Oregon candidates for governor answer climate change questions

PORTLAND, Oregon — With 10 days before the voting deadline, we wanted to ask the candidates vying to be Oregon’s next governor on their positions on environmental policy and climate change.

We sent six questions to each candidate (independent Betsey Johnson, Republican Christine Drazan, and Democrat Tina Kotek). Both Drazan and Kotek took the time to answer our questions, but Johnson’s director of communications said the candidate was too busy and referred him to Johnson’s website instead.

Below are each of the questions we submitted to Kotek and Drazan, along with their unedited responses.

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Where does climate change rank on your list of priorities?

Oregon is already a national leader when it comes to reducing emissions and providing clean electricity. In a recent Oregonian/OregonLive survey, only 8% of Oregonians identified climate change as their biggest problem. The voters I have spoken to are primarily concerned with solving violent crime and homelessness, improving schools, and reducing the cost of living. Those are the same issues I focus on.

What actions will you take within the first 100 days to make your state more resilient to the impacts of climate change? What actions will you take in the same time frame to reduce emissions that are exacerbating those impacts? would you like to act?

I advocate for legislatures to reinstate the R&D tax credit that Governor Brown and Tina Kotek abolished, and ensure that innovation in low-carbon technology and resilience is encouraged. I also order an immediate halt to state participation in efforts to remove hydroelectric dams. Our dams provide the cleanest, most cost-effective energy in the world and need to be protected. It also commits to helping drought-affected communities to better adapt to changing conditions on the ground.

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Climate policy is often a game of trade-offs. Removing dams could improve outcomes for endangered salmon, but could also compromise their ability to generate clean electricity. Investing in electric vehicle infrastructure may not benefit residents who cannot afford electric vehicles. How do you weigh the costs and benefits of policies that are helpful to some and harmful to others?

Oregon has always been a leader when it comes to environmental protection and will continue to be under my control. New environmental policies are assessed for their overall impact on emissions using a balancing criterion that takes into account the increased costs of implementation. I am not in favor of policies that raise the cost of living with little tangible environmental benefit. Every decision has implications and consequences and tradeoffs with someone else. I will not advance the climate agenda to risk exacerbating Oregon’s affordability crisis.

What do you see as your role in implementing the environmental aspects of the Control Inflation Act, particularly incentives to increase the use of electric heating and cooling in homes and electric vehicles?

As long as the federal government provides resources aligned with Oregon’s strategic vision for a clean energy future, I will seek and deploy those resources as efficiently as possible. I don’t consider myself a proponent of so-called anti-inflation laws, but it is my responsibility as Governor to ensure that the investments brought to Oregon serve Oregonians in ways that align with what is best for the state. In addition, efforts to mandate the removal of natural gas from homes have taken a step back. Renewable natural gas is the energy source that we should take in.

Your website specifically mentions reducing your carbon footprint by being more proactive about wildfires. How do you plan to reduce emissions in the sectors that account for the majority of the state’s emissions: transportation and electricity production?

Regarding transportation, states should continue to encourage the use of low-carbon transportation options. This reduces the proportion of transport emissions. We must also commit to reducing commute times by creating more employment opportunities in Oregon’s communities and by tackling congestion through additional lanes and infrastructure investments. Again, the R&D tax credit must be restored to encourage the private sector to continue to innovate so that Oregonians can continue to access abundant, affordable and reliable energy.

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You said you would repeal Governor Brown’s 2020 Executive Order addressing climate change. what would you like to exchange for?

I will rescind Governor Brown’s cap-and-trade executive order on day one. I will continue to balance that, working with business and legislative leaders, between opportunities to support a low-carbon future and the needs of Oregonians across the state to support their families and communities. I am committed to preserving hydroelectric dams, improving forest management to reduce the frequency and severity of carbon-rich forest fires, and explaining the unique carbon sequestration power of state worksites. I am working on doing it.

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Where does climate change rank on your list of priorities?

