Three years after the Oregon Legislature told the Metro region to curb its per capita vehicle emissions, an effort to figure out how to curb those emissions is starting to make sense.
At no point has that been more clear than at Wednesday night's meeting of the Metro Policy Advisory Committee, where representatives of governments from around the Portland region asked specific questions about the project and how it would apply to their communities.
For more than a year, Metro staff has been trying to get some traction for the Climate Smart Communities project, the regional government's response to the Legislature's mandate. In 2009, the Legislature told Metro to come up with a plan to cut the region's per capita vehicle-based carbon emissions to 1.2 tons of carbon dioxide by 2035.
Planners and elected officials have been working to figure out how to get that done, but the effort has been amorphous – talking about hundreds of "scenarios" or "levers" that could be used to reach that goal.
In recent weeks, though, it's seemed as though stakeholders and staff have had a better grasp on the project. Individual cities would be able to use individual approaches, as long as it ended with them reaching that goal of 1.2 tons. Planning could take place among collections of cities within the region – not just a one-size-fits-all approach.
That so-called "district-level" approach was welcome news to West Linn City Councilor Jodi Carson, whose city is tightly connected to its neighbor to the north, Lake Oswego.
"It's very hard to talk about what West Linn … is going to do in terms of design related to transit, or bikes, or housing or other things without talking about what's going to happen in Lake Oswego," she said. "Each of us have our own little niches. We all interact in different districts."
Similarly, Oregon City Mayor Doug Neeley said he wanted to see cities have the ability to develop their own strategies to deal with climate change.
"I would hope that there's the flexibility that if a community can demonstrate it has a scenario that would work, that could be incorporated into the decision making," Neeley said.
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle said his city's staff is feeling comfortable about the emissions reduction project. But, he said, he's been asking them one key question
"What happens if we come up with a scenario we can't afford, that can't be done?" Doyle said. But, he added, his city is ready to continue the discussion about the project. "From the city's perspective, we're supportive of the approach – we have to do it… the goal is achievable."
But not everyone was convinced that the project was a noble effort.
Washington County citizen representative Bob Grover, in his first meeting at MPAC, questioned the cost of the effort. He pointed to his own efforts to convince clients of his landscaping business to pay more for sustainable products.
"They all turned around and looked away," he said.
His point? Maybe the Metro region should tell the state it can only do so much to curb vehicle emissions without changing residents' lives significantly and costing them more.
Metro planning director Robin McArthur said the region will do its best to reach the mandated goal. But, she said, if the goal can't be reached, that's not a reason for the region to throw up its hands and give up.
"If we get really, really close and can't get there, I think that's a conversation with the Legislature," she said. Maybe the region comes back and says "'We could get there if you gave us more money for sidewalks'… what other resources do we need to reach this mandate?"
Grover didn't seem to be on board with that notion.
"I pay taxes to the Legislature, too. (Are we) just looking for free money to do cool stuff?" he said. "What is reasonable, to set as a goal, and if what they set as a goal turns out to not be as reasonable, we'd like to say what our definition of reasonable is."
Even more skeptical of the project was Vancouver City Councilor Bill Turlay. After pointing out that as a fighter pilot, he worked "where weather is made," and "weather, over a period of time, is climate, so I think I have a pretty good idea how climate works," he said something few people say so bluntly in the Metro Regional Center – the planet is getting cooler, not warmer.
Some MPAC and audience members seemed to struggle to contain their reactions as Turlay laid out an indictment of climate change science, including saying he personally welcomed a slight increase in carbon dioxide and global temperature, "because we could feed more people that way."
"If you don't have the science right, you're not going to have your policy right," Turlay said, before laying out a litany of questions about the project and whether it will make a dent in global warming, and what would happen if humankind stopped emitting carbon dioxide.
"No one has talked about the other side," Turlay said.
Metro Councilor Kathryn Harrington, in a quick response, shot down Turlay's pontification against climate science.
"What we all agree on is that we want safe and healthy communities, strong neighborhoods and vibrant downtowns," she said. "We've moved past arguing about climate change and what causes climate change. We are directed by the Oregon Legislature to move forward with the community planning work you do every single day."