Oregon Environmental Council to host 'Cutting Carbs' - a series of transportation-related greenhouse gas reduction workshops

PORTLAND, Ore.—Nov. 18, 2009—The Oregon Environmental Council will be hosting a series of three workshops in December designed to look at opportunities for growing metropolitan areas to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and to provide them tools and resources to create climate-friendly communities. The workshops are geared toward transportation professionals, land use professionals, and elected officials who influence transportation plans and projects. Participants will be eligible for 4 AICP professional development credits.

Subjects to be covered

• State and federal transportation and climate change legislation that could impact transportation planning in the state, including the recommendations Oregon's Metropolitan Planning Organization Greenhouse Gas Task Force
• Which strategies make the most cost-effective dent in greenhouse gasses
  
• The latest in modeling transportation-related greenhouse gasses
• Barriers to and opportunities for reducing greenhouse gasses from transportation
• The "Blueprint for the Future," a fifty-year conceptual vision for future growth in the Sacramento region. This blueprint plan has won many awards for its creative applications and its ability to create consensus in the region on a variety of complex issues
• Resources available for cutting carbs from the transportation system, including funding
  

Workshop Dates and Locations

Cutting Carbs Workshop: Salem
WHEN: Friday, December 4, 2009, 1:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
WHERE: Senator Hearing Room, 1st Floor, Marion County Courthouse Square, 555 Court Street, Salem, Oregon
SPEAKERS: The keynote speaker is Mike McKeever, Executive Director of the Sacramento Council of Governments, presenting "Blueprint for the Future," a fifty-year conceptual vision/scenario plan for future growth in the Sacramento region. Other speakers include Gail Achterman, Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission, and more.
HOSTED BY: Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments
PRICE: $25. Registration is available at http://www.oeconline.org/cutting-carbs

Cutting Carbs Workshop: Central Point
WHEN: Thursday, December 10, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
WHERE: Jefferson Conference Center, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, 155 N 1st Street, Central Point, Oregon
SPEAKER: The keynote speaker is Tom Cosgrove, Sacramento Council of Governments board member and Mayor pro tem of the City of Lincoln, presenting "Blueprint for the Future," a fifty-year conceptual vision/scenario plan for future growth in the Sacramento region. Other speakers include Angus Duncan, Chair of the Oregon Global Warming Commission, and more.
HOSTED BY: Rogue Valley Council of Governments
PRICE: $15. Complete information is available at http://www.oeconline.org/cutting-carbs. To register call Rene Sjothun of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments at 541-664-6674.

Cutting Carbs Workshop: Springfield
WHEN: Friday, December 11, 2009, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: McLane Room, ODOT Building, 644 A Street, Springfield, Oregon
SPEAKER: The keynote speaker is Tom Cosgrove, Sacramento Council of Governments board member and Mayor pro tem of the City of Lincoln, presenting "Blueprint for the Future," a fifty-year conceptual vision/scenario plan for future growth in the Sacramento region. Other speakers include Gail Achterman, Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission, and more.
HOSTED BY: City of Springfield
PRICE: $35. Registration is available at http://www.oeconline.org/cutting-carbs

About the Oregon Environmental Council
The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For more than 40 years we've been a champion for solutions to protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. Our vision for Oregon includes solving global warming, protecting kids from toxics, cleaning up our rivers, building sustainable economies, and ensuring healthy food and local farms. Find out more at www.oeconline.org.

For More Information:
Oregon Environmental Council
Jeremy Graybill, Communications Director
503-222-1963 ext. 111
jeremyg@oeconline.org