This is a top priority because Oregonians value our state’s clean air, clean water, and natural beauty, and it’s our responsibility to maintain it. It is also our responsibility to do what we can to combat climate change, a real and present danger that the people of Oregon are already experiencing firsthand.To maintain the health of Oregon’s economy and communities, Continued and bold action commensurate with the scale of this crisis is required. We understand that Oregon alone cannot solve the climate crisis, but we will do our part to help Oregon do our part.

Christine Drazan and Betsy Johnson, on the other hand, receive tons of checks from big oil and polluting companies. And they both aim to block climate change legislation.

And as House Republican leader, Drazan resigned from his post leading a caucus to stop Congress from addressing climate change. Now Drazan is campaigning with a promise to undo the efforts already in place to reduce the state’s carbon footprint.

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What actions will you take within the first 100 days to make your state more resilient to the impacts of climate change? What actions will you take in the same time frame to reduce emissions that are exacerbating those impacts? would you like to act?

My priorities for addressing climate change and protecting the natural environment are:

• Let’s defend the progress we’ve made.

• Reduce transportation pollution by increasing the use of zero-emission vehicles and increasing investments to make public transportation a convenient and accessible option for more Oregonians.

• Moving away from using fossil fuels such as methane gas in residential and commercial buildings.

• Increase the climate resilience of communities on the front lines of extreme weather events, including protecting those who must work outdoors and supporting community-level technical assistance for small family farms and ranches.

During the first 100 days, I will direct agencies to provide status reports and recommendations on next steps to meet the above priorities and increase the state’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.

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Climate policy is often a game of trade-offs. Removing dams could improve outcomes for endangered salmon, but could also compromise their ability to generate clean electricity. Investing in electric vehicle infrastructure may not benefit residents who cannot afford electric vehicles. How do you weigh the costs and benefits of policies that are helpful to some and harmful to others?

As governor, I will not spend my time playing partisan games or quitting my job.

The challenges before us are real. they are serious And it takes a clear vision and strong leadership to bring people together to find compromises that best serve the greater good.

We believe we can help build tomorrow’s clean energy future while helping communities cope with the wildfires and droughts we see today.

This should not be a partisan issue. We all need to work together to solve these challenges.

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What do you see as your role in implementing the environmental aspects of the Control Inflation Act, particularly incentives to increase the use of electric heating and cooling in homes and electric vehicles?

As Governor, I will work with our federal partners to support Oregon’s clean energy commitments to federal bipartisan infrastructure and inflation reduction laws, such as building electric vehicle charging stations along highways and investing in cleaner buses. Maximize the progress you get from your investment. truck.

The Inflation Reduction Act will reduce energy costs for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians, invest an estimated $1.2 billion in large-scale, clean power generation and storage between now and 2030, and reduce air pollution. . backwards our state.

Opponents of the climate protection program you mentioned leaving it in place say one of the reasons they oppose the program is the disproportionate cost to rural Oregon, largely in the form of higher fuel prices. What would you do to make sure that people outside of Oregon’s big cities don’t bear the burden unfairly?

The impacts of climate change, such as wildfires and extreme weather events, are already threatening our way of life with deadly consequences, like last year’s heat wave that killed nearly 100 people. That’s why I’m working to transition to a clean energy economy that provides clean, renewable energy, creates jobs, and helps combat the impacts of climate change, especially in rural Oregon.

There is no doubt that gas prices are too high right now. But let’s talk about why. Polluting companies such as oil and gas companies are making record profits while raising prices for working families. Unlike my opponents, who are funded by pollution companies, I will work with my federal partners to hold the oil giants responsible for driving up prices in Oregon.

I believe we can take bold action against climate change and protect the people of Oregon at the same time. We focus on making sure you get your targeted investment.

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Oregon has the most progressive climate policy in the country, but critics say, as a small state, our actions have had little impact on total global greenhouse gas emissions. Given Oregon’s small role in total global emissions, what would you say to those who believe our climate policy isn’t worth the cost?

This is not an either-or-both proposition. We can create high-paying clean energy jobs that help reduce emissions and do our part to address the climate crisis.