Salem's Lot
Looks like Oregon's making its move:
Gov. Ted Kulongoski is backing a proposal that would force utilities to increase energy efficiency, increase their reliance on renewable energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions.
He said he would work with other Western states to discuss a regional program called cap-and-trade, but an initial program just within Oregon also is viable.
So it looks like Oregon is set to follow California's lead: establishing aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals, and setting the stage for some hard-edged programs to meet those targets. Of course, Oregon's first step -- tax incentives for ethanol and biodiesel -- is fairly thin stuff. But combined with a cap-and-trade program, it's a much stronger brew.
So for now, it looks like Washington is the odd-state-out on the west coast. California, BC, and Oregon are talking about big changes on the climate front -- changes that will be far more powerful and effective if the entire region acts together. But Washington, it seems, is getting left in the dust.
Look For The Onion Label
OK, this is way outside the bioregion, but interesting nonetheless: British supermarket chain Tesco--apparently, the world's fourth-largest retailer--is going to start labelling the carbon footprint of its foods.
Yep, if it all works out right, consumers will be able to see at a glance the climate impacts of ordinary grocery store purchases. (Just to be clear -- I made up the label here. I have no idea what the carbon footprint of milk really is.)
The idea is not without its problems. To do this right will require a huge data collection exercise. But in some ways that's the easy part. The hard part is to figure out the rules of the game -- which is tough, since there's no common agreement about how to do this kind of analysis.
It's a problem of scope: what, precisely, should be included in the tally of a food's climate impacts?
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