Environment Washington Research & Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public and decision-makers, and help the public make their voices heard in local, state and national debates over the quality of our environment and our lives. More about us.

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Our research and public education work are made possible by tax-deductible contributions from generous citizens and foundations.

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What Global Warming Means for Washington

Scientists in Washington and across the U.S. warn that global warming will bring extreme weather, more dangerous smog pollution and even the extinction of some plants and animals. The good news is that we know how to cut the carbon pollution fueling the problem—and Washington is already headed in the right direction. But there is still more to be done.

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A Solution Not in the Bag

Plastic bags litter our roadways, lakes and creeks, contaminate Puget Sound, and harm Washington’s wildlife. Animals can ingest these bags, choke on them, or be exposed to toxic chemicals carried on the plastic.

Voluntary efforts, including recycling programs, have proved insufficient to prevent plastic pollution. In fact, plastic bags actually cause problems for Washington’s recycling industry. When plastic bags are part of mixed recyclables, they get caught in machinery, shutting down recycling operations. Responding to an Environment Washington Research & Policy Center survey, 70 percent of Washington recycling companies want plastic bags out of the waste stream.

There is a simple solution: Cities in Washington, and the state as a whole, can ban single-use plastic bags.

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More Research, Policy, Education & Action

News Release | Environment Washington

Bainbridge Bans Plastic Bags

Last night, the Bainbridge City Council voted unanimously in favor of banning single-use plastic bags. Of the more than fifteen people who testified for the ordinance, only one was in opposition. The measure is aimed at cutting pollution in Puget Sound and the Ocean where plastic bags can harm whales, seals and salmon. In 2010, a beached grey whale in West Seattle was found with 20 plastic bags in its stomach, highlighting this terrible problem.

News Release | Environment Washington

Obama Administration to Protect Americans’ Health by Setting Carbon Pollution Standards for New Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed historic new limits on carbon pollution from new power plants. Coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of carbon pollution in the U.S., yet there are currently no federal limits on this pollution from power plants. The standard proposed today will correct that for new power plants by limiting their emissions of carbon pollution.

News Release | Environment Washington

New Report: Recycling Cannot Solve Plastic Bag Problem

Plastic bags threaten marine wildlife and recycling won’t solve the problem according to a new report released today by Environment Washington, a citizen-based advocacy group that won a ban on plastic bags in Seattle. While the plastics industry admits there is a problem with plastic pollution, it insists recycling can solve it. According to a new report from Environment Washington, A Solution Not in the Bag, recycling is not the answer.

News Release | Environment Washington

A Huge Victory for Mount Rainier National Park

Thanks to a huge outpouring of public support from Environment Washington members, we were able to convince our leaders in Washington to expand Mt. Rainier National Park and protect the Carbon River Valley rainforest.

News Release | Environment Washington

House Transportation Bill Drives Us to Deeper Oil Dependence

This afternoon, Representative John Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, officially introduced a major transportation reauthorization bill. The overall plan for the bill includes proposals to open the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, and to open landscapes in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to oil shale extraction. At the same time, it cuts all funding for biking and walking safety and cripples environmental review for transportation projects. On top of this, Speaker of the House John Boehner has said that he would attach approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline to this bill if it were not otherwise immediately approved.

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Katrina Rosen

Field Director

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Research & Policy Results

A brighter future for wind and solar.

By tapping the energy of the sun hitting the rooftops of Washington and the power of the wind blowing across the state, we can meet the energy needs of every household. New policies we helped win will bring us closer to realizing that potential by making it easier to build wind farms and to put solar panels on our roofs.

At 54.5 mpg, a big step forward for clean cars.

On July 29th, President Obama announced the outline of new clean car standards covering cars and light trucks through 2025, which will amount to the single biggest step this country has ever taken to end our addiction to oil and tackle global warming.

Thousands speak out for clean water.

After thousands of members of Environment Washington and our sister organizations urged the EPA to act, Administrator Jackson announced a plan to restore Clean Water Act protections. We’ve since delivered more than 100,000 public comments in support of clean water protections. We need your help to make sure the public’s voice is heard above the din of corporate lobbyists and special interests.

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Building a greener future

Environment Washington Research & Policy Center gratefully accept bequests, beneficiary designations of IRAs and life insurance, and gifts of securities to support our work. Your gift will assure that we can continue to protect Washington's air, water and open spaces for future generations.

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Environment Washington Research & Policy Center works closely with Environment Washington, a 501 (c)(4) organization. Click here to visit the Environment Washington website.