Locals react to Gov. Brown executive order to fight climate change

KEZI 9 News spoke to business owners on both sides of the issue.

Walked out of the job, thwarting the democratic process.

That is not how democracy works.

Their actions held oregonians hostage and seriously damaged the legislative branch."

Oregon governor kate brown says she had no choice but to take executive action..

On climate change.

And tonight..

The bitter fight over cap and trade shows no signs of ending soon.

Thank you for joining us, i'm renee mccullough.

And i'm matt templeman.

Today's executive order lays out seven key points aimed at reducing carbon emissions to 80-percent of their 1990 levels by 2050.

First -- the order caps climate pollution for transportation fuels, natural gas and large industrial polluters.

Next -- it doubles the clean fuels program -- which shifts cars to biofuels.

The plan also directs building codes to focus on energy efficient requirements.

The fourth goal accelerates electric car usage and charging access.

It also directs o- dot to look at spending through the perspective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Public utilities are also required to transition to clean energy.

And lastly, the order directs all state agencies to conduct all their work through the lens of reducing carbon emissions.

We have team coverage tonight and we begin with kezi reporter michael sevren who is live outside of a eugene business where the co- founder says we can't wait any longer to take climate action.

Michael?

Matt renee i'm at the sequential refuel station off of i 5 in south eugene.

While this may look like a normal gas station its not.

There are solar panels over the pumps and grass on the roof of the convenience store.

Here, drivers can fill up their cars with biofuels.

Here's how biofuel works.

The company works with restaurants and collects used cooking oil and turns it into low carbon, clean burning fuel.

Ian hill the co-founder tells me he thinks governor brown made the right call.

He was hoping that lawmakers could work together to tackle climate action.

The science is telling us that we're already behind on actually taking affective action on this issue, that were already in catch up mode, we're already late.

So further delay after extesive work as been done, yeah that's frustrating.

As we mentioned, one action included in governor brown's executive order is to double the state's clean fuels program.

That aims to reduce pollution from cars by 25% by the year 2035.

Hill says that could mean lower prices for consumers and more business for him.

And in case you're wondering just how much it costs to use biofuels, right now they're selling their flex fuel which is 85% bio ethanol for just under $2.70 a gallon.

For the biodiesal it's $2.79 cents a gallon.

Live in eugene im michael sevren kezi9 news.

Kezi 9 news reporter evita garza spoke with protesters from the timber unity convoy in february.

She joins us live to show us why they're so upset over this.

It's only been a few weeks since hundreds of truckers gathered here at the douglas county fairgrounds before heading to salem to fight cap and trade.

Now some protesters say they're ready to do it again& after hearing governor brown's decision today.

They said timber unity's biggest cry was for the opportunity to allow the people to vote on cap and trade.

And they thought legislators were going to allow them to do so.

Especially after republicians walked out of the capitol this year and last.

Now some protesters say they're disappointed it went the other way...but they're not surprised.

A lot of people in the democratic party are determined to push this through.

I don't think it has anything to do with climate.

It's revenue and power."

Mann said he's fed up with governor brown and he's willing to do anything to stop her.

He says her plans never represented rural oregon.

And, he said today's events represent that she was never willing to work with them.

Reporting in roseburg, evita garza kezi 9 news.

Senate republican leader herman baert-schiger junior also voiced his opposition to governor brown's executive order.

He said in part -- "it's obvious governor brown isn't oregon's governor, she's portland's governor, and as she promised, she is serving revenge cold and