A8 The BulleTin • Wednesday, June 16, 2021
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Heidi Wright
Gerry O’Brien
Richard Coe
Publisher
Editor
Editorial Page Editor
County should
kick-start Little
Kits child care
C
hild care should enable parents to work and help start
children on the path to learning. Oregon’s child care
flops.
The well-connected and well-
paid may be able to find good solu-
tions. Many other families cannot
find child care when they need it, let
alone at a reasonable cost. In Cen-
tral Oregon, the estimate is there are
openings for only 1 in 3 children un-
der age 5 in registered child care cen-
ters and in-home providers.
Deschutes County commission-
ers have a chance to create a win for
child care in Central Oregon. And it
would be a win that the community
can build on.
Help kick-start the “Little Kits”
program of Oregon State Universi-
ty-Cascades Campus and Central
Oregon Community College. Com-
missioners should dedicate $1 mil-
lion from the county’s American
Rescue Plan money to help get the
program off the ground.
State Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend,
already chose to invest $1 million in
Little Kits from the American Rescue
Plan dollars he controls. Knopp was
on the Legislature’s Joint Task Force
On Access to Quality Affordable
Child Care. He knows how acute the
need is. Let’s make a solution happen
here.
The goal is to make the program
a replicable model. It will provide
high-quality care enriched by learn-
ing. It aims to provide it at a price
parents can afford. It will pay its
workers a living wage, meaning they
will be able to afford to live in Bend.
It will give workers strong bene-
fits. It will be run by trained profes-
sional staff and have opportunities
for students to learn on the job. The
location is not final. It might be at
OSU-Cascades or COCC.
There may be 70-100 spots for
children at the first site. The hope is
to add other locations in the future,
perhaps in Redmond, La Pine and
elsewhere. The first priority for avail-
able spots will likely go to parents
who are registered students at the
campuses. That will enable parents
to pursue education and enhance
their skills so they can better provide
for their children in the future. Spots
will then be made available for fac-
ulty and staff at the two institutions.
Kelly Sparks, associate vice president
for finance and strategic planning at
OSU-Cascades, told us the estimate
is there will still be about 25 spots
open after that for the community.
But she emphasized this is just the
beginning of a model that they hope
to spread to more places in Central
Oregon.
The missing piece is public invest-
ment. The money will go to the cost
of buying and setting up a modular
building. In December, when the fi-
nal report came out from Knopp’s
state task force on child care, do you
know what one recommendation
was? “Increase public investment.”
The Bend Chamber of Commerce
has been working hard since launch-
ing its child care task force in 2018
to find creative solutions. As cham-
ber CEO Katy Brooks explains, it is
not just about child care. It’s about
economic development. It’s about
improving the future of Central Ore-
gon. It’s about meeting a critical need
where society is falling flat. That’s
why the chamber is backing Little
Kits.
We know the system we have now
is inadequate and failing families. We
believe OSU-Cascades and COCC
will create a high-quality program
where we would be lucky to send our
kids. Deschutes County commis-
sioners should invest in this solution.
(If you are wondering, kits are the
young of both beaver and bobcats.
And the full name of the program is
a mouthful, Little Kits Early Learn-
ing & Child Care Center.)
Solar impact debate
kindles in Crook County
T
he sun’s energy can be turned
into green energy gold. But
solar has a darker side.
It also brings concern about envi-
ronmental impacts. A field of solar
panels alters wildlife habitat.
The proposed expansion of a so-
lar project in Crook County is in one
of these debates, as reported by the
Capital Press. Oregon’s Land Use
Board of Appeals has directed Crook
County to revisit its approval of
“West Prineville Solar Farm’s expan-
sion from 320 acres to 654 acres on
land zoned for exclusive farm use.”
The issue revolves around the in-
tent of House Bill 2329 passed in
2019.
That law change aimed to make
it easier for counties to site solar en-
ergy facilities. The question is: Does
that mean counties get to make de-
cisions about wildlife mitigation
requirements?
LUBA essentially said no.
We don’t know what will even-
tually happen with this project. But
if you have an opinion about how
these state regulations should work,
tell your legislator.
Editorials reflect the views of The Bulletin’s editorial board, Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor
Gerry O’Brien and Editorial Page Editor Richard Coe. They are written by Richard Coe.
Climate change and calculating the carbon price
BY BRENDA PACE
Editor’s note: This is the third in a
series of four columns over the next two
months on climate change and poten-
tial legislation that may give readers
information they can take action on in
the effort to meet carbon emis-
sion reduction goals.
ater in the Klam-
ath Basin is in such
short supply that
in late May thousands of ju-
venile salmon in the lower
Klamath watershed died. Wa-
ter for Klamath Project farm- Pace
ers has been cut to zero by
the Bureau of Reclamation.
