Neighbor’s effort turns city just a little more green

Beaverton council tackles global warming after a little prodding from Barbara Wilson

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Nov 16, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Jaime Valdez / Times Newspapers

Barbara Wilson hopes residents will follow the city’s lead in making climate protection a priority by taking actions to reduce global warming and pollution.

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Beaverton has agreed to go green.

The City Council voted Monday night to endorse the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and strive to take additional actions in city operations and the community to reduce global warming pollution.

Beaverton joins Ashland, Corvallis, Eugene, Lake Oswego, Lincoln City and Portland in a national coalition led by Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols to adopt greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and programs to reduce pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

In signing onto the agreement, Beaverton joins other communities across the country in urging federal and state governments to enact policies that would reduce the United State’s dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient technology.

“This is a starting point,” said Mayor Rob Drake. “It’s a guideline for us to move toward.

“It doesn’t have a timeline or change things overnight.”

By signing the agreement, the city pledges to redouble its efforts to be good stewards and maintain a solid commitment to improve and protect the environment, he said.

Monday’s action was prompted by a request from longtime Highland neighbor Barbara Wilson.

During the summer Wilson shared her concerns about global warming with the mayor and council.

Wilson asked city officials to review the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, join the national coalition of local communities and create a citizen ad hoc committee to focus on public outreach.

“Signing onto this agreement is a statement that the leaders of this community are aware of the problem and willing to take actions to reduce carbon emissions,” Wilson said.

“It starts the conversation. This is step one. The public now needs to be brought on board. That’s step two.”

More to be done

To accomplish that goal, she hopes that the city will form a committee of interested residents willing to learn about global warming and ways to prevent the problem from getting any worse.

“There are little things that everyone can do to cut back on the energy they use,” Wilson said. “It means driving less, consolidating trips and driving smaller vehicles.

“It means taking the MAX, walking and biking. It means changing the light bulbs and appliances you use in your home.”

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