Sustainable Life
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The Portland area’s guide to green living Scan this code with your smartphone to download a pdf of this Sustainable Life section THURS D AY, S EPTEMBER 18, 2014 • WWW.PORTLAND TRIBUNE.COM SOME LIK E Climate change deniers in GOP block solutions to IT HOT problem, even in Oregon or some environmentalists, mention climate change in the same breath as the Republican STORY BY Party and it conjures images of Nero fi ddling STEVE LAW Fwhile Rome burns. That’s not quite fair to Nero, because the fi ddle wasn’t invented until centuries later. And it’s not quite fair to Republicans, many of whom accept the role hu- mans play in global warming and want to do some- thing about it. But climate change denial has become political gospel in many Republican Party circles, even in Oregon, raising doubts whether Congress or the Oregon Legislature can seriously address the biggest environmental challenge of our time. Art Robinson, the Oregon Republican Party chairman now running for Congress in Ore- gon’s 4th District, gained national prominence Oregon’s climate as a climate change denier circulating the “Or- change deniers egon Petition.” Robinson’s petition, signed by thousands of fellow scientists skeptical that the climate is warming, states that limiting green- house gases would harm the environment. The Cascade Policy Institute, a libertarian Portland think tank close to Tea Party forces in the GOP, argues that “alarmists have unjustifi - ably asserted that human-produced carbon di- oxide is the main cause for current global warming.” Oregon’s lone member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, signed a pledge ART ROB INSON sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a Tea Party group, vowing not to support any climate change bills bringing a net increase in govern- “… proposed limits ment revenue. That “allows us to have open Camas Davis on greenhouse gases and honest debate about whether we should act on climate,” the pledge states. B utcher spreads would harm the takes meat environment, hinder State Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, also the advance of signed that pledge. collective idea science and “I guess you could say I’m skeptical,” says technology, and Thatcher, now running for the Oregon Senate. ‘ whole hog’ mantra to new stages damage the health “I don’t think that the curtailing of human ac- and welfare of tivity to the extent advocated by many in the mankind. There is no environmental community would impact future B y JENNIF ER ANDERSON convincing scientifi c global warming or global cooling, or whatever Pamplin Media Group evidence that human the trend may be.” Not too many people get to rub release of carbon Pressure on moderates dioxide, methane, or shoulders with Martha Stewart. State Sen. Brian Boquist, a moderate Repub- Camas Davis had the distinct hon- other greenhouse lican from Dallas, says he was “crucifi ed” by or last year, during a red carpet event gasses is causing or his GOP colleagues last year for voting to fund for the DIY queen’s American Made will, in the a study of how a carbon tax might be imple- awards. foreseeable future, mented in Oregon without unduly harming “She was hilarious,” says Davis, cause catastrophic certain businesses and individuals. “They’ve who received the award for founding heating of the latched onto this thing,” Boquist says of the cli- the Portland Meat Collective, a travel- Earth’s atmosphere mate change deniers. “They have taken the po- ing butchery school. and disruption of the sition that there is no compromise whatsoev- “She told me how she grew up in a Earth’s climate.” er.” family of Polish butchers. They have — THE “ OREGON PETITION” Salem insiders say some Republican legisla- the best way to slaughter a turkey: CIRCULATED B Y ART tors will say privately that human activity con- ‘We always feed them vodka fi rst.’ ” ROB INSON tributes to global warming and that govern- Davis, a Southwest Portland butch- ment action is needed to address it, but they er, has gotten her share of acclaim “The truth is that can’t say so publicly. and controversy lately as news of her the science of It’s tough to go against the GOP’s “core be- meat collective spreads nationally. climate change is far liefs” right now, says Portland pollster Tim Hib- In April, she appeared in a New SPECIAL TO PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: JEF F REY B ALL from settled and bitts. “I think we’ve seen a lot of circumstances York Times photo holding a pig’s Camas Dav is stands behind a pig being butchered in a class at K itchenCru in there exists no where, fi ve years