Topsoil in Madras is be-
ing depleted since water al-
locations are forcing farmers
to leave half of their acreage
fallow. The U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture says that
only 55% of U.S. topsoil has adequate
moisture, 10 points less than last year.
While the pandemic caused prices
of many foods to rise, shortages from
the farm are also a factor. The causes
are drought, storms and fires coinci-
dent with higher levels of carbon in
the atmosphere.
The previous column described
federal legislation to reduce carbon
emissions as generally falling into
three categories: expenditures, regu-
lation and/or a carbon price. Here are
some updates on what is actually hap-
pening.
The climate change expenditures
in President Joe Biden’s infrastruc-
ture bill have likely disappeared. Ex-
isting programs including electric car
and energy-efficient appliance tax
credit will continue for at least this
year. Theoretically offsetting those
lost climate change elements, many
bills have been introduced for bits and
pieces of the carbon picture, but each
will nevertheless have to pass Con-
gress.
Given the difficulty of passing ex-
penditure bills, the energy grid should
be the target. Utilities are trying to
cope with incorporating renewable
sources to reduce their own emissions
while also supplying additional power
to support an economywide conver-
sion from fossil fuels.
The switch goes beyond electric
vehicles to manufacturing, agricul-
ture, heating and just about any other
process you can think of. There are
technical problems (seasonality and
inverters) and cost.
W
Wood McKenzie, an industry con-
sultant, estimates $4.5 trillion to adapt
and upgrade but Oil Price — an oil
and gas consulting firm — says $7
trillion to also fix poorly developed
and maintained grids like the Texas
system. The federal Depart-
ment of Energy and National
Renewable Energy Labo-
ratory are already working
on technical issues. This is
a challenge and investment
worthy of the U.S. federal
government.
Regulations on energy util-
ities that were in effect during
the Obama administration
are closer to being reestab-
lished. However, recent data
indicate that without addi-
tional efforts, emissions may
still be well above 2050 goals.
Carbon reductions from
Corporate Average Fuel Economy
standards have been reduced by more
than 60% since an automaker petition
last year.
Even so, regulations could have ex-
traordinary value if they can be im-
plemented in an infrastructure bill.
Concrete and steel (4% to 4.5% of in-
dustrial emissions respectively) will
be major components for repair and
construction of highways and bridges.
Both have emerging capabilities to
reduce carbon emissions well below
current levels.
McKinsey reports dated May and
June 2020 provide instructive reviews
of steel and concrete processes and
inputs that reduce carbon. There are
enough options for companies to
pick those most appropriate for their
operations. Given the amount to be
spent on new infrastructure, new car-
bon-reducing technologies should be
embraced whatever the final plan.
In short, neither expenditures nor
regulations for carbon reduction
have progressed this year. What’s left,
however, is powerful. A price on car-
bon is waiting in the wings. A price
on carbon levied only on the original
producers of fossil fuels will make
it through every transaction in the
economy based on the level of carbon
emitted.
In the U.S., 180 billion monetary
transactions occurred in 2018, ac-
cording to the Federal Reserve — that
is 21 million an hour! It is hard to
imagine the rate and volume of mone-
tary transactions, but it is even harder
to imagine how many government
Under carbon pricing provisions,
revenues are distributed to
households such that a majority
of households are better off despite
carbon price increases.
expenditures, regulations and admin-
istrative agencies would be needed to
affect each product or service bought
or sold precisely on the basis of their
carbon emissions.
Under carbon-pricing provi-
sions, revenues are distributed to
households such that a majority of
households are better off despite car-
bon price increases. Other analyses
(OECD, 2021) demonstrate an in-
crease in employment and higher
wages with carbon pricing similar to
what has already occurred in the solar
and wind industries.
Carbon pricing bills are also de-
signed to equalize goods with differ-
ent carbon emissions when they are
imported. This means that importers
can’t undercut the prices of U.S. goods
that have lower emissions. The bills
also recognize sequestration, that is,
the storing of carbons within products
(like concrete), soils, plants and un-
derground.
Moreover, innovation is skyrocket-
ing as scientists and engineers recog-
nize the challenge of climate change.
Converting from fossil fuels to green
electricity is one methodology. Using
fuel cells and nonpolluting methane
are others. To implement these pro-
cesses, industry needs to see a demon-
stration of national will to support the
effort. For this, it needs an inexpen-
sive, market based and economywide
program. That’s a carbon price.
