To the City Council of Salem:
All of us have children,
grandchildren, or other loved ones who will suffer the consequences of
uncontrolled pollution that is radically destabilizing the delicate heat
balance that allowed human civilization to evolve and thrive across planet
Earth. Humans need a stable, predictable climate, where agriculture can
flourish and where catastrophic “100 year” severity floods, fires, famines, and
droughts do not happen again and again, year after year, with increasing
frequency and severity.
Salem is already experiencing
negative consequences of climate destabilization. We cannot afford – in terms
of economic health, human health, or environmental health – to continue
business as usual.
Therefore, we call upon the
City Council of Salem, the Capital City, to join with Albany, Ashland, Beaverton, Bend,
Corvallis, Eugene, Forest Grove, Gladstone, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego,
Lincoln City, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Portland, and Vernonia in civic
recognition of the severity of the challenge we face and the need for sustained
local commitment to practices to address the climate crisis and that will
reduce the harm to future generations.
Specifically, we call upon
the City Council of Salem to
1. ADOPT THE 350
ppm GOAL: Adopt a science-based target for emissions reductions
actions needed to reduce the concentration of CO2 and other heat-trapping gases
350 ppm CO2 equivalent.
2. CHARGE FOR
EMISSIONS & REBATE THE CHARGES 100%: Implement programs to reduce private-sector
emissions using charges for use of fossil-fueled energy and emissions of
heat-trapping pollution, with 100% of the fees collected returned to the people
of Salem through a monthly per capita rebate, thereby encouraging creative,
market-based solutions to greenhouse gas emissions and making polluters pay,
rather than making us all pay for polluters.
3. SLASH PUBLIC
SECTOR EMISSIONS: Act now to reduce
current emissions and cut future emissions through comprehensive policies such
as anti-sprawl land-use policies, urban forest restoration projects, mass
transit, shifts from fossil-fueled power sources to non-polluting power
sources, and opposing any export or trans-shipment of coal and oil through
Oregon.
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