Washington State Carbon Tax Defeated at the Polls

SEATTLE, Wash. (November 8, 2016)—Tonight, Carbon Washington announced the defeat of Initiative 732, a revenue-neutral carbon tax, in the Washington election. I-732 was the first measure of its kind in the United States and would have been a historic leap forward in American climate policy. Audubon Washington, the state office of the National Audubon Society, officially endorsed I-732 in July of this year, and was the only major conservation group in the state to support the initiative.

“Nobody gave this campaign a chance of being competitive at first, but surprising numbers of voters demonstrated a hunger for solutions. They want to get started beating climate change,” said David Yarnold (@david_yarnold), president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “Audubon is all in on pragmatic climate solutions and members across the country will take climate action in their own states.”

Audubon Washington provided significant organizational support for the measure. Efforts included advertisements on television and social media channels, phone banking, canvassing and get out of the vote efforts spearheaded by more than twenty local Audubon chapters who organized around the effort.

“I could not be prouder of Audubon Washington and our friends at Carbon Washington,” said Gail Gatton (@GailGatton), executive director of Audubon Washington. “While tonight’s outcome is disappointing, Audubon members and supporters all across Washington rose to the occasion and said yes to a cleaner, better future. We have awakened a sleeping giant, and we look forward to continuing the fight for commonsense climate solutions for birds and for people.”

Grassroots supporters in Washington State and around the world led the biggest voter education effort on climate change the state has ever seen, reaching millions of voters.

“Grassroots activism accomplished what many environmental leaders and media pundits said was impossible: we put a revenue-neutral carbon tax on the ballot,” said Yoram Bauman, founder and co-chair of Carbon Washington. “While we did not pass the nation’s first carbon tax, many states around the country are looking at I-732 as a model, and we expect a nationwide movement to take root in the years ahead. We will look back at this as a lost opportunity to create history in Washington State but also as a catalyst for much needed U.S. leadership on climate action.”

According to the 2014 Audubon Birds and Climate Report, more than half of all North American bird species are threatened by climate change. Shrinking and shifting ranges could push many species to the brink of extinction. The report includes 189 bird species found in the state of Washington, including the Bald Eagle, the Rufous Hummingbird and the Osprey.

Other supporters of the initiative include former Secretary of State George Shultz, U.S. Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA), world-renowned climate scientists Drs. Katharine Hayhoe and James Hansen, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Don Cheadle and editorial boards across the state, including Seattle Weekly, Seattle Business Magazine and The Stranger.

To learn more about Audubon Washington's efforts to pass Initiative 732, please visit http://wa.audubon.org/732.

The National Audubon Society saves birds and their habitats throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more at www.audubon.org and @audubonsociety.

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Contact: Nicolas Gonzalez, ngonzalez@audubon.org, (212) 979-3068.