For decades, climate researchers have warned that as atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, the Pacific Northwest will have less snow and consequently less water to irrigate its crops.
A coalition of business and trade groups says Gov. Kate Brown illegally overstepped her authority in March when she issued an executive order mandating steep greenhouse gas reductions in the state.
The debate over a sweeping environmental policy seemed to deepen perceptions that there are two Oregons — major metropolitan areas with dominating populations, and rural areas ranging from fisheries-based coastal towns to harvest-dependent communities in the east.
State legislation to require massive polluters to pay for their carbon emissions is unlikely to move forward this year, legislative leaders said Monday.
