Oceanic

This 1996 piece by the electronic composer Vangelis is set to a marvelous video of the shore off of Oregon. The coastal surf is part of the sound track of this composition built around the acoustic piano.

Oregon's coast is being impacted by global climate change which is now producing permanent dead zones in this offshore area as well as increasing flooding events along the rivers in Western Oregon. The state has responded to these environmental changes by implementing responsive public policies that arise from studies of its emissions, particularly that of the ports and shipping. That portal is here.

A key document in this portal is the Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework, dated December 2010, which lays out a framework for climate risks, surveys the capacity of the state, and outlines needed actions. This kind of tool is the most effective way to set a course of action to rapidly reverse the carbon emissions causing this climate change and the diminishment of diversity in the natural world. This reflects a far more enlightened growth management approach than you'll find in California. Portland, Oregon has been one of the early adopters of limited growth and integrated transit in a famous experiment in urban boundaries, as well as implementing rain garden systems.

Until next month, then.