| A grassroots effort yields a comprehensive look at oil crisis through the creation of a city task force. |
| The threat of a peak in global oil
supplies has received official
attention from the City of Portland. A resolution to create a task force to investigate implications of peak oil was passed by City Council today largely in response to activism from Portland Peak Oil, a local grassroots group. "This task force will focus on preparing Portland for a local response to impending global oil shortages," said Stephen Johnson, a volunteer with Portland Peak Oil. The task force resolution was sponsored by all five members of the council and passed unanimously. The Office of Sustainable Development will continue its leadership in addressing the problems inherent with urban sustainability by taking the lead in staffing the task force. The Bureau of Planning and the Office of Transportation will also be cooperating with the task force along with the Oregon Department of Energy and METRO who will be providing technical assistance. The task force will be comprised of up to 11 people representing diverse community and business interests. Portland Peak Oil participants have raised the level of awareness regarding oil supply and consumption by holding weekly Wednesday night meetings at St. Francis Parish dining hall. "Local governments must plan and implement important policy changes to address the imminent oil shortages and their impact on our local economy," said Pam Leitch, a Portland Peak Oil volunteer in the policy working group. The idea for a local task force began in January when Portland Peak Oil drafted a one-sentence petition urging the city to create a task force to investigate the implications of peak oil for the citizens of the Portland metro area. Volunteers in the group started circulating this petition and have collected over 600 signatures. After meetings with Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder, Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the Office of Sustainable Development, and other government officials, peak oil volunteers stepped up the campaign. Pam Leitch and David Cohan began drafting a resolution in February and reached a finalized version in cooperation with Saltzman's office in late April. "Portlanders' support for this resolution is reflected in the tremendous growth of Portland Peak Oil over the past year," says Emily Pollard, an organizer with the group. "We look forward to assisting the work of the task force and continuing to promote projects to educate the community." The task force will be appointed within one month and will then convene regular meetings throughout 2006. The policy recommendations to Council are expected within six to nine months and will be incorporated into the city's global warming local action plan and other measures such as the city's comprehensive plan. Portland Peak Oil welcomes everyone to its regular Wednesday night meetings at St. Francis Parish dining hall at 7pm 1136 SE Pine in Portland, OR. For more information and to read the resolution visit www.portlandpeakoil.org. |
homepage: http://www.portlandpeakoil.org