Seattle nonprofit says effort to repeal Climate Commitment Act would eliminate new food donation sources

A hunger relief organization in Seattle has joined environmental interests in opposing Initiative 2117, a fall ballot measure to repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act.

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Under the Climate Commitment Act, the state taxes polluters and uses revenues to cut greenhouse gas emissions. I-2117 supporters say it won’t make a difference in emissions, though, and is driving up the cost of living in Washington.

But the non-profit Food Lifeline is joining the fight to keep it in place. Food Lifeline directs surplus food to people instead of sending it to landfills, which emit the climate-warming gas methane.

"We're doing this [food recovery and redistribution] right now, but only on the smallest scale," said Aaron Czyzewski, the organization's director of advocacy and public policy.

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Czyzewski said a repeal would set back efforts to recover and redistribute foods on a larger scale, at a time when the demand is greater than it's ever been.

Revenue from the Climate Commitment Act could help state agencies expand these efforts over time, helping Food Lifeline secure more sources of food donations. Without additional donations, the organization has to dip into its limited coffers to meet growing demand for food assistance.

"Our annual food budget at Food Lifeline is about $3 million, and we can only sustain that for so long," he said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than a third of food produced in the U.S. ends up in landfills, emitting methane.