Climate Action Plan Committee, Listening more than Doing

For the second year in a row, a wildfire threatened the city limits right here in Salem.

Level 3 (red) and Level 2 (yellow) evacuation notice

There is the bigger fire near Oakridge.

And there was a new fire at Milo McIver State Park.

As California goes, so goes Oregon

If we don't get a handle on our emissions, things will just get worse and worse, and runaway catastrophe a real risk. Some bad things are already baked in, but we do have choices between bad, badder, and catastrophic badness.

In this context, the City's current approach to climate is too passive.

Updates from other agencies

The Climate Action Plan Committee for implementation meets today, Monday the 12th, and they will be listening to what other agencies are doing.

The topics are important, but the City of Salem is not an active lead on them. The City isn't really implementing anything here. 

You may recall that the original concept for selecting the 55 "Early Implementation Strategies" included "high potential" for reducing emissions and the "city is lead agency."

Slide to Committee from May 2022

In the most recent update to Council, scheduled for Monday evening, the tone has shifted significantly, and it is possible to read it even as stating a different set of facts (depending in part on how generously you read the word "begin" in "begin implementation"):

Many of these strategies are already underway. A few will require new ordinances, additional analysis, or extensive public outreach as part of moving forward, and most require coordination with local, state, and regional partners. Each of the 55 strategies requires staff time to implement. Continued implementation of the CAP strategies will depend upon staffing and budgetary constraints. One of the recommendations for early action is to hire a new staff position to manage and coordinate the implementation of the CAP. To date, existing Public Works staff have coordinated CAP Committee meetings and initial implementation efforts.

The slide had said the city "can begin implementation within the first two years" but now there are many more hurdles, of ordinances, analysis, funding, and coordination with other agencies. The update to Council does not look like anything that has a two-year horizon. It looks instead like slow-walking and throat-clearing.

One item buried in the updates was a note on the EarthWise program, which some have suggested should be at the center of our climate actions.

Recently Marion County has partnered with Lane County to create an Oregon Green Business Engagement Network, called “ReThink”. This will launch September 2022 and includes a “Green Biz Tracker” program. This platform will allow business certification data and recertification data to be stored in one space and linked to a metrics dashboard where various sustainability factors can be tracked and compared, such as CO2 reduction, water, energy, etc. ReThink also has industry specific checklists. This will allow for benchmarking across different sectors and multiple nationwide sustainability best practices. Additional tier certifications speak to more innovative and climate action items than the EarthWISE program.

Earthwise has mainly been about garbage and recycling. Important to be sure, but not the leading driver of emissions. That's transportation. Any new program rolled out to business needs to track driving and transportation also, especially drive-alone trips.

The City is avoiding talking about how much of a problem is our driving habit.

The parking talk for November

As I read it, the City has postponed discussion of right-priced parking for after most, or perhaps all, votes have been cast for the November bond. Perhaps all potentially difficult topics have been postponed until after the Election, and that is why the first half-year's worth of meetings has seemed more empty than it could be. 

The new City Manager has professed an interest in Climate Action, and perhaps he will take a greater interest in the process and in effective policy.