| Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
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Community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
A major concern to the Lake Oswego community and beyond is a changing climate due to increased greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from human activity. That is why we took the proactive step to measure the total contribution of GHG emissions from the community (all residents and businesses in Lake Oswego). With a better understanding of the community’s carbon footprint, we can work together to find solutions that will not only reduce the community’s GHG emissions, but may have multiple other benefits, such as cleaner air, more localized economic opportunities, and a more connected, livable, and resilient community.
To inventory and understand the community’s GHG emissions,
the City worked with The Good Company, a Eugene-based consulting firm, to conduct a consumption-based, or materials and land management, inventory. Using this approach, emissions are grouped into three main categories:
- materials (goods, services and food),
- energy, and
- transportation.
The inventory report can be found here. A companion memo that details how the GHG inventory fits with state, regional and local planning efforts and policies was also developed. The inventory work was funded through the City's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.
Now that we know where all of our emissions are coming from, it will be easier to prioritize changes in our daily habits and know what kinds of actions will make a big difference. See the Resource links below and on the main Sustainability page for ideas you can put into action today.
Local Government GHG Emissions
GHG emissions from local government operations are shown separately in the Community GHG inventory to provide a point of comparison, although could have been included in the other categories. In 2010, the City completed a GHG inventory for City operations. The results of this inventory can be found here, as can the City's first operational GHG inventory.
Resources
We make a million choices, every day, and they all add up to this big picture. So challenge yourself, and take one step at a time to reducing your carbon footprint! Here are some resources to help you understand your carbon footprint:
- For households and residential community members, here's a link to the Oregon Carbon Footprint Calculator for Households (a partnership of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the CoolClimate Network, a program of the University of California, Berkeley).
Keep Oregon Cool, the website of the Oregon Global Warming Commission, provides excellent information about climate change impacts, State emission reduction goals, and actions we can all take to reduce our contribution to climate change.
"The Commission’s general charge is to recommend ways to coordinate state and local efforts to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions consistent with Oregon’s goals and to recommend efforts to help the state, local governments, businesses and residents prepare for the effects of global warming."
Metro's Climate Change website provides information about our region's carbon footprint and actions individuals and businesses can take to reduce our emissions.
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