation
A Past President of the American Association of State Climatologists, will be discussing the globalwarming science they don't want you to know and his new book Climate of Extremes. Patrick Michaels is a research professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, a contributing author and reviewer of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His 
writing has been published in major scientific journals, including Climate Research, Nature, and Science.
Prior to the keynote, , Professor of Forest Economics at the University of Washington, was presented with the Environmental Innovator Award for his innovative work on forest sustainability.
6th Annual Center for the Environment
Annual Luncheon
On July 15th, WPC was pleased to have acclaimed author as our keynote speaker. Mr. Lomborg’s best sellers include Cool It and The Skeptical Environmentalist. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2004 and one of the "50 people who could save the planet" by the UK Guardian in 2008. The Daily Telegraph called The Skeptical Environmentalist "... probably the most important book on the environment ever written." In 2004 he started the Copenhagen Consensus Center, a conference of Nobel prize winning economists who come together to prioritize the best solutions for the world's greatest challenges.
More info, audio and video from the conference>>
