Metro Council District 5 News
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I recently met with a group of young people to talk with them about Metro's work in "Making the Greatest Place." I came away with some new perspectives and a commitment to involve young residents in the decisions we need to make to create a better future for all of us.
Oregon Zoo polar bears Tasul and Conrad join in the celebration. More
As a way to raise awareness about the significance of global climate change, the Metro Council has passed a resolution calling for Oct. 24 to be an international Day of Climate Action. The resolution voices Metro's support for global grassroots efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and to focus attention on the December United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen where world leaders will gather to create a new treaty on climate protocol. The current Kyoto Treaty is set to expire in 2012.
The Metro Council is working to reduce pollution through actions in transportation and land use planning, solid waste and recycling, and conservation education. The Council's Climate Initiative works to provide regional leadership in coordinating the efforts of local governments, civic groups, university systems and business representatives to meet the State of Oregon's greenhouse gas reduction goals.
I was honored and humbled this past Friday to receive the Environmental Education Association of Oregon's Excellence in Environmental Education Awards at its annual international conference last week in Portland.
Though generally reserved for environmental educators, Kim Silva and Dan Prince of the Multnomah Education Service District (ESD) and Friends of Outdoor School submitted my name because of the work the Metro Council and I have done in providing support for the ESD's long-standing Outdoor School program. I first suggested Metro support Outdoor School in 2006.
This Wednesday I have the honor of welcoming environmental educators from around the country to Portland. The 38th Annual North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) conference is taking place at the Oregon Convention Center from Oct. 7 to 10 in partnership with the Environmental Association of Oregon. This year's conference, entitled "The Power of Partnerships: Creative Leadership in Environmental Education," will bring together environmental educators, providers, researchers and supporters to celebrate and discuss the power of environmental partnerships in life, work and most importantly education.
In case you are tempted to put your bike away as the rain and chilly air arrive – don't do it. Bike fun will continue through the fall. Contributing to this fun is a 6-week event called Oregon Manifest, running from Oct. 2 through Nov. 8. The goal of this event is to engage a wide audience with cycling. A range of activities are planned to introduce people to the art of bicycling, including recreational riders, commuters, racers and families. It is this diverse audience base that excites me the most. In the city of Portland, there are a lot of people who say they are "interested but concerned" about using their bike as a mode of transportation. The range of events at Oregon Manifest can help convince some of those "interested but concerned" to become bike riders.
Posted at 5:37 PM - Keywords: JPACT, MPAC, public comment, RTP, transportation, urban and rural reserves, urban growth boundary, urban growth report
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Posted at 4:36 PM - Keywords: infrastructure, transportation
Rex Burkholder represents District 5, which includes Northwest Portland, North Portland, Northeast Portland, downtown Portland, a portion of Southwest Portland and a portion of Southeast Portland.
