# Is Portland’s Mayor Green Enough for Portland?

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/09/is-portlands-mayor-green-enough-for-portland/
- Published: 2015-09-22T14:30:00-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

From the outside Mayor Charlie Hales’ first term might appear to have been a huge
success: He has spent the summer jetting to the Vatican for Pope Francis’s historic
encyclical on climate change and to the White House for the unveiling of Obama’s
Clean Power Plan, but back home Portland [residents](https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/09/city-of-portland-works-on-performance-tracking-initiative/)
are increasingly voicing concerns that their [green city](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/10/2nd-annual-green-city-challenge-race-and-family-expo/)
is losing its pride of place. [http://politi.co/1imvttA](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/portland-mayor-environmentalism-213158)

### As they wrote:

For decades, Portland [had a vision](https://greenlivingguy.com/2012/02/green-building-certification-gbi-overview-and-benefits/):
Long before green issues and sustainability became a national buzzword, the Pacific
Northwest city of 600,000 had seemed to speed past other U.S. cities on solar-powered
jet engines when it comes to [environmental](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/05/portland-ev-charging-infrastructure-a-model-city/)
issues:

![Portland](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/img_1886.
jpg?resize=420%2C236&quality=52&ssl=1)

Colorful lights reflecting off the Willamette River in Downtown Portland, Oregon

In the 1970s the city ripped out a highway along the river and replaced it with 
a 36-acre park. Moreover in 1993 it was the first major U.S. city to enact a plan
to reduce carbon emissions. Portland’s light rail system, known as the MAX, became
a model for other cities, and progressive bicycle policies have nudged the city’s
bike commute rate to [7.2 percent](http://bikeportland.org/2015/09/17/progress-for-portland-surge-of-5000-new-bike-commuters-bring-city-rate-to-7-159171),
the highest in the nation.

Explore all “What Works” coverage, including last month’s focus on Minneapolis at
[www.politico.com/magazine/what-works](https://www.politico.com/magazine/what-works)

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author,
Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The
Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides
and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant
and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green
Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For 
Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke #
Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power
System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow.

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