ago or 10 years ago, Republi- head on a silver platter, with the rest Portland. The class was offered by the Portland Meat Collectiv e, which she consensus on the cans who said climate change is a problem are of the pig’s parts laid nicely on the founded in 2 0 0 9 . causes, effects, or now backing away from that.” dinner table. future of climate The story detailed her campaign to eat a pig.” better meat in smaller quantities, and change.” Heads in the sand? promote nose-to-tail eating as a more Some couldn’t get past the photo, to know exactly where their meat — CASCADE POLICY State Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central sustainable way to eat meat — par- which clearly aimed for shock value. comes from. INSTITUTE W EB SITE Point, now running for governor, didn’t respond ticularly her teaching a class of high But Davis’ philosophy is not all that to interview requests for his views on climate school-age kids “the proper way to radical. She wants to get people to eat See MEAT / Page 2 change. Neither did Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, or Clackamas County Commissioner Tootie Smith, a Republican for- mer state lawmaker running for Congress in Oregon’s 5th District. The spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Mike McLane, R- Prineville, said he was unavailable to talk about the issue. Out of the way, SLOWPOKE! Political analysts say it’s hard to go up against constituents fed a steady diet of climate K IM THATCHER change denial and skepticism on Fox TV and Sharing the path talk radio. And Republicans worry about incit- “I think humans can ing billionaire GOP donors like Charles and Da- is tricky for bikers have an impact on vid Koch, leading Tea Party fi nanciers who things. I don’t think pumped huge sums into Monica Wehby’s U.S. it’s to the extent Senate campaign in Oregon. at different speeds where we could make “Clearly the oil and Koch money is defi nitely a big difference if we anti-climate and that is pouring into Oregon,” B y JOSEPH GALLIVAN implement all these says Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Pamplin Media Group policies that are Bailey, a Democrat who recently left his seat in being promoted.” the Oregon House of Representatives. But it’s Portland’s streets are becom- — STATE REP. KI M too simplistic to blame GOP positions on the ing so crowded with a such a THATCHER, R-KE IZE R Koch brothers’ money, Bailey says. variety of bicyclists — tourists, “I think it’s more of an issue of their constitu- messengers, pink-cheeked ents aren’t there yet,” he says. commuters, Spandexed semi- Lane Shetterly, a moderate Republican and pros, lollygagging space cadets, former Oregon House member, fears his party TED-listeners, texters and will lose support among young and indepen- talkers — that sharing the road dent voters who are alarmed by global warm- has become an art form. ing. The issue of the moment is how PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: JAIME VALDEZ “I’m concerned that as long as the should bike riders deal with slower B icyclists on Portland’s North W illiams Av enue form an orderly line, much like car commuters. B ut sometimes W illiams and other bikeways get congested with people See HOT / Page 3 See B IK ES / Page 5 pedaling at different speeds, leading to confl icts, unsafe and discourteous behav ior. C2 SUSTAINABLE LIFE SustainableLife Pamplin Media Group Thursday, September 18, 2014 Meat: More sustainable if less is wasted ■ From page 1 Digging in to a new career The former food writer went to France to study butch- ■ pdxmeat.com ery in 2009, then returned to Portland, and started a meat tive has grown into a network collective to practice what of 50 to 100 farmers in Oregon she’d learned. The next year and Washington, and Davis she started offering classes to buys directly from about 10 of teach fellow butchers, chefs, them for her classes. In June, farmers and everyday folks the the collective launched Switch- art of whole-animal butchery. board, an alternative network There aren’t many butchery of trusted resources. People schools in the United States, can use it to fi nd out where to and if there are classes, they’re get a certain cut of meat or how likely to have started in the to start making their own ba- past fi ve years when the move- con. ment came into vogue. Nowadays Davis teaches and Is meat- eating sustainable? hires local butchers to help The meat collective is as teach basic pig butchery and much a mindset as it is a part- sausage-making classes, which nership with local farmers that sell out quickly. She hires a lo- takes the factory farm out of cal fishmonger to teach fish the equation.