How To Become A Climate Hero (3 of 4)

This is Part 3 in a series of articles on the Clean Energy Jobs Bill being considered in the Oregon State Legislature. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

These are our climate heroes in the Oregon Legislative Assembly. As we work for the Clean Energy Jobs Bill to implement the Cap and Investment plan for Oregon, it is important to thank those who have been champions of this legislation since it was first introduced in the Oregon House of Representatives in 2015.   From left to right, we give great thanks for Representative Phil Barnhart who first sponsored the bill in 2015 and Representatives Ken Helm, Pam Marsh, Paul Holvey and Karin Power who have continued to take leadership in the House. Because of them, this legislation may at least pass the House this session!! If you feel so inclined, please send them your own personal email of thanks. This really makes a difference:

• Phil Barnhart: rep.PhilBarnhart@oregonlegislature.gov
• Ken Helm: rep.KenHelm@oregonlegislature.gov
• Pam Marsh: Rep.PamMarsh@oregonlegislature.gov
• Paul Holvey: rep.PaulHolvey@oregonlegislature.gov
• Karin Power: rep.KarinPower@oregonlegislature.gov

While thanking some for being champions, we keeping working to encourage others to become champions. At the Capitol, our McMinnville heroes met with our Representative Ron Noble as you can see in the picture. Not pictured is our meeting with the staff of our Senator Brian Boquist. Both still need to be convinced that controlling emissions is the only way for us to survive and make a future for our children. They still need to be convinced that the only States and Provinces who are meeting their emissions goals are those who have a carbon pricing plan in place. They need to believe the economic assessments showing that the economies of those States and Provinces are doing 10-25% better than those around them and are creating jobs at a rate 5-10% faster than their neighbors. If you feel like dropping these future climate heroes a email for encouragement, please do so soon:

• Representative Ron Noble: rep.RonNoble@oregonlegislature.gov
• Senator Brian Boquist: sen.BrianBoquist@oregonlegislature.gov

Those who oppose strategies that put a price on pollution often say these punish fossil industries, do away with good-paying jobs and really just amount to a tax. To the contrary, we believe cap and investment protocols ask the best of our industries. We believe they have the potential to change for the common good and we incentivize them to do so. We believe they can remain profitable and competitive in a transformed economy and this generates investment revenue to help them do so. We already see the emergence of strong new industries, the beginnings of a new work force and can’t wait to see what American industrial genius can do for a better world for all of us.

Those Oregon companies emitting more than 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution will be required to buy allowances (@ one allowance per ton) and participate in the cap and investment economy once this legislation is put in place. I simply list the one hundred or so businesses the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has determined will participate in this plan and the amount, in metric tons, of their annual emissions. We look forward to witnessing their transformation into new climate heroes in the next few decades and what they will do for repairing God’s Creation and executing economic justice in Oregon.

Stay tuned for Part 4. . .

COMPANIES EMITTING OVER 25,000 METRIC TONS ANNUALLY

State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Most Recent Figures 2015-2016