Carbon Emissions Climb 'Dramatically' in Portland

"A 21-page white paper [pdf] released today by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability says carbon emissions from the transportation sector are 'increasing dramatically' and are currently 8% over 1990 levels," reports Jonathan Maus.

The report blames Portland's increasing carbon emissions on the growing population of the city—and the increased car trips new residents bring. According to the report, transportation accounts for 42 percent of the city's carbon emissions.

Still, emissions are quite a bit lower than historic highs, but recent trends have not been positive, according to Maus:  "Overall, our emissions are 38% below 1990 levels despite significant population and job growth. However, after emissions tumbled from their peak in 2000 to their lowest levels in 2012, the report found a plateau since then."