By Jason Mercier
Director, Center for Government Reform
Usually when environmentalists talk about flying and climate-change the discussion focuses on getting rid of executive aircraft, not saving them. When it comes to the state Department of Natural Resources' eight-passenger King Air, however, Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark asked Gov. Chris Gregoire to save his airplane, in part because of climate change.
First some background. In an effort to balance the budget the Legislature decided DNR “shall dispose of the King Air aircraft it currently owns. Disposal of the aircraft must occur no later than June 30, 2010.”
In response to that, Goldmark sent Gregoire a letter May 6 demanding that she veto this forced sale and save his plane. Goldmark’s letter reads in part:
“This threatens the state’s ability to effectively fight wildfires and respond to natural disasters. It compromises our ability to save the state and its residents millions of dollars each year. This is the wrong direction for maintaining our emergency response infrastructure while climate change is causing increased frequency and severity of wildfires and major climatic events causing floods, landslides and utility damage. ... Disposing of our aircraft in the face of more wildfires, and climate-change related storms is simply the opposite direction that the state should be headed with its emergency response infrastructure.”
This claim caught the attention of Todd Myers, former DNR communications director and current Washingt
on Policy Center environmental director.
“Two problems. First, the plane in question isn’t an air tanker. It is an executive aircraft that is not part of the ‘emergency-response infrastructure’ in any real sense,” Myers said. “Second, his claim about needing the plane to address an increasing number of ‘climate-change-related storms’ is contradicted by scientists.”
Myers points to this statement by University of Washington climatologist Cliff Mass:
“As an environmental scientist, I am frustrated by the poor information distributed by public officials, the media and others regarding the current and predicted frequency of extreme weather events. It is time for the scientific community to set the record straight. ... How many times have you heard that severe windstorms and heavy rains will increase in the Northwest under global climate change? The truth is, there is no strong evidence for these claims and the whole matter is being actively researched. Some portions of the Northwest have had more rain and wind during the past decades, some less. And initial simulations of future Northwest climate do not suggest heavier rain events.”
“Those who want to use climate change to support particular policies often claim that we must ‘follow the science.’ When there is a conflict between their desired policy and the science, however, they are quick to distort the science or ignore it altogether,” Myers concludes.
It looks as if Myers wasn’t the only one not persuaded by Goldmark’s arguments. Gregoire refused to veto the sale of DNR’s plane when she signed the budget May 19.
