More than a hundred students rallied at the state capitol in Salem on Monday in support of a cap-and-trade bill aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon.
South Eugene High School senior Ian Curtis spoke at the rally. He said he’s hoping to bring a sense of urgency to the matter. “I feel like a lot of people, especially in Oregon and Eugene, realize that climate change is a really present issue, but they don’t see it as one that we need to solve in the quickest amount of time possible, which I think really needs to change,” he said.
The Earth Day event featured remarks by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who supports the cap-and-trade bill."While Oregon is not the worst problem in the world," she said, "we can certainly be a solution and we can certainly be a leader in tackling global climate change."
The measure is awaiting action in a legislative committee. Opponents say it would accomplish little and would hit Oregonians in their pocketbook in the form of increased energy costs.
