Zac Pinard

Zac grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to the Pacific Northwest to start his career. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Environmental Science, specializing in Environmental Economics and Policy. He has two minors: one in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and another in Spanish. In 2020, he worked as a legislative assistant for the chair of the Oregon House Committee on Energy and the Environment. During that short session, he gained significant exposure to the political battle surrounding an economy-wide carbon pricing bill. He hopes he can take that experience forward to help implement robust carbon pricing mechanisms throughout the nation.

Politics, Washington
Now That the Climate Commitment Act Has Passed, What Does That Mean For the Future of Cap-and-Invest in the United States?
May 19, 2021 by Zac Pinard

Right after Earth Day 2021, the Washington State House of Representatives passed the landmark Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA passed the House by a margin of 54-43 late Friday afternoon on April 23rd, and then passed the Senate 27-22...

SCPN Spotlight
SCPN Spotlight: Joe Wachunas on Electrifying Rural Communities and Finding Your Purpose in the Environmental Movement
May 12, 2021 by Zac Pinard

All across the country, members of our State Climate Policy Network (SCPN) are fighting to make an impact on climate change in their communities. We have individuals in our Network from all 50 states, each experiencing climate change differently in...

Politics, Washington
Washington Cap-and-Invest Bill Gets Through Committee
March 9, 2021 by Zac Pinard

Late in February, Washington State’s Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, and Technology passed the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) by a vote of 7 to 3. This step accelerates momentum for essential climate action in Washington this session. The CCA will...

Oregon, Politics
Executive Order Positions Oregon for Statewide Climate Action
December 3, 2020 by Zac Pinard

The past few years, climate news in Oregon has revolved around a bitter and complicated legislative fight over cap-and-trade, which Climate XChange has covered extensively. Positive climate developments out of Oregon have been rare as of late, so it wouldn't...

Oregon, Politics
Oregon Politics Stymie Action on Climate and Wildfires
October 28, 2020 by Zac Pinard

Oregon lawmakers are fiercely debating the cause of devastating wildfires that engulfed Western states this fall.  Wildfire destruction reached a record high in Oregon this year, with over one million acres (1,562 square miles) burned just in the week following...