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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 1, 2017 A3 Climate change group presents its case Warmer winters, hotter summers By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Adults who joined middle and high school students in the John Day Fire Hall to hear a presenta- tion on climate change Oct. 26 were asked if they had personal experi- ences with climate change. Adele Cerny, a resident of Bear Valley since 1978, described how winter temperatures commonly dipped to 40 below zero and snow accumulated to four feet. She re- called telling her students at Sene- ca School, “OK, it’s warmed up to zero, you can go out to play.” “We don’t get that anymore – maybe a foot of snow and 20 be- low,” Cerny said. A woman in the audience said she’s seen warmer temperatures in the 45 years she’s lived in Grant County. Water tanks for livestock don’t freeze any more, and 100-de- gree summer days were unheard of until now, she said. “I don’t need to use chains on the highway in winter,” she said. Eric Means, a computer engineer from the Beaverton area, said he in- stalled air conditioning at his home for the first time this past summer. He said he was an avid skier and fisherman, and both activities were threatened by climate change. “That was what motivated me to get involved in preventing climate change,” he said. Means joined Brian Ettling to lead the local presentation. Both are members of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan nonprofit or- ganization with thousands of volun- teers across the United States who meet with members of Congress and their staffs, submit letters to of- ficials and opinion pieces to media and hold public meetings in an ef- fort to effect political change. The goal is to rein in carbon di- oxide emissions and prevent global climate change, and their focus is on reducing consumption of fossil fuels, such as coal. Ettling, who has appeared on the Comedy Central television net- work, presented a slide show about impacts to Crater Lake National Park, where he has worked as a park ranger. Air and lake water tempera- tures at the park have increased 5 degrees, and winter snowpack has fallen from around 500 inches to as low as 196 inches two years ago, he said. Crater Lake is isolated from other watersheds and dependent on area snowfall, Ettling said. Western states obtain 75 percent of their wa- ter from snowpack, and states that rely on snowpack produce about 75 percent of the nation’s fresh fruit, he said. Across the U.S., spring snow- pack has declined by 60 percent since 1950, Ettling said. Declining snowpack means lower stream- flows, which creates conflicts be- tween fishermen, irrigators and oth- er water users. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby has a simple plan to cut back on the use of fossil fuels – impose a $15 fee on every ton of carbon dioxide emitted, with all the collected money going Operation Christmas Child shoebox campaign deadline is Nov. 12 to U.S. households as a dividend. According to Regional Eco- nomic Models Inc., the group’s plan could result in a 52 percent reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas- es, creating 2.8 million new jobs in the U.S. economy, and avoiding 230,000 premature deaths. “This plan will not add to the federal deficit or increase the size of government,” Ettling said. Ettling said the Citizens’ Climate Lobby would like to see fossil fuel usage replaced by alternative ener- gy sources, such as solar and wind, but the organization has taken a neutral position on nuclear power. When asked about “clean coal,” Et- tling replied, “It doesn’t exist.” Another political group, Renew Oregon, proposes a cap and price plan to reduce fossil fuel usage. En- tities that emit 25,000 tons or more of greenhouse gases – equivalent to burning 133 train cars of coal – would be required to purchase at auction a state permit for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted. The proposed initial price would be $16 per ton, but the number of state permits would shrink each year, lowering the overall cap and driving up demand – and therefore price – for each permit. Revenue from the permit fees would be reinvested in clean ener- gy solutions for communities across Oregon – such as lowering the cost of solar panels, helping low-income households retrofit their homes, helping farmers pay for advanced irrigation systems and assisting cit- ies and towns with transit options. According to Renew Oregon lit- erature available at the Oct. 26 pre- sentation, 10 states have success- fully used cap and invest programs. California, for example, is part of the North American Carbon Mar- ket, which includes the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. California has cut emissions while growing its economy, Renew Oregon states – the state has invest- ed $3.2 billion in clean energy solu- tions and cleaner transportation. For more information on the two groups and their plans, visit citizen- sclimatelobby.org or reneworegon. org. A UXILIARY PURCHASES T ONO -P EN FOR HOSPITAL Blue Mountain Eagle Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has deliv- ered millions of shoeboxes for desperately needy chil- dren in hospitals, orphanag- es, refugee camps, survivors of natural disasters and other situations of extreme pover- ty. Last year, Grant County residents donated over 1,000 shoeboxes filled with gifts. People interested in do- nating a shoebox filled with new gifts can pick up an empty shoebox and an informational brochure at any participating church or at Len’s Drug. Participants choose a boy or girl and age category (2-4, 5-9 or 10-14) and fill the box with new age-appropriate gifts. The brochure lists items such as toys, school sup- plies, hygiene items and oth- er applicable items. It also lists items that should not be included in the boxes this year: candy, toothpaste, war toys, liquids and items that may melt or break. People may include $9 inside the shoe box on top of the gifts to help cover shipping. The drop-off deadline is Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Samaritan’s Purse/Kim E. Rowland Operation Christmas Child shoebox distribution with Mtonda United Methodist Church in Ntcheu, Malawi. John Day Nazarene Church and the Prairie City Assem- bly of God Church. On Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, Cornerstone Christian Fel- lowship at 139 NE Dayton St. will be receiving all the shoeboxes in Grant Coun- ty to be packed in crates and put on pallets for Oak Harbor Freight Lines to pick up and transport to Bend. For more information, call Carla Teague at 503- 899-7543 or 541-820-3682 or Corinne Stennett at 541- 932-4905, or visit samari- tanspurse.org/occ. Contributed photo From left, Blue Mountain Hospital Auxiliary Treasurer Mary Jones and President Chris Yriarte, present Blue Mountain Hospital CEO Derek Daly with a check for almost $3,500 on Sept. 12. The funds will be used for the purchase of a Tono- Pen, which provides a digital readout of eye pressure. Dr. Mitch Brinks, an opthamologist, will use it in surgery, and doctors will use it in the emergency room. A man wakes up in the morning after sleeping on an ADVERTISED BED, in ADVERTISED PAJAMAS. He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR, have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE. Then it’s too late. Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Mendy Sharpe FNP Apppointments available AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK? DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it! Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710 PRIME RIB, TURKEYS, IN-HOUSE SMOKED HAMS & TURKEYS. able with t r u o y e t a Decor om Meats t s u C ’s ll e Russ Russell’s Custom Meats & Deli “It’s worth the extra mile” 18922 235 N. Canyon City Blvd. Canyon City • 541-575-0720 20974
