WASHINGTON STATE PLASTIC BAG BAN
On January 21, 2019 Annie Crawley’s Dive Team traveled to Olympia, WA to testify to a House committee in support of the House Bill 1205 to ban single use plastic bags in Washington state. We need you to take action! Show up, email, write, and call your representatives. Ask your friends and family to get involved too. It does not take long to get your voices heard. Post photos and videos on social media and tag your representative. Below is a sample letter for you to use to let your legislature hear your voices. If you have any questions, join our team, or contact us! We would love to share your story and hear about your experiences. We need to raise our voices together for our ocean and our environment. Be the voice of our ocean, without you there is none. Thanks in advance for all you do! Click here for sample letter PDF.
Dear Legislator, (LOOK UP WHO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES & SENATORS ARE AND CALL THEM BY THEIR NAME)
As a constituent, I am writing to urge you to support the following four environmental priorities.
(INCLUDE PERSONAL NOTE HERE. YOU CAN EITHER INCLUDE ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES OR JUST PICK THE ONES YOU ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN. THESE ARE ALL HAPPENING IN 2019. IT’S IMPORTANT WE ACT IMMEDIATELY. TELL YOUR LEGISLATURE WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU CARE. PUT IN SOME KIND OF PERSONAL NOTE.)
Reducing Plastic Pollution (HB 1205/ SB 5323 ) Our local waterways, ocean, and recycling systems are overloaded with plastic pollution. Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to pollute our oceans and rivers and threaten wildlife for centuries. The Reusable Bag Act would eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments and help our state reduce plastic pollution. We need to ban all single use plastic including straws, bags, cutlery, coffee stirrers, polystyrene and other major polluters in our environment.
You can also mention your support of these bills as well! It’s been said that 2019 is the year of our environment in Washington state.
100% Clean Electricity (SB 5116/HB 1211) Acting on climate is urgent, and Washington state is uniquely positioned to achieve a fossil free, clean electricity grid. We can achieve a 100% Clean Electricity system to power our economy with clean and affordable electricity and take a significant step towards meeting our climate goals.
Orca Emergency Response Southern Resident orca whales are on the brink of extinction and need an all-hands-on-deck commitment to action. We need stronger laws to protect habitat for a healthy food web and prevent toxic pollution to ensure enough healthy food to sustain our resident orcas. We need to breach the damns and save our salmon and aim for long term solutions.
Oil Spill Prevention Washington faces significant risks today from oils spills due to dramatic changes in the movement and type of crude oil traveling on the Salish Sea. An increasing share is heavy crude oil that sinks when spilled, threatening local economies, the survival of resident orcas, and treaty fishing rights across the region. Measures to prevent oil spills must be strengthened to protect our communities now.
Increasing renewable energy, reducing plastic pollution, saving our orcas, and preventing oil spills are all critical steps that we need to take now to protect our environment in Washington. I hope that I can count on your support of these priorities this year in the 2019 legislative session.
INCLUDE ANY OTHER ENDING YOU SEE FIT.
Thank you for your consideration,
YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION