EUGENE, Ore. - (April 2, 2010) - Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a national leader in climate change policy, will talk about the potential economic benefits of responsible environmental practices in a talk April 14 at the University of Oregon School of Law.
The governor's lecture, "Addressing Climate Change: The Right Policy is also the Smart Policy, " will explore how climate policy can address issues of social equity and environmental stewardship, as well as foster economic development and energy security. The event will be held at 3:30 p.m. April 14, in Room 175, Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate Street in Eugene.
"Gov. Kulongoski is committed to following an ethical path in climate policy. His background in public service reflects his values - and long-held belief - that economic and environmental policies need to be equitable as well as effective, " said Margaret Hallock, director of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, and former policy advisor to the governor.
In 2004, Kulongoski created an advisory group process that resulted in legislation to aggressively pursue greenhouse gas reduction goals. In 2006, he helped form the Western Climate Initiative, a coalition of seven western states and four Canadian provinces working to achieve long-term green house gas reductions. In 2007, he introduced and secured passage of legislation that accelerated Oregon's development of renewable energy. And in 2009, he introduced and secured passage of legislation that bars new sources of coal from being used for energy generation in Oregon and creates a low carbon fuel standard for Oregon.
Kulongoski's appearance is part of the ongoing lecture series, "Great Expectations: Obama and the Politics of Reform," sponsored by the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics and the UO Department of Political Science. The event is also part of the Wayne Morse Center examination of Climate Ethics and Climate Equity.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Abbie Stillie, communications coordinator, Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, 541-346-3717, astillie@uoregon.edu
Source: Margaret Hallock, hallock@uoregon.edu
Link: http://www.waynemorsecenter.uoregon.edu/
Media Contact: Joe Mosley, media relations associate, 541-346-3606, jmosley@uoregon.edu