Q for Rep. Dingfeld: How will the economy grow as we move toward a sustainable future?

Ans: Communities are hard-hit as the changes are implemented, but towns that lose their lumber revenues… (nothing substantive from here)

Q for Gov. K: How will you promote the synergy of students’ and professors’ academic commitment to sustainability and business?

Ans: We’re investing millions in the state schools to turn their minds toward coming up with solutions that can be marketable. Some of the regional schools can be a great source of change.

Q for Sen. Westlund: Eating locally is good. How can we protect farmland?

Ans: “Locovore” entered the dictionary last year, and Oregon is at the forefront of protecting land, like last year on the ballot. We had to work hard against those who wanted to change our land use system and we should be proud.

Q for Rep. Blumenauer: The developing world suffers the most from our carbon-rich lifestyle. Do we in Oregon have a moral obligation to do something about it? (Softball!)

Ans: Yes. If everyone on Earth lived like an American, there would be the same environmental impact of 96 billion people.

Q for Gov K: What is our responsibility to the future generation?

Ans: I think you have to look out thirty, forty, fifty years. We need to consider the Common Good.

Closing Speeches

Cong. Blumenauer: I’ve never seen this opportunity before in my life. I appreciate the approach of students to focus us on this.

Gov. Kulongoski: Conservation is the best way to save the earth. Electric cars are the future. Don’t let the auto and oil industry tell you otherwise. Our forests are the lungs of our planet: protect them.

Rep. Dingfeld: Educate yourselves and everyone you can on global warming.

Sen. Westlund: Every once in a great while, people have the opportunity to do something truly remarkable- this is it. JFK was told that there was no way to the Moon. He said we we’re going anyway, and now were going to the environmental Moon! (Stump speech!)