On Thursday August 27th the Tillamook County Democratic Central Committee (TCDCC) passed a resolution concerning the creation of well paid jobs that are designed to both help the recovery of the economy and slow down the detrimental effects of climate change.
TCDCC acknowledged that scientists advise that a minimum of 7.6% per year reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for the next ten years is needed to avoid catastrophic climate-induced impacts: losses to infrastructure, property, agriculture, human health and life, due to droughts, wildfire, flooding, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. The Committee also noted that the Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) has passed resolutions supporting the Green New Deal principles which includes climate-smart investments in infrastructure and labor and which ensures a just transition off fossil fuels. The DPO also supports modernization of Forest Practices to address climate change and provide climate-smart jobs advancing selective logging in mixed forests that sequester carbon, protects watersheds and ends clearcutting.
In its resolution, TCDCC stated that elected representatives and government officials have a moral, scientific, and economic responsibility to all to reduce the worst impacts of both public health emergencies and climate change while specifically protecting vulnerable populations which include minorities, women, children, the aged, and people with underlying medical conditions.
In the light of the above, the TCDCC calls on all county officials and elected representatives to prioritize equitable and climate-smart investments of COVID-19 and other economic recovery funds in addition to supporting the immediate health and human needs of Tillamook County. In the resolution, TCDCC states that COVID funds should be directed to climate-smart, sustainable infrastructure and labor-intensive strategies, which create long-term, well-paying jobs that recognize unions while, at the same time, supporting small businesses.
