What saved climate act? Good sense and a Science Guy

In trying to understand why Democrats fared better in Washington state than elsewhere in the country — and why three of four conservative-backed state initiatives were rejected, even with appeals regarding inflation and taxes — Troy Abel, a professor of environmental policy at Western Washington University, went to the source: the voters; at least those in his classes.

“I started talking to my students about this, and I think they had some pretty good insight,” said Abel, who has taught at Western since 2006.

Among the factors students cited, he said, were the state’s higher levels of education among residents and voters, greater concern for democracy among those voters, and in-migration from California and elsewhere attracted to Washington’s environment and recreational opportunities, with most of those new residents concentrated around Puget Sound’s tech industries and their higher-paying job.

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“Do you know who my students remembered?” Abel asked. “Bill Nye.”

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-what-saved-climate-act-good-sense-and-a-science-guy/