2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

First, I appreciate the comments from both Mike Gaudern and climatetodd. As a small family forestland owner, I am interested in voluntary programs, not more government mandates.

A successful example of a voluntary program is forest certification, where businesses that are buying wood and paper products are using the power of their purchase orders to drive improvements in forest management around the world by demanding certified wood and paper.

Climate Chance, YES? Global Warming, Questionable.

Climate change is occurring; however, the relevant question is what contributions to change are human caused. Unlike the constant mantra repeated over and over again in the media... there still is no true scientific consensus on the causes of climate changes; whether warming or cooling... and a true understanding of the contributions that are due to humans.

We need to drive towards consensus on this before we place expensive and bureaucratic government mandates in place. So voluntary systems makes more sense in the near term.

What is the role of forests?

Forests do a wonderful job of storing carbon. So if society wants to pay for storing carbon, I for one, would participate in a voluntary program to sell my stored carbon on a voluntary market like the Chicago Climate Exchange.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
view in context