Portland, OR and Multnomah County Global Warming Action Plan: Difference between revisions

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== Joint Portland and Multnomah County Global Warming Action Plan ==
{{Entity|Locale=Portland|Region=OR|Country=US}}
'''Type:''' Policy


'''Type:''' City/County Policy
'''Status:''' Adopted in April 2001


'''Status:''' Adopted
'''Source File:''' http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=112115
 
'''Date:''' April, 2001


'''Introduction:'''
'''Introduction:'''


April 2001
Global climate change presents one of the foremost
 
threats—economically, socially and environmentally—
Dear Friends,
of the new century. Increases in the
 
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are
It is impossible to overstate the importance of global warming. No other issue threatens our planet with such dramatic, far-reaching impacts, and no other issue is so clearly a worldwide problem. At the same time, many of the most promising solutions to global warming are local initiatives that we can control.
expected to result in substantially higher temperatures,
 
more frequent intense storms, rising sea levels, and
The City of Portland and Multnomah County developed this plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the
changes in water flows and quality. There is broad
Portland area. The City of Portland has been a leader among local governments in combating global warming
agreement in the scientific community that human
and in 1993 became the first local government in the U.S. to adopt a greenhouse gas-reduction plan. This
activities are contributing to these changes, largely by
new joint plan for the City of Portland and Multnomah County represents an important step forward for
releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through
both organizations and makes clear that all governments—and all citizens—have a responsibility to address
burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, manufacture
global climate change.
goods, heat our homes, and power our vehicles.
 
There is no time to lose. The scientific consensus expects substantial changes not only in temperature but in rainfall patterns, water supply, snow levels, forest health, local air quality, and sea level. These changes are not in the distant future but are in evidence now:
 
· Eighteen glaciers in Glacier National Park have melted in the last 30 years, and the park is expected
to have no glaciers by 2070 if temperatures continue to rise as projected.
 
· Sea level has risen four to 10 inches over the last century, and low-lying islands in the Pacific Ocean
have already been covered.
 
· Since 1900 temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have increased 1.5º F and precipitation has
increased 14 percent.
 
Portland City Council and Multnomah County Board of Commissioners have established a goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. Achieving this goal will require action by government, businesses, and individuals. We know what causes global warming, and the steps to combat it
are clear: reduce the use of fossil fuels. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t have to be difficult. In almost every case, it’s good for the family budget and for the local economy.


We encourage you to join us in taking action on both a personal and a policy level. We will continue to
'''A Local Plan'''<br>
examine local government activities to identify areas where we can reduce emissions from City and County
In 1993 Portland became the first U.S. city to adopt a plan
operations. Please take an equally serious look at your own actions and search for ways to reduce emissions
to reduce carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions. Early in 2001
from your own activities. Every reduction matters, no matter how small.
Multnomah County joined these efforts, identifying climate
change as a key element in its overall sustainability
initiative. Nearly 400 municipal governments worldwide
have joined Portland and Multnomah County in adopting
climate-change mitigation goals. Together, these communities
represent more than seven percent of global greenhouse
gas emissions. While the actions of any single
municipality can impact only a small fraction of emissions,
this collaboration of a large number of urban areas
can achieve meaningful reductions.


Thank you for your interest in this vital issue.
Portland’s 1993 CO<sub>2</sub> reduction strategy established a
reduction target of 20 percent below 1990 emissions by
2010. Today, seven years into the City’s original plan, we
have far to go. Although impressive achievements in energy
efficiency, transportation, recycling, and tree planting have
helped reduce per capita emissions, rapid population
growth has led to an overall increase in CO<sub>2</sub> emissions
since 1990 (see Figure 1).


Erik Sten
'''Portland and Multnomah County’s Goal'''<br>
City Commissioner
Largely because of rapid population growth, this plan
adopts a more realistic reduction target of 10 percent
below 1990 levels. This target is still more aggressive than
the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which, though not ratified by the
U.S. Senate, sets a national reduction goal of seven percent
below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012.


Bill Farver
As aggressive as it is, Portland and Multnomah County’s
Interim County Chair
greenhouse gas-reduction goal must be viewed as only the
beginning. Reducing emissions to 10 percent below 1990
levels will slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases, but
the atmospheric concentration of those gases will continue
to rise. To stabilize atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases
will require a reduction in emissions of 60 to 70 percent
from 1990 levels.


'''Poplicy Website:''' http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=112115
[[Category:City-County Governments]]
[[Category:Climate Policy]]
[[Category:Multnomah County]]
[[Category:Oregon]]
[[Category:Policies]]
[[Category:Portland]]

Latest revision as of 20:41, 31 December 2014


Portland, OR, US

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Type: Policy

Status: Adopted in April 2001

Source File: http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=112115

Introduction:

Global climate change presents one of the foremost threats—economically, socially and environmentally— of the new century. Increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are expected to result in substantially higher temperatures, more frequent intense storms, rising sea levels, and changes in water flows and quality. There is broad agreement in the scientific community that human activities are contributing to these changes, largely by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, manufacture goods, heat our homes, and power our vehicles.

A Local Plan
In 1993 Portland became the first U.S. city to adopt a plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Early in 2001 Multnomah County joined these efforts, identifying climate change as a key element in its overall sustainability initiative. Nearly 400 municipal governments worldwide have joined Portland and Multnomah County in adopting climate-change mitigation goals. Together, these communities represent more than seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While the actions of any single municipality can impact only a small fraction of emissions, this collaboration of a large number of urban areas can achieve meaningful reductions.

Portland’s 1993 CO2 reduction strategy established a reduction target of 20 percent below 1990 emissions by 2010. Today, seven years into the City’s original plan, we have far to go. Although impressive achievements in energy efficiency, transportation, recycling, and tree planting have helped reduce per capita emissions, rapid population growth has led to an overall increase in CO2 emissions since 1990 (see Figure 1).

Portland and Multnomah County’s Goal
Largely because of rapid population growth, this plan adopts a more realistic reduction target of 10 percent below 1990 levels. This target is still more aggressive than the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which, though not ratified by the U.S. Senate, sets a national reduction goal of seven percent below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012.

As aggressive as it is, Portland and Multnomah County’s greenhouse gas-reduction goal must be viewed as only the beginning. Reducing emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels will slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases, but the atmospheric concentration of those gases will continue to rise. To stabilize atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases will require a reduction in emissions of 60 to 70 percent from 1990 levels.

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