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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Herptilian haven New Ashland cell tower light angers neighbors 'Batkid Begins' will air at film festival Asphalt plant granted extension Work your body to save your braaaaains Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergecy Services, March 16 Emergency services, March 15 Emergency services, March 14 Judge denies motion to suppress evidence in Rogue River serial murder case Medford man gets 4 years for burglaries Politics and Elections Arthur I. 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East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 16 Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Letters to the Editor, March 15 Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue Editorials Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Other Views: State must rein in medical marijuana Our View: Daylight saving bill another waste of time Our View: Medford native Dave Frohnmayer leaves legacy of distinguished service Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 16 Letters to the Editor, March 15 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 13 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Columns Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue George Will: The prescience of Daniel Patrick Moynihan Dana Milbank: Jason Rezaian's detention a tragedy for Iran Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Home Help: This top garage trend keeps gaining momentum Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Haga-Parks Southern Oregon Journal: It’s a small world Food Community blog: Have a ball at this weekend's cheese festival Community blog: Fewer and fewer of us eschew brilliant beets Season Stepp: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with authentic Irish recipes Page H. 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Community blog: The Future is Now Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Theater Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' TMTO's 'Bye Bye Birdie' takes flight Music Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Comment By Alan Journet MailTribune.com By Alan Journet Posted Jan. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Alan Journet Posted Jan. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Jordan Cove Terminal / Pacific Connector Pipeline projects are troubling because of their negative impacts on regional water, wildlife, and property rights. However, the elephant in the room is certainly greenhouse gas pollution, global warming, climate chaos, and the failure of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to fulfill its responsibility towards assessing these global impacts. In its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), FERC states: “The Commission will consider the need and public benefit of this Project when making its decision….” FERC also acknowledges that it should assess the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of the project on the natural and human environment. Reference to “cumulative impacts” is important since these include not only the impacts of this proposal, but also this proposal added to past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions related to these proposals. FERC thus agrees to evaluate upstream (gas extraction) as well as downstream (shipment and combustion) actions. Strangely, however, FERC denies their responsibility to consider “cumulative impacts” by claiming that life cycle cumulative environmental impacts are: “far beyond its jurisdictional authority….” Despite this, they also claim authority to analyze: “impacts resulting from non-jurisdictional connected actions…” Curiously FERC does consider — but immediately dismisses — the impact of the project on fossil fuel extraction by claiming that increased natural gas extraction is not a “reasonably foreseeable” consequence of the Project. This claim is indefensible since the Department of Energy (Order 3413 granting export authority to Jordan Cove) reported: “According to Jordan Cove, this … [project] … will support increased production of natural gas from shale formations ...” Paradoxically, the DEIS also states: “existing transmission pipelines in the western states are underutilized …” If this is correct, and no new extraction is planned, then there is evidently no need for the pipeline project. The only justification for these projects is if new gas extraction will exceed current pipeline capacity. Contrary to the claims of the natural gas companies, gas is neither "the clean fossil fuel" nor "a bridge to the future." Because methane (natural gas) is many times more potent as a warming agent than carbon dioxide, not much has to escape to cause serious warming. Regrettably, from extraction and transmission, to final end use, much methane leaks. Because of these "fugitive emissions," natural gas is worse than coal or oil in driving global warming. The bottom line is that FERC did not complete the cumulative impact assessment that the DEIS stated it should. One might reasonably ask: “So what?” Climate science tells us, with as high confidence as science ever tells us anything, that our planet is warming rapidly, and that human-induced pollution, from a variety of our behaviors, is driving this problem. The leading contributor to this pollution is our combustion of fossil fuels. Our planet has already warmed 0.8 degrees Celsius since the 1880s while pollution released to date locks us into a further 0.8 degrees C increase — totaling 1.6 degrees C. Entities as disparate as the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, and insurance companies agree that global warming over 2 degrees C would be catastrophic and must be avoided. International agreements likewise target this 2 degrees C limit. The math, unfortunately, is undeniable: we are already four-fifths of the way to this 2 degree limit. Furthermore, fossil fuel corporations have extensive known fossil fuel reserves. The combustion of this would cause more than a 6 degree rise — a rise that would likely render the planet unlivable. If we care about future generations, our children and grandchildren, we must leave the majority of known fossil fuel reserves in the ground. The greenhouse gas pollution from projects such as these cause climate chaos and impose costs that we all bear, costs that have been computed. Though probably underestimates of the real cost, if these estimates were employed, the social cost of these projects and associated cumulative actions would be greater than the small regional economic benefit touted for them. At our current accelerating rate of greenhouse gas pollution, by the time my one year old grandson is 18, we will have exhausted our 2 degree allowance for greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels. We must end this insane dash for global devastation. Representatives and departments from city to federal levels should be leading, as the White House Council on Environmental Quality has directed, in reducing not increasing greenhouse gas pollution. Oregon state goals, authorized legislatively in 2007, demand a substantial reduction in our pollution. These projects would negate state goals. Through its DEIS omissions, FERC failed the planet. These projects do not serve the public benefit. Journet is an Applegate Valley resident and co-founder/co-facilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now.   By Alan Journet MailTribune.com By Alan Journet Posted Jan. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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