French: “Climate Change is a political [sic] driven agenda”
Spokane County Commission Al French wants there to be a “clear record” that, although he recognizes “that the climate is changing,” “climate change is a political [sic] driven agenda.” Acknowledging that the climate is changing while claiming that it is misguided to address the cause of climate change is a familiar modern-day Republican talking point. Mr. French could only be more clear about his stance if he proclaimed that “climate change is a hoax.”
In direct contradiction of Mr. French, scientists who conspicuously lacked any “political agenda” have understood for one hundred and seventy years that atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (like methane) are major regulators of the earth’s temperature—and therefore its climate. This is not speculation, this is physics. Furthermore, we have direct measurements of the level of carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere since 1958 from the Mauna Loa observatory on the big island of Hawaii. (“The Mauna Loa Observatory has been part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Monitoring Laboratory’s Baseline Observatory network since 1972.” 1972 was back when Republicans and Republican administrations still believed in science.) Since 1958 levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have risen from 310 ppm to a new record this year [2024] of 425.22 ppm. For the 10,000 years leading up to the mid 1800s (the industrial revolution) atmospheric CO2 was nearly constant at 280 ppm. The striking rise of CO2 concentrations directly correlates with the striking rise in average global temperature and the ever-more-frequent extreme weather events global heating generates.
Mr. French asserts that efforts to lesson our dependence on the burning of fossil fuels will have “a negative impact on communities of color and low income” (see P.S. below). This is total nonsense. His “negative impact” assumes that converting to energy sources that require less burning of carbon fuels will cost builders more and that the cost will inevitably be passed on to home buyers and renters. He rejects (or is intentionally blind to) the long term savings of greater energy efficiency, the possibility of programs to help bridge the gap, and the severe negative effects—especially “to communities of color and low income”—of continuing to fuel global heating.
The bedrock of Mr. French’s belief that climate change is a “political agenda” is a rejection of settled science. His projection is tantamount to the more plain assertion that climate science is a hoax. For Mr. French any official who supports lessening our dependence on burning fossil fuels is at best deluded or, at worst, cynically engaging in “politics” rather than engaging in a good faith effort to maintain a habitable planet.
Molly Marshall, candidate for Spokane County Commissioner District 5 to replace Mr. French, understands climate science—as well as the dangers of wildfires and sharply rising insurance rates in response to climate-fueled environmental threats. Vote for Molly Marshall in August and in November. We cannot afford to keep science deniers like Mr. French in office.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. Here’s the story of the context of the Al French quote: Commissioner Chris Jordan, in a recorded meeting in November 2023, proposed to add the words “to help address climate change” to “Spokane County’s 2024 Legislative Agenda.” When a vote on the proposed amendment was taken, Commissioner Amber Waldref voted in favor along with Commissioner Jordan, while Commissioners Al French, Josh Kerns, and Mary Kuney voted “nay.” Following this vote that rejected Jordan’s amendment, Commissioner French felt the need to clarify his position. Commissioners Kerns and Kuney made no statement about their “nay” votes.
Here, in brackets, is Jordan’s proposed added language in context:
Spokane County’s 2024 Legislative Agenda
6. Public Building Energy Standards – Spokane County seeks legislative relief from House Bill 1257 known as The Clean Buildings Act. While Spokane County supports expanding affordable, reliable, clean energy sources [to help address climate change] the County requests that the Legislature provide financial assistance to facilitate compliance with The Clean Buildings Act. Spokane County also supports expanding flexibility of compliance pathways to include innovative, cost-effective technologies and strategies, consistent with climate pollution reduction goals.
What follows is a transcript of Al French’s comments on climate change, lest anyone suspect that his words “climate change is a political agenda” are taken out of context:
“Since we want to continue to beat this horse, I will speak a little bit about why I did not vote to support the language with climate change. It’s because many of its policies are discriminatory in nature and disadvantage communities of color and low income with regard to access to housing and also are inflationary. Again negative impact, communities of color and low income. Not only through the actions that try and harmonize construction techniques in the state of Washington that clearly favor western Washington and disadvantage eastern Washington. The elimination of natural gas is just one example of bad policy created under the banner of climate change. So we have to be more thoughtful about how we take actions and so it’s not as though we’re not in favor of trying to be smart about how we develop alternative energy sources and how we become more efficient, but as I said this morning the banner of climate change is a political banner that bad policy is adopted underneath. And just so that there is a clear record, I recognize that the climate is changing. I recognize that there are things that we can do, but the banner of climate change is a political driven agenda that I do not support because it has a negative impact on communities of color and low income in this community, which is one of my priorities. Thank you.”
Taken from the youtube video of the November 7, 2023 Spokane County Commission’s 2PM Legislative Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/live/Gt4jyNXIkX8 . The discussion of Jordan’s motion to amend starts at around 20:26, French’s statement at 28:20.