On this blog, I've previously discussed the fact that Portland General Electric (PGE), which supplies most buildings in the greater Portland area with electricity, has connections to mountaintop-removal mining in Kentucky.  This destructive form of mining has ruined communities and natural ecosystems throughout Appalachia, and has destroyed more than 250 pristine mountains.  Over here in Oregon, citizens can do their part to protest coal by purchasing "green," power from PGE, which comes from renewable sources like wind, geothermal, and small-scale hydropower.  The City of Beaverton purchases green power for city buildings, and has challenged residents to do the same in their homes.  The government of Washington County, however, continues to buy plain-old dirty energy, coming largely from coal. 

Last week, I participated in a Sierra Club protest of PGE's reliance on dirty coal.  We paraded down several Portland streets dressed as Santa and his elves, and ended up at PGE's Portland headquarters.  We gave PGE coal in its stocking for being so naughty this year!  The truth is, though PGE does offer green power to customers, it is also responsible for the single largest source of greenhouse emissions in the state of Oregon: the Boardman Coal Plant.  It is PGE's responsibility to shut this plant down, and replace it with renewable energy projects.  However, it is also the responsibility of PGE's customers - like the Washington County Board of Commissioners - to show that the company can make money off of this kind of energy.  The Boardman Coal Plant is one more reason for Washington County to follow Beaverton's lead, and move away from fossil fuels as an energy source.

If you live in Washington County, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, ASKING THEM TO CUT USE OF FOSSIL FUELS!

 When I first contacted the Washington County Board of Commissioners about global warming and the US Cool Counties Declaration, it sometimes seemed like I might as well be yelling at a black hole.  Commissioner Dick Schouten, supporter of many sustainability policies, responded to my emails; the other four members of the Board, however, barely acknowledged them.  The one message I got from those four individuals was an email from Chairman Brian, basically telling me to buzz off and "rest assured" that the county was already trying to decrease its carbon footprint.  I love it when politicians use the term "rest assured"; it means, "stop bugging me about this, because I'm right and you're wrong and I really don't care what you think."

Well, things have changed some since those first months.  The Cool Washington County movement has held a rally outside the county building, and thrown an event at Pacific University to raise awareness about energy issues.  We've been in multiple local papers, and a letter about the County Board's habit of ignoring citizen input has appeared in the Oregonian.  Portland pollster Adam Davis has reported that Washington County citizens are increasingly concerned about making "environmentally responsible" choices.  And in the face of all this, I recently got an email from County Commissioner Desari Strader, asking me to meet with her.  Amazing what a little grassroots activism can do.

Momentum has been gathering a long time, and we are finally seeing some results.  Near the end of this month I will be sending the Board of Commissioners a petition with over 100 signatures from Washington County residents, asking them to pass the Cool Counties Declaration.  In January, we will be holding another event outside the county building.  And, perhaps most importantly of all, the Oregon Sierra Club is about to join the fray, and will begin meeting with each of the county commissioners in turn after the new year. 

Please help keep this movement growing.  If you live in Washington County, ASK THE COUNTY BOARD TO PASS THE COOL COUNTIES DECLARATION!

-Nick

The petition to make Washington County an official Cool County has been collecting signatures particularly fast these past few days (we're now up to over 100 signatures).  Many people are leaving personalized comments for the Board of Commissioners on the petition, and I thought I post some of the most thought-provoking ones here - they are worth reading!  Words in brackets are mine, that I've added here.  And don't forget to ADD YOUR OWN COMMENTS to the petition.

Comments:

"As a Washington County resident, taxpayer and voter, I request that you endorse and pass the resolution supporting the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration. This is long term planning, and more important and critical than anything else on the County's agenda."  [Take that, those who contend the county has "other priorities" on which to spend taxpayer money!]        -Posted by Gail

"Washington County and its cities are currently working on a couple transportation initiatives (MSTIP and TIF), and have a huge opportunity to fight global warming simply by working to build roads and urban areas that promote walking, biking, transit, carpooling, or even driving more efficient vehicles. I urge you to consider the impacts of transportation on our environment and consider the implications for climate change. The county should also take every effort in other ways, like using and promoting renewable energy and sustainable development, to fight global warming."        - Posted by Peter

"Actions taken at the local level demonstrate to a slow-to-act national government that these are issues about which the citizenry is concerned and desire legislative action."      -Posted by Zachory

