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| Global Warming Commission to hold first meeting March 17 | ||||||||||
| 03/10/2008 | ||||||||||
SALEM--The Oregon Global Warming Commission (OGWC) will hold its first ever meeting on Monday, March 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Port of Portland, 121 NW Everett St. in Portland. The meeting is open to the public. The OGWC is a 25-member advisory group created by the 2007 Legislature through House Bill 3543. Governor Kulongoski appointed most of the members and directed them to develop long-term policy recommendations to prepare for, adapt to, and combat global warming, including recommendations for policy makers for the 2009 legislative session that will build on Oregon’s aggressive actions on global warming and climate change. The commission follows the work of the Governor’s Climate Change Integration Group that began meeting in June 2006. That Group’s final report will be presented to the commission on March 17. The report outlines next steps for the state to address climate change. The report will also play a key role in the development of the Governor's climate change package for the 2009 legislative session. The Governor has outlined several key elements of his 2009 Climate Change Agenda, including the development of a cap and trade proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region. During the meeting, members will discuss the work plan for 2008, organizational issues and sub-committee assignments. Also, there will be presentations on the state of climate science, a survey of Pacific Northwest impacts, an Oregon climate action chronology, and background and a status report on the Oregon Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reductions. Angus Duncan will serve as Chair of the Commission. Duncan chaired the Drafting Committee that wrote Oregon’s Climate Change Strategy for Governor Kulongoski. In 2006, he chaired the Governor’s Drafting Committee designing an Oregon load-based carbon emissions cap and trade mechanism. Dr. Mark Abbott will serve as a vice-chair on the commission. He was Co-Chair of the Climate Change Integration Group. Abbott is Dean and Professor in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Jim Rue will also serve as a vice-chair on the commission. Rue is employed by the R.B. Pamplin Corporation where he is responsible for the reclamation of Ross Island, energy efficiency, and general environmental compliance. During the March 17 meeting, public comment periods are scheduled from noon to 12:15 p.m. and 3:45 to 4 p.m. A listen-only phone number will also be available. To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodations, call (503) 378-4040, TTY 1-800-735-2900, or fax (503) 373‑7806. For more information, call 1-800-221-8035 (toll-free in Oregon) or check the Web site at http://oregon.gov/ENERGY/. |
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