The climate crisis is an overarching issue to consider when looking at the operations of all Lane County departments.
Change brought on by, and related to, the climate emergency is one of the most important issues that all levels of Oregon government must address.
The unfettered release of pollution in the form of green house gas (GHG) emissions is unacceptable. It is a public health issue. It is an economic issue. It is an issue of equity.
I support reducing carbon emissions as much as possible immediately through energy efficiency, phasing out energy intensive fuels and assisting workers and companies in transitioning to less polluting business models. I will work collaboratively with other local and state officials to put policies in place to reduce GHG emissions and put a price on the release of carbon pollution.
Lane County government has made significant strides in resiliency and disaster preparedness. My commitment is that County departments cut GHG emissions wherever possible, and continue to make improvements to help recover quickly from and mitigate the effect of emergencies such as forest fires, drought, ice and wind storms, and other disasters such as earthquake, flood and industrial or transportation accidents.
I will work diligently to make sure that Lane County government has in place resilient and dynamic plans and funding to restart essential services such as health clinics, courts and public safety functions, and to restore critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads after any disruption.