From the Governor’s climate package announcement

Autumn is my favorite time of year. It sets in with a brisk energy that is palpably different from that of the torpor induced by the the long, slow days of August. This last Monday though, that brisk energy was for me charged with a current of excitement generated by the release of the Governor Kulongoski’s package of climate legislation at OHSU.

In 2007 we passed the Climate Change Integration Act, legislation that codified Oregon’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, among the most stringent in the state. The major weakness of that legislation was that it failed to provide either a regulatory structure or a set of policies that would enable us to achieve those goals. In 2008 we tried to rectify that circumstance in the very short, very proscribed session with additional legislation that would have directed DEQ to come up with a plan and require reporting from major emitters. Alas, it was not to be – a combination of political dynamics and poor timing derailed that train before we even got to the station.

So this past year has been one of careful planning – for advocates and policy makers alike - and one of anticipation. While much of the focus was directed toward the Western Climate Initiative, it’s widely recognized that our participation will not by itself lead to the deep cuts in emissions we need to achieve if we are to meet our goals. The WCI is but a piece of what must be a larger, comprehensive, multi-sector approach to solving global warming. Stakeholder working groups on transportation, energy efficiency and renewable energy took on the task of developing a set of recommended measures in each area, but until Monday the actual elements of the legislative package have largely remained a mystery save to the Governor and his staff.

That mystery is now cleared up and you can find the Governor’s climate package online. Check it out. There’s something in it for almost everyone. Cap-and-trade. No new coal. Net zero buildings by 2030. Solar power production incentives. A low-carbon fuel standard.

Even more than the policies laid out on Monday, I was struck by the buzz in the room. Everybody was buzzing – advocates, architects, builders, consumers, energy developers, labor reps and policy wonks – and I could almost see the wheels turning in people’s heads as they digested the plan. I know what was spinning in my head. “What next? How do we move this forward? Who needs to get on board? What needs to be strengthened? How do words on paper become reality?”

There’s a lot to do over the next 8 months. I hope that the snap in the air results in a corresponding spark of activity on the part of those who have long pressed for real, meaningful action on global warming. In 2009 we have the opportunity to go oven further than we did in 2007 and achieve significant headway in creating a carbon-free future for Oregon.

Stay tuned…