Kyoto, here we come

Leslie Carlson

In early June, the Portland City Commission and Multnomah County will formally receive a progress report on local efforts to fight climate change. And for once, the news is good—so good that it’s possible to believe we might be able to make sustained progress on climate change on a local level.

In 1993, Portland became the first local government to adopt a plan to address global warming (Multnomah County signed on in 2001). The plan outlined a hodge-podge of more than a hundred action steps, each designed to cut overall greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2010—exceeding the 7 percent reduction standard set by the Kyoto Protocol.

Against all odds, these actions appear to be working. For the last three years, greenhouse gas emissions in Portland have dropped and last year, they dropped below 1990 levels. Even more significant, emissions are down 17 percent below what they were forecast to have been had we done nothing at all.

What’s most interesting about the data from this progress report, however, is that there is no one reason that our emissions have fallen. Instead, steady and concentrated effort on a wide and diverse number of fronts has brought success. These include:

A 75 percent growth in the use of public transit;
The City of Portland’s purchase of renewable energy for 10 percent of its energy needs;
One of the highest recycling rates in the nation;
The planting of 750,000 trees and shrubs;
Home weatherization;
Energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Portland isn’t alone in taking action on global warming. In the absence of any federal effort on climate change, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has organized a bipartisan group of 132 mayors across the country that have pledged to meet the Kyoto Protocol. (Portland, Eugene and Corvallis are all taking part). These mayors know that the potentially disastrous effects of climate change will be felt at the local level, and that in the absence of help from the feds, it falls to them to do something. With demonstrated progress on fighting greenhouse gas emissions, Portland may be able to play a key role in this group.

Of course, the news isn’t all good. Portland has yet to achieve even the 7 percent reduction in emissions that Kyoto calls for. Scientists believe we must reduce greenhouse emissions by 60 to 70 percent in the next few decades in order to stabilize the climate. Most troubling, other countries have a huge head start on the United States in cutting emissions.

And yet…it’s nice to see Portland make some measure of progress towards solving the pre-eminent environmental problem of our time. Portlanders, pat yourselves on the back—and don’t forget to take the bus.

By Leslie Carlson May 25, 2005