Portland area residents were responsible for creating 31 million metric tons (or nearly 68 billion pounds) of greenhouse gas pollution in 2006 according to a new study by Metro. The study also revealed that there is much more to climate change than coal-fired plants and automobile emissions.

Metro, working collaboratively with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Oregon and local jurisdictions, is taking a leadership role in finding ways to significantly reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions. Using information from a recent EPA report, the regional government took a comprehensive look at emissions in the community to help local governments find the most effective ways to reduce pollution while accommodating a growing population.

Metro’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory estimates the carbon footprint of how we live and what we consume. Metro found the main contributor to greenhouse gases was actually the region’s consumption of materials such as goods and food, much of which is produced outside the region.

“We looked at the impact of our 1.5 million residents and determined our per capita carbon footprint is similar to the average U.S. citizen, with lower-than average numbers on transportation and energy, and higher numbers on materials,” said David Bragdon, Metro council president. “Despite the region’s reputation for environmental stewardship on some issues, we are still contributing significantly to the problem because of our choices as consumers.”

The inventory found that 48 percent of total Portland-area emissions come from extracting, manufacturing, shipping, recycling and disposing products and food (from inside and outside the region) consumed by Metro residents and businesses. Another 27 percent of emissions are created by residential and business energy consumption. The final 25 percent of emissions come from local transportation.

“We need to highlight what consumers can do,” Bragdon said. “This is an opportunity to show people that by making informed choices and changes in the items we buy and the way we get around, we can be part of the solution to climate change.”

JPACT/MPAC to gather in joint strategy session

Metro is working with local jurisdictions to find opportunities to reduce pollution through a prevention-oriented approach, and is developing climate pollution forecasting tools for land use, transportation and solid-waste system planning. Local elected officials and experts will meet on April 2 to begin work on those plans in a workshop with Dr. William Moomaw, professor and founding director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at Tufts University and a lead member of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations sponsored group of scientists.

Members of the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation and the Metro Policy Advisory Committee will discuss methods to develop a common understanding of the science of climate change and the impacts of land use and transportation strategies; identify shared goals, expectations and policy options; and commit to the development of a strategy to achieve a healthy climate and great communities.

In addition to developing tools to help local communities track their climate pollution, Metro also was mandated by the Oregon legislature to develop long-range plans for meeting state climate pollution reduction goals for transportation and land use. The April 2 workshop will address scenarios for meeting these goals.

Metro also is partnering with local universities and agencies to understand how the region can best prepare for the effects from the changing climate. Recent models have illustrated several potential impacts –including more people moving here to escape worsening weather situations, the effects an increasing population can have on public structures, and environmental changes from flooding to drought. The project will use the best available science to identify the local impacts, assess our region’s risks and vulnerabilities, and develop recommendations for climate change preparation.

Metro has a long history of working to limit its carbon footprint — sustainability programs date back more than 20 years. The agency’s commitment to reduce its impact on the environment and to inspire others to do the same began with simple recycling programs in the early 1980s and continues with its current work of installing solar panels on the Oregon Convention Center, improving energy and water use at the Oregon Zoo and working with the solid waste industry to retrofit garbage trucks to reduce pollution.

Metro, the regional government that serves 1.5 million people who live in the 25 cities and three counties of the Portland metropolitan area, provides planning and other services that protect the nature and livability of our region.

Loading IntenseDebate Comments...

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.