"Counties across the country such as Miami-Dade Florida, Cook County Illinois, and King County Washington, are stepping forward to join The Cool Counties Declaration, which sets a goal of a reduction in greenhouse emissions of 80% below current levels by the year 2050, an achievable average annual reduction of 2 percent. It is based in part on the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which has already been signed by Beaverton and Hillsboro."     -Posted by Luigi

"At Community Partners for Affordable Housing we are committed, individually, and as an organization, to reversing the damage being inflicted on our planet! We work to build and renovate in a sustainable way, and promote recycling and clean/green operations at our housing sites. We would like the County Commission to also play a leadership role."            -Posted by Sheila

"I believe that we should be working towards doing everything that we can to keep from harming our planet further and to also work towards reversing the damage that's already been done. We could start by only having one waste removal provider per neighborhood driving trucks that are environmentally friendly. In the time that it takes to remove the garbage and recyclables from my neighborhood right now since they come on both both Tuesdays and Wednesdays; they could service a small city. The whole issue of the amount of noise pollution exerted by these trucks is another issue that needs to be addressed. I believe the County Commission should have been playing a leadership role long ago."  [A great example of something specific the county could do to move forward]         -Posted by Anonymous

"Global warming is the single most important problem facing the human race. In the absence of concerted government action, taking action at the county level may seem more symbolic than practical. But it does more: it helps create a market that will encourage the development of the technologies that may well save the planet for my grandchildren."  [The good old, 'Economy won't survive without the environment' argument]        -Posted by Andrew  

These are just a few of the great things people are saying.  Now, if you haven't already, and if you live in Washington County, please SIGN THE PETITION TO THE BOARD YOURSELF!

-Nick

Here's a quick, but extremely important, post.  We all know that President Bush's position on climate change (don't do much of anything because it'll hurt Big Oil and Coal) doesn't represent the position of the American people.  Now here's a chance to show the world.  As the United Nations discusses a new carbon treaty in Bali, Indonesia, Bush's Administration is trying to disrupt the real progress that could be made.  Please tell other nations to ignore Bush, and focus on what the American people really want.  Go to http://www.avaaz.org/en/please_ignore_bush/4.php

-Nick

 Several liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, proposed at various sites around the state of Oregon, have been drawing public criticism from people as diverse as farmers, fishers, and environmentalists.  First of all, the terminals would cut through farms and tree plantations without the permission of the owners. Second, forests and other ecosystems would be destroyed to make way for the pipelines.  And finally, LNG is a fossil fuel with a big carbon footprint.  While ordinary natural gas burns cleaner than coal or oil, LNG requires other fossil fuels just to transport it in ships from places like Russia, Indonesia, and - potentially - Iran to the United States.  Add the high energy cost of moving this fuel to the carbon produced when it is burned, and it begins to look more like coal than natural gas.

So yesterday, activists of all ages and backgrounds rallied outside the Portland headquarters of Northwest Natural Gas - one of the companies looking to develop LNG in this state.  We held up our signs, waved at passing cars, and let the corporation know that we don't want it in our backyards.  After a while, we took a walk to gather outside the building where Governor Ted Kulongoski was supposedly at lunch; the governor has so far done very little to discourage LNG in Oregon, despite his promises to help leverage fossil fuels out of our economy.  I was at the rally from 11:45 that morning until 1:30 - it was quite an experience.  It is not very often that this many people from so many different backgrounds come together for a shared purpose, like this.  And to defeat new fossil fuel infrastructure - in this state and others - this is just the kind of thing that will be needed.  I even collected some new signatures for the Cool Washington County petition.  Let's kick fossil fuels out of this state, and bring in the clean energy!

If you live in Washington County, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS!

-Nick

 Yesterday I attended Oregon's first Local Climate Action Workshop, designed to look at ways city and county governments can reduce greenhouse emissions and find cost-effective solutions to global warming.  I listened to Mayor Tom Hughes of Hillsboro (the hosting city) welcome the audience during a speech in which he pointed out that, "If there's going to be leadership on this issue [in the US], it will come at the state and local level" - not from the federal government.  I listened to Michael Armstrong of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development describe how that city has achieved impressive reductions in greenhouse emissions, but also point out that much more will be needed in order to meet the goals scientists say we must meet to stave off catastrophic climate change.  I watched Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury give a condensed version of the slide presentation on which An Inconvenient Truth is based.  I listened to Amy Shatzkin, from ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, explain the methodologies local governments are using to track reductions in greenhouse emissions, and set reachable goals for themselves.  The conference was attended by representative of most Oregon cities that have signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, including Corvallis, Eugene, Lake Oswego, Bend, and Beaverton, to name a few.  All of these government officials and public sector employees came together to prove that solutions to the climate crisis exist, and that they can be implemented at the local level.  It was a truly inspiring event.

