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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2019)
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon TOWN HALL: Republicans talked on cap and trade Continued from page 1 climate change, and HB 2020. They said they were there to listen and take notes. Despite varying opin- ions on the House bill and whether or not it should be re-introduced, changed or unchanged, at the next ses- sion in Salem, the over- whelming message that came through loud and clear was <do something about carbon emissions and their impact on our climate.= (See related story on page 18.) Emotions ran high in sev- eral participants and there was a plethora of informa- tion, study results, and opin- ions expressed during the two-and-a-half hour meeting. Bonham and Bentz said at the beginning of the evening they would stay until every person who had something to say was heard 4 and they did. The issues of carbon emissions, cap and trade, and climate change are complex and complicated and not easily summarized in a few hours or a newspaper article. Cap and trade is a market- based approach to control- ling pollution (like carbon emissions) by providing eco- nomic incentives for achiev- ing reductions in the emis- sions of pollutants. A central authority allocates or sells a limited number of permits to discharge specific quantities of a specific pollutant per time period. In theory, emitters will find ways to reduce their emissions below the estab- lished limits, and thus reduce the need for costly permits. If one emitter is able to lower their emissions so they don9t need all their permits, they can trade (sell) them to another emitter who is unable to find lower-cost methods to reduce pollution. Proponents hope that the overall impact on the envi- ronment would be that all emitters would attempt to take action to reduce emis- sions and avoid the cost of permits. Right up front, both Republicans stated they do not favor a cap and trade bill as the way to reduce carbon emissions. They have both been involved on carbon committees and have stud- ied the issue extensively. Bentz attended a confer- ence in Toronto to hear what Canada9s experience has been with cap and trade. In 2018, he attended 16 meetings in Salem, met with scientists from Oregon State University and the University of Oregon to gain an under- standing of the issues, and conferred with other sci- entists from Harvard and Standard universities. Bentz supports an idea put forward by Dr. William Jaeger of OSU, which includes a tax on income of one-fourth of one percent with the money going toward efforts to reduce climate change. With the support of slides indicating that Oregon9s car- bon emissions in 2017 were 65 million tons, while global emissions reached 36.8 bil- lion tons, Bentz proposed the best way for Oregon to truly make an impact on climate change globally is to come up with a really creative solution that would encour- age duplication by other states and countries. <Cap and trade would create a multi-billion dollar liability for Oregonians,= he said. According to Bentz, there are two million operating coal-powered plants in the world, half of them in China. From a world population of 2.6 billion people in 1952, the number in 2018 reached 7.6 billion, adding 80 mil- lion more people each year. More people means more pollution. Polls have indicated that 65 percent of Oregonians want something done about climate change, with 85 per- cent of Democrats and over 50 percent of Republicans in favor of action. The current climate of partisan politics in Salem and nationally appears to be a major barrier to reach- ing consensus on a workable program. From the com- ments heard at the town hall, citizens are frustrated with the inability of legislators to work together and <do something.= Bentz stated he was shut out by Democrats from offer- ing alternative solutions in the last legislative session and that is why he walked out of the legislature. The overarching problem, in his mind, is an existential one 4 <a lack of civility in how we govern and reach solutions.= According to Bentz, Oregon has abundant natu- ral resources available for carbon sequestration. The seaweed in the three-mile territorial sea off the Oregon coast captures a lot of car- bon. There are 27 million acres of forests, 16 million acres of farmland, and 15 million acres of sagebrush, all able to absorb CO 2 . If managed properly, this acre- age could help capture sig- nificant amounts of carbon emissions. There are tens of thousands of acres available for utilization as solar farms. The Oregon Conservation Partnership concurs. The for- est and farm lands <could be included in strategies to sequester carbon and benefit climate resiliency. Data show that restoration, conserva- tion, and improved land- management approaches can address a significant percentage of global emis- sions& Conserving working lands and water resources also supports Oregon9s rural economies. The Oregon constitution is written in such a way that the $350 million in taxes col- lected at the gas pump each year can9t be used to fund any projects other than road- work. If that were changed, some of that money could be used for programs and incentives to reduce pollu- tion. Bentz would like to see a change to the constitution to free up those funds. After hearing from every- one who wished to speak, Bentz closed out the eve- ning by saying, <The bur- den is on you guys& What are you going to do to bring the Democrats along?= He believes that an appropri- ately designed bill to reduce carbon will have political durability. Bonham said both he and Bentz want carbon reduction programs in place. <It will take an invest- ment of time and energy with all the stakeholders,= accord- ing to Bonham. 19 Sisters Country birds in 10 to 14 days. They con- sume varied insects and some Correspondent seeds including black sun- In many areas of western flower seeds from feeders. North America, the melodi- They hybridize with their ous song of the black-headed eastern counterpart, the rose- grosbeak (Pheucticus mela- breasted grosbeak, along nocephalus) is a familiar har- their mutual boundary. This binger of spring. They appear situation arose when the here in May with both male treeless prairies, which once and female singing from tops formed a barrier between of trees. Their song is often the two, became dotted with confused with the robins9 towns and homesteads, pro- morning symphony. viding suitable habitats for They are feeding heavily both species. now in preparation for their The black-headed gros- long migration to Central beak is one of the few birds America and Baja. that can safely eat the poi- Their nests are so thinly sonous monarch butterfly. constructed that eggs can A group of grosbeaks be seen through the bottom. are collectively known as a Thin nests may provide ven- <gross= of grosbeaks. tilation and help keep them To view more images cool. Two to five pale-bluish of the black-headed gros- to reddish-brown eggs will beak, visit http://abirdsings- hatch in 12 to 14 days and becauseithasasong.com/ the chicks will leave the nest recent-journeys/. By Douglas Beall PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL Black-headed grosbeak. AUGUST 541-549-9388 SISTERS FEATURED ARTISTS Mitch & Michelle Deaderick Kathleen Keliher Brown Diamond & Fancy Sapphire Wedding Ring 541-749-1800 • 357 W. HOOD AVE., SISTERS • HOODAVENUEART.COM Quilt Drawing for FURRY FRIEND S 501 ( c )( 3 ) FOUNDATION 100% of the proceeds go to Furry Friends Foundation! “Bark for Our Parks II” quilt was designed, appliqued, and quilted by Valerie Fercho-Tillery. The original design and incredible detail make this a spectacular quilt! The quilt is currently on display at the Furry Friends offi ce, 204 W. Adams, Ste. 109, in the Sisters Art Works building (next door to the Habitat Restore parking lot.) Tickets are $1 each, six for $5 or go for it, 25 for $20. Tickets may be purchased at the Furry Friends offi ce or online at www.furryfriendsfoundation.org For more information: 541-797-4023 “Bark for Our Parks II” - by Valerie Fercho-Tillery This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper