Posts Tagged ‘ greenhouse gas ’

Greenhouse Gas Bill Remains On Hold

April 23, 2009
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Within the hour, we got word that the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee won’t be voting on greenhouse gas reductions today. Instead, Senate Bill 80 will be carried over until next week. There are some minor changes in the bill’s language that are still being worked out.

Jake Weigler of Healthy Climate Partnerships says even with these changes, the bill is very similar to the version we reported on about two weeks ago. He’s still optimistic the committee will approve the bill in its current form but says things will be harder if it gets before the Ways and Means Committee or the full Senate.

See: Global Warming Battle Returns To Salem Thursday

Thursday’s Enviro Agenda In Salem

April 23, 2009
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Three big environmental projects in Salem today, starting with…

Greenhouse gas reductions:

The big event of the day comes this afternoon when the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee resumes work on a bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Senate Bill 80, utilities and transportation companies have to find ways to reduce emissions and help the state reach the goals agreed upon in the 2007 legislature. Those goals are reducing emissions at least 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and at least 75% below 1990 levels by 2050. Factories, and other “stationary” sources of greenhouse gas would get a five year break to develop a voluntary program.

Business groups have lobbied hard against the bill, warning that the costs of meeting these goals will hurt the state’s economy and cost jobs. Considering the current economic situation, it’s no surprise that their arguments are getting striking home with legislators. There were more behind the scene talks this week on a possible compromise.

Updating The Bottle Bill:

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Lincoln City: On The Road To Carbon Neutral

April 21, 2009
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Lincoln City is getting serious about doing something to reduce its carbon footprint. In fact, it wants to be the first city in Oregon to go carbon neutral.

As reported by the Newport News-Times, the city has completed the first step. The paper says the city has released the results of its carbon inventory, which details the sources of greenhouse gases in the city. The top source is business and office buildings, and homes. Other major contributors include transportation and the city’s water and sewer system. Next step, find the most cost effective ways to reduce or offset those emissions.

Greenhouse Gases Growing, Even As Economy Shrinks

April 21, 2009
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If you’re looking for a silver lining in all the bad economic news, this isn’t it. Despite the global slowdown, we’re still pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Research released today by NOAA shows the amount of carbon dioxide and methane released in 2008 is up from the year before. Worldwide, we added another 16.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and and another 12.2 million tons of methane.

NOAA says even major events, like the Great Depression of the 1930′s and World War II, only led to temporary pauses in the build up of carbon dioxide.  Instead, the build up of CO2 is closely tied to population increases, regardless of how the economy is doing.

Global Warming Battle Returns To Salem Thursday

April 8, 2009
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Of all the environmental bills before lawmakers this session, this is the big one.

Senate Bill 80 would officially start Oregon on the difficult journey of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  The goal is to reduce emissions at least 10% below 1990 levels by the year 2020, and at least 75% below 1990 levels by 2050.

But when the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee meets Thursday afternoon, it’ll be asked to consider something quite different from the original version it looked at more than two months ago.

Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes.  For weeks, environmental groups and industry have been trying to find some sort of compromise.  But Jake Weigler of Healthy Climate Partnership says that by Monday, it was clear a compromise wasn’t going to happen.

So now environmental groups have moved on to a new version of SB 80, one they hope will make it easier for the controversial bill to pass.

Here’s what’s in their latest proposal:

  • Creates a Climate Coordinating Council that oversees state government efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
  • Requires large publicly traded utilities, like PGE and Pacific Power, to reduce emissions in line with the 2020 and 2050 goals.  Gives them about 18 months to work with the Public Utilities Commission to come up with a plan.  The transportation sector would have to take similar mandatory steps to cut greenhouse gases.
  • But other industry, such as factories, would have five years to develop a voluntary greenhouse reduction plan to meet the 2020 and 2050 goals.

Another big change from the original version of SB 80 is that this plan doesn’t include a trading system where companies that are having trouble meeting the goals could buy credits from companies that are ahead of schedule.  Oregon would pull out from a regional trading system under consideration by the Western Climate Initiative.

The public hearing before the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee starts at 3pm in Hearing Room  C.