Speaker

Carbon cycle science is the science of cycling of carbon through Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Understanding the underlying processes has taken on a new urgency because of industrial emissions of carbon dioxide and their effect on global climate. This talk will trace the evolution of carbon cycle science through the twentieth century and present the current state of the art.  

Dr. James Christian is a Research Scientist with the Government of Canada and an expert in ocean biology and chemistry, Earth observation, and the global carbon cycle.

From its small beginnings in Ireland in 2004,  the Transition Initiative has spread to include over 50 groups around Britain and communities in Australia, New Zealand and America as people start to take responsibility themselves for the challenges that we face.

On July 16th we will be continuing the conversation about Transition Towns and seeing if this is a model we want to follow here in Portland.

For more background info about the Transition Initiative, here is the link to the 51 page primer.

http://transitionnetwork.org/Primer/TransitionInitiativesPrimer.pdf

David Johnson will speak on the Transition Town movement which was set  up in the UK as a community response to the dual challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change. From its small beginnings in Ireland in 2004,  the Transtion Initiative has spread to include over 50 groups around Britiain and communities in Australia, New Zealand and America as people start to take responsibilty themselves for the challenges that we face.

David has recently moved to Portland from the UK. He built an award winning eclogical house in South Wales and completed a Masters Degree in Ecopsychology through Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. David has also trained with Joanna Macy in her Despair & Empowerment work.

Representatives of SmarterBridge.org will discuss the status of the Columbia River Crossing decision process and outline actions individuals and groups can take to advocate for a more sustainable alternative to the project which currently appears pointed toward a 12-lane freeway bridge.

Portland City Council will hold a hearing on July 9th to determine the City's position on the Locally Preferred Alternative for the project.

Portland, Ore. June 11th, 2008—Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, who completed a rigorous training program led by former Vice President Al Gore, will present and educate about issues and solution surrounding global warming on June 11th at St. Francis of Assisi Church (corner of 12th and SE Pine).

Bill was part of a select group of 50 individuals chosen to receive intensive training by Gore and a team of renowned scientists about issues surrounding global warming.  Each received technical training to become experienced presenters of a version of Gore’s computer-based slide show, which became the basis of his best-selling book and documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

“Bill Bradbury is an outstanding example of the millions of Americans who have been energized by the call to action on the climate crisis,” said Gore. “Bill is making presentations in and around Oregon discussing how individuals and businesses, schools, and other organizations can be a major part of the solution to the growing crisis of global warming.”

Sallie Schullinger-Krause, the Oregon Environmental Council’s Global Warming Program Director notes that “Bill Bradbury has become Oregon’s leader in global warming outreach. Not only has he tailored his presentation to include the very real effects of climate change on Oregon but he has developed tools to help his audiences become part of the solution.”

A discussion will follow about the intersection of peak oil and global warming mitigation, with assistance from John Kaufmann of the Oregon Department of Energy.

John Kaufmann from the Oregon Department of Energy will be speaking about the latest data regarding the peaking of world oil supplies.

John Kaufmann is Senior Policy Analyst in the Conservation Division of Oregon Department of Energy, and served as staff for the City of Portland's Peak Oil Taskforce. Mr. Kaufman took the lead in getting Oregon to adopt the most energy efficient building codes in the U.S. and managed Oregon's Business and Residential Tax Credit Programs, and Building Technologies program for 10 years.

 Here are two links to previous presentations.

• http://www.energy.state.or.us/jk/Peak_Oil_Overview.pdf 
• http://media.portlandpeakoil.org/slides/Peak%20Oil%20-%20Multnomah%20County.ppt 

As North American natural gas production winds down and the industry increasingly looks toward LNG as the next source of supply, natural gas prices will rise toward world market prices for LNG - about double what we pay now.  In the meantime, the U.S. administration is demanding that Canada dramatically step up oil production from Alberta tar sands, where one-sixth of Canada’s declining natural gas production is now consumed.
 
What does all of this have to do with Oregon’s energy and economic future?  There are two competing plans proposed to build a large scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) port facility in the Columbia River Estuary, and construct 200 miles of high pressure gas pipeline through the Willamette Valley and across the Cascades to get the gas to California. Once again, our energy economy would be tied to imports of overseas fossil fuels!

What are the social and environmental impacts of these projects, and what can we do about them? Find out more from Brenna Bell, Staff Attorney, Willamette Riverkeeper and Charlie Stephens, formerly with the Oregon Department of Energy.