Burning fossil fuels changes more
than the weather. It is also the source
of air pollution, which killed 230,000
people in the United States in 2018.
Yale Environmental also estimated
the treatment of pollution-caused dis-
ease at $600 billion in that year alone.
Whether it’s climate or disease, if you
don’t think it can get any worse, think
again. NASA and NOAA agreed that
419 ppm is the correct estimate of
current atmospheric carbon.
Last column: Who supports what?
e
Brenda Pace is retired from Pace Research Co.,
a regional economics consultancy, and the
Center for Natural Lands Management, a habitat
management nonprofit for endangered species
responsible for more than 75,000 acres.
How to help COVID-crippled businesses: Get a vaccine!
BY LANE JACOBSON AND DREW KAZA
A
s small business owners in Sis-
ters, we are often asked by our
loyal customers just what they
can do to help us out after the detri-
mental impacts of COVID-19 over
the past 15 months.
In the past, we might have given a
variety of answers. But right now, the
answer is simple: please go get your
vaccinations. And if you already have
yours, find a way to encourage or help
someone who hasn’t yet received a
vaccination get one.
Yes, short of locking yourself in
your home with stacks of books and
movies (which honestly sounds al-
right to us — but we’re biased), being
vaccinated is the best way to protect
yourself from COVID. But getting a
COVID vaccine is also the ultimate
act of selflessness … especially now.
With Oregon on the precipice of
reaching the Health Authority’s stated
goal of 70% adults vaccinated, any ef-
fort made to help achieve the 65,000
or so remaining shots necessary to get
to 70% is certainly “helping the team.”
In this case, it’s Team Oregon — and
in our case, small businesses that con-
tinue to bear the brunt of the pan-
demic’s impact.
Even today, without meeting the
vaccine threshold, our customers are
forced to social distance and keep
their masks on.
There remains a misperception
or two around the “end” of the pan-
demic. One is that by having hit 65%,
Deschutes County is already out of
the woods. The other is that the state
is prepared to drop all restrictions, re-
gardless of vaccine levels, on June 21.
But neither is true.
As of this writing, 1 in 67 residents
of Deschutes County has as active
case of COVID-19. With new vac-
cines into arms stagnating (a lot), we
GUEST COLUMN
could still be weeks away from reach-
ing Gov. Brown’s 70% threshold. Last
week, her office and the OHA reiter-
ated that June 21 was simply the tar-
get date for lifting restrictions — so in
theory, we could be in for a few long
weeks. Don’t believe us? Just look at
the UK, which had originally targeted
the exact same date (June 21) for end-
ing its “lockdown” and all associated
restrictions. However, in recent days,
a spike of the Delta variant in that
country has forced it to backtrack.
As of Monday, Prime Minister Boris
Johnson has declared July 19 as the
new date to resume “normal” social
contact.
Oregon cannot afford another
month, or longer, continuing under
the straining stipulations of medical
mandates. But as conscientious mer-
chants in a community with count-
less vulnerable individuals, we are
not about to argue with the policies
of health experts and will continue to
put the safety of our community first.
Yes, Deschutes County has done
an admirable job getting to the high
60s in vaccinated individuals. But
all around us are counties that have
achieved far fewer folks with vaccine
protection so far. That leaves us at un-
usual risk throughout the normal in-
terplay of summer traffic, recreation
and commerce. The new variants
could easily spike here — and attack
our younger populations or those who
have still not been fully vaccinated.
We all want to lose the masks. We
want to hug our loved ones — hell, in
our case, there are quite a few of our
regular customers we are ready to hug
also. But we’re going to wait until it’s
safe to do so and we’ve been given the
all-clear.
It’s never been easier to get the vac-
cine than it is now, with a number
of walk-in locations throughout the
county — entirely free, with no insur-
ance or identification required.
Just visit Deschutes County’s
COVID resources pages for more in-
formation and then act today — don’t
delay.
As we mentioned before, the single
best thing you can do to help your be-
loved local small businesses survive
the next few months and return to
serving the community in the way we
all want is to get your vaccinations —
or help someone close to you get one.
To quote an old ad slogan from a
(formerly small) Oregon business:
“Just Do It.”
e
Lane Jacobson is the owner of Paulina
Springs Bookstore in downtown Sisters. Drew
Kaza is managing partner of quoin media &
entertainment LLC, which owns the Sisters Movie
House in Sisters. He lives in Redmond.