As speaker Helen Berg, former mayor of Corvallis said, this was the day Al Gore received his Nobel Peace Prize for raising global warming awareness.  Also today, national leaders from all over the world are meeting in Bali, Indonesia, working on a new carbon treaty to replace Kyoto.  The workshop in Hillsboro was timely; this issue has never been more urgent.

The workshop will doubtless have an impact on the communities which sent representatives to the event.  Hopefully, though, it will also have an affect on Oregon's other local governments.  Cities and counties that have not yet made this kind of commitment to sustainability may begin to realize that there's a movement brewing.  Most notably, the Washington County Board of Commissioners, whose building sits across the street from the Hillsboro Civic Center, might feel the impact of this day.  No WA County commissioners were at the workshop, but I will do my best to make sure the event does not go unnoticed on that side of Main Street.  If we are truly going to conquer global warming, we need even more local governments on board.

 The United Nations is meeting this week in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss action on global warming.  National elections in Australia just reversed that country's position on climate change, catapulting it from being one of the only two industrialized nations not to have signed Kyoto, to a potential new leader on this issue.  The number of Cool Cities in the US continues to grow, and we just gained our first Southwestern Cool County outside of California, with Clark County, Nevada's passage of the Cool Counties Declaration.  Want to get in on the amazing climate-saving movement that seems to have engulfed the world?  Then this is a great time to start air-drying your laundry.

Air-drying wet clothes is becoming more and more common in this country, especially in sunny areas.  However, you don't have to live in Florida or the Southwest to save on energy bills this way.  I've been air-drying my laundry all fall - and I live in overcast, rainy western Oregon.  The trick is to do it indoors; hang a short line in a large, open room, and you're good to go.  Thin, non-cotton things, like sheets, should be dry in a few hours.  Even cotton clothing will dry out if you leave it over night; but if that's too much of a hardship, then use the old electric dryer for cotton items, while air-drying anything made out of fleece or synthetic materials, to cut back on the number of loads that go into your dryer.

The electric dryer is one of the worst electricity-guzzling appliances we have; dryers use up a full 6% of household electricity in the United States, and eliminating all this energy use would have a significant impact on greenhouse emissions.  And besides - you save money on electricity bills.  How can you do better than that?

Check out this post from our freinds at Onward Oregon.  Onward Oregon is working to establish grassroots groups in each of the Portland suburbs that have signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement - Beaverton, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, and Gresham.  Signing onto the Agreement is a good start for each of these cities, but citizen pressure will help ensure that they follow through fully with their commitment to a stable climate.  Thanks to Onward Oregon for working on this!

Meanwhile, this site continues to push Washington County to join these and other cities by making a commitment to reducing emissions.  PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO THE COUNTY!

-Nick

 As someone concerned about current trends in politics, I make my concerns known to my elected officials.  I write to them, call their offices on the phone, and send them emails.  This includes my senators, the governor, the mayor - you name it.  And I've found that they usually write back.  They may not agree with my views, and I may not like the answers they give, but most politicians go to the effort to respond to the concerns of citizens with some explanation of their position on an issue.  After all, we're the ones they represent, right?

Not so with the Washington County Board of Commissioners.  Commissioner Dick Schouten remains the only member of the Board to have sent me any meaningful response regarding my emails about the Cool Counties Declaration.  I've talked to the co-chair of Washington County Peak Oil, and that group is having a similar problem.  Despite more news coverage our request has received lately, four out of the five members of the Board remain silent.  If you're looking for an answer from the Washington County Board of Commissioners, you might as well be yelling at a black hole.

TELL THE BOARD TO PASS THE COOL COUNTIES DECLARATION!

Fortunately, this can only continue for so long.  There will come a point when the County Board cannot ignore its constituents on this issue any longer.  The only way to overcome the barrier of their silence will be to bring the attention of county residents to the problem.  News coverage in the Forest Grove News-Times, the Hillsboro Argus, and Pacific University's Index is a good start, but more will be needed.  The Step It Up event at the county building and the fossil fuel forum at Pacific earned us the coverage we have received so far, but we have to keep building on that progress.  Round about January, I'm thinking, it will be time to visit Downtown Hillsboro again, and stop by the county building to say hello.  This next major (and completely peaceful) action of the Cool Washington County Campaign will take some planning, and the details haven't been worked out yet.  But stay in the loop.

PLEASE TELL THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO HELP SAVE THE CLIMATE!