On Earth Day, the Port of Seattle announced it will try to meet its CO2-reduction goal “a decade ahead of schedule.” The statement from the Port says it “will achieve its Century Agenda goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent in 2021, the result of a new renewable natural gas contract to replace fossil fuels used to heat the airport and power the airport bus fleet."

Despite the self-congratulatory tone, this deal is not something environmentalists should celebrate.

The Port signed a 10-year agreement for renewable natural gas they say will avoid 110,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the next decade. The Port will pay $23 million, or $209 per ton of CO2 avoided. Compare that price to Seattle City Light, which pays $7 per ton to reduce CO2. The Port will pay nearly 30 times as much. For the same amount, the Port could reduce nearly 3.3 million tons of CO2, instead of just 110,000.

Put another way, 95 percent of the money the Port is spending yields no reduction in CO2. It is 95 percent for politics, five percent for the environment.

Our economy, especially airlines, is being hit very hard by the economic downturn. Being environmentally responsible means maximizing the environmental benefit of every scarce dollar. Rather than patting themselves on the back, Port Commissioners should reject this wasteful approach and follow the lead of many others who are more effective and responsible for the economy and the environment.