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He added that people should also be allowed to live in simple dwellings made out of recycled and natural materials. He related that he had formerly been unemployed and homeless. He was grateful to have found an affordable home and to have learned a trade. Laura Mabee , 878½ Almaden Street, spoke regarding global warming and food production. She noted that she currently served in an Americorps position that taught grassroots gardening. She stated that food transport and production contributed CO² to the environment. She said the grassroots group produced approximately 50,000 pounds of food annually using volunteer work from a two acre property. She thought that instead of “subsidizing chain stores” with urban renewal funds the City should subsidize efforts to grow food within city boundaries. She asserted that every neighborhood could have a garden to produce food locally with a little effort. Coral Baekman , 878½ Almaden Street, related that she commuted to work on her bicycle almost every day and experienced the benefits of fresh air and exercise while spending less money. She stressed that the bicycle used no oil and emitted no pollution. She averred that people could be swayed to use alternative modes of transportation if the City provided more bicycle paths and lanes and perhaps put on community bicycle maintenance workshops and programs to provide bicycles to low-income people. John Flanery , 1641 West Broadway, averred that it might be too late to avoid catastrophic global warming. He said the polar ice caps were melting more quickly than projected and methane was being released from the thawing of the tundra at a much faster rate than had been anticipated. He asserted that if the Amazon River dried out approximately 200 gigatons of carbon emissions would be released and this was considered to be a “tipping point.” He supported gearing the transportation system so that it did not rely on cars, increasing the use of insulation in houses, and fostering more local food production. Skye Rios , 880 Almaden Street, said he was a junior at South Eugene High School and had volunteered with Lane County’s Department of Families and Children to make a film on homeless people in Eugene. He also was involved with the Leadership Education Adventure Direction (LEAD) teen program for the past five years. He thought the City of Eugene should do all it could to educate its residents about how to reduce carbon emissions. He related that he was part of a production called The Sustainability Ship Meets Titanium, a musical about global warming performed by ten young people. He said after the performances the young people provided a talk-back in which they discussed ways people could reduce their carbon MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 22, 2007 Page 3 Regular Meeting