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So you know ...
The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition promotes a healthy climate and “global cooling” through awareness, advocacy and collaboration. To learn more or to become a member of the coalition, call 672-9819.
Reducing carbon footprints and going green is all the rage right now for many people.
However, those who are working toward a leaner, greener Earth find that some of the most effective changes are still among the hardest lines to get people to walk — stepping off the gas and opting for carpools, public transportation or bicycles.
The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition presented a three-hour forum Thursday evening on transportation solutions for a healthy climate. The presentation included two panel discussions on what people can do to modify how they zip around and how policy is changing as emission reduction timelines come to the foreground. About 30 people besides presenters attended.
In Oregon, more than 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions comes from vehicle transportation, including freight and passenger vehicles, said Chris Hagerbaumer, deputy director of the Oregon Environmental Council, a Portland organization that tackles environmental challenges.
Hagerbaumer said the average Oregonian travels about 12,000 miles a year; members of her organization believe that can be reduced by about 20 percent per person.
Hagerbaumer was joined by six others from various state and local governments and organizations working to change driving behaviors through other modes of travel.
Vic Falgout, United Community Action Network program director for U-Trans, was also on the panel and discussed the challenges facing the local transit system that includes Roseburg, Sutherlin and Winston.
The biggest hurdle was increasing bus stops to every half-hour, developing a simpler bus schedule and reaching “average Joes” such as himself, he said, describing those who may have vehicles and need motivation to change their habits.
“I'm one of the many of us Westerners who just survive in a car,” Falgout said. “We know we can serve seniors, the disabled and students ... Douglas County has had a very difficult process of keeping transit at all.
“What we have to do is keep it bearing all that it can bear.”
Marcia Maffei of the Lane Transit District's point2point Solutions Program talked about the success of the Eugene-area transit that was launched in 1995.
Maffei explained the point2point mission as: “Well, we promote anything but driving alone.”
In 2008, point2point reported increased bus ridership by 15 percent for commuters and 14 percent for travel not related to work. In addition, 17 percent more people reportedly biked to work over a six-year period.
Panelists and some attendees said realistically, driving habits may only change when the impact to bottom lines can be seen.
“Studies show that pricing is one of the most effective tools to changing behaviors,” said Margi Lifsey, sustainability coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation.
In her presentation she identified several emission-reducing projects ODOT is exploring, including an insurance rate program based on how much people drive, highways developed to keep traffic moving more efficiently and a high-speed rail system.
Hagerbaumer said that Portland residents drive about 4 miles a day less than the average U.S. citizen, and even that small amount adds up to major savings and to dollars kept locally.
“We don't produce gas in Oregon, we don't refine gas ... so all that money is going (out of state and country),” she said. “So it doesn't really help the U.S. economy.”
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
However, those who are working toward a leaner, greener Earth find that some of the most effective changes are still among the hardest lines to get people to walk — stepping off the gas and opting for carpools, public transportation or bicycles.
The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition presented a three-hour forum Thursday evening on transportation solutions for a healthy climate. The presentation included two panel discussions on what people can do to modify how they zip around and how policy is changing as emission reduction timelines come to the foreground. About 30 people besides presenters attended.
In Oregon, more than 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions comes from vehicle transportation, including freight and passenger vehicles, said Chris Hagerbaumer, deputy director of the Oregon Environmental Council, a Portland organization that tackles environmental challenges.
Hagerbaumer said the average Oregonian travels about 12,000 miles a year; members of her organization believe that can be reduced by about 20 percent per person.
Hagerbaumer was joined by six others from various state and local governments and organizations working to change driving behaviors through other modes of travel.
Vic Falgout, United Community Action Network program director for U-Trans, was also on the panel and discussed the challenges facing the local transit system that includes Roseburg, Sutherlin and Winston.
The biggest hurdle was increasing bus stops to every half-hour, developing a simpler bus schedule and reaching “average Joes” such as himself, he said, describing those who may have vehicles and need motivation to change their habits.
“I'm one of the many of us Westerners who just survive in a car,” Falgout said. “We know we can serve seniors, the disabled and students ... Douglas County has had a very difficult process of keeping transit at all.
“What we have to do is keep it bearing all that it can bear.”
Marcia Maffei of the Lane Transit District's point2point Solutions Program talked about the success of the Eugene-area transit that was launched in 1995.
Maffei explained the point2point mission as: “Well, we promote anything but driving alone.”
In 2008, point2point reported increased bus ridership by 15 percent for commuters and 14 percent for travel not related to work. In addition, 17 percent more people reportedly biked to work over a six-year period.
Panelists and some attendees said realistically, driving habits may only change when the impact to bottom lines can be seen.
“Studies show that pricing is one of the most effective tools to changing behaviors,” said Margi Lifsey, sustainability coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation.
In her presentation she identified several emission-reducing projects ODOT is exploring, including an insurance rate program based on how much people drive, highways developed to keep traffic moving more efficiently and a high-speed rail system.
Hagerbaumer said that Portland residents drive about 4 miles a day less than the average U.S. citizen, and even that small amount adds up to major savings and to dollars kept locally.
“We don't produce gas in Oregon, we don't refine gas ... so all that money is going (out of state and country),” she said. “So it doesn't really help the U.S. economy.”
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
