– Direct link to episode MP3 file –
In this episode, I talk with Matt Glazewski about the politics of climate change in Portland.
Glazewski is a climate expert with 15 years of government experience who’s worked on disaster resiliency projects at the