Item B: Greenhouse Gas Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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1)Reduce GHG emissions from consumption of fossil fuels by displacing conventional combustion engines with hybrid, electric and other technological/fuel options, and 2)Guide land use choices, especially in Oregon’s urban areas, toward more efficient choices including higher densities, transit options, mixed-use neighborhoods, and common wall dwelling designs. Figure 1. Light Vehicle Emissions as a percent of Oregon’s Total GHG Emissions Similarly, the 2009 Moving Cooler report prepared by Cambridge Systematics for the Urban Land Institute identified four basic approaches for reducing GHG emissions from xiii transportation: Vehicle Technology —Improving the energy efficiency of the vehicle fleet by implementing more advanced technologies, Fuel Technology —Reducing the carbon content of fuels through the use of alternative fuels (for instance, natural gas, biofuels, and hydrogen), Travel Activity —Reducing the number of miles traveled by transportation vehicles, or shifting those miles to more efficient modes of transportation, and Vehicle and System Operations —Improving the efficiency of the transportation network so that a larger share of vehicle operations occur in favorable conditions, with respect to speed and smoothness of traffic flow, resulting in more fuel efficient vehicle operations. In addition, the 2007 Growing Cooler report documents how key changes in land xiv development patterns can help reduce transportation-related GHG emissions. Benefits of Scenario Planning Many ask how scenario planning relates to efforts to reduce GHG emissions from transportation. Planning for the future is challenging, especially when, as is often the case, reasonable forecasts vary widely. Scenario planning is a technique intended to help better inform the decisions to be made at present despite uncertainties about the future. Scenario planning provides a mechanism by which to put forth possible future scenarios for evaluation and study. Scenarios are visions of what our communities might look like in the future. They are not forecasts and they are not predictions. They are possible futures that are based on what already exists, on trends that are evident, and on the values and preferences of the community being studied. The essential requirement of any scenario is that it be plausible, within the realm of what exists and what is now known. Page 6