From left: Adonis Williams, Athena Fain, Gabe Mandell, Lara Fain, Michael Foster, and Andrea Rodgers about to meet Governor Inslee.
From left: Adonis Williams, Athena Fain, Gabe Mandell, Lara Fain, Michael Foster, and Andrea Rodgers about to meet Governor Inslee. SB

Today, Governor Jay Inslee met with a group of kid climate activists currently suing Washington State over its carbon emissions goals.

This is no fluffy lawsuit. In a groundbreaking ruling last month, a judge agreed with the eight tweens who lodged the complaint against the Department of Ecology. Now, the state has to consider the petition that the kids filed last year, one that asked Ecology to come up with a new carbon emissions reduction plan "based on the best available science." It was the first time a court ordered a state agency to do such a thing.

At Assembly Juice and Coffee on 6th Avenue, the kids prepped for their session with the governor. Climate educator Michael Foster threw out a series of scenarios for the kids to consider.

What if the governor dodges the kids' request that he direct Ecology to promulgate a new carbon recovery rule, and just tells them to write letters to their legislators instead? "Ever-so-slightly guilt-trip him?" Wren Wagenbach, 14, asked. "I don't know. 'We've been working on this for a really long time. This is kind of what you've been working toward your entire term in office, and we want to help you get there.'"

Wagenbach has met the governor once before, back in 2012. "He's tall," she said. "And he really likes us, a lot. He seems really passionate about what we're doing."

The state legislature has already committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels in just six years, but all of Governor Inslee's major carbon proposals failed to pass the legislature this session. The kids, represented by Andrea Rodgers of the Western Environmental Law Center, say the state isn't doing enough in light of the latest climate science. They'd rather see the state mandate a four percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Doing anything otherwise is, "like if your house is on fire, and you called the police instead of the firemen," Wagenbach suggested.

"And then you go sit on your couch and start watching TV," Adonis Williams, 10, added.

"Your couch would be gone," Wagenbach said.

A kid climate activist strategy session.
A kid climate activist strategy session. SB

"He was elected for environmental reasons," Wagenbach added later. "He was the one who was going to do all these great things for the environment, but now he's kind of failed at doing that, so helping us is a good reason to help him get reelected."

David Postman, Inslee spokesman, said today's meeting wouldn't be part of any kind of formal settlement agreement. "The governor wanted to meet with these young people, who he has met before and has come away impressed with their commitment to this issue," Postman wrote in an e-mail. "The governor is also talking to Ecology and other advisors about the case. But today is not part of anything formal related to the case."

Gabe Mandell, 13, Athena Fain, 11, and Lara Fain, 13, joined Williams and Wagenbach at Assembly before walking over to meet the governor at the Westin hotel. They snapped selfies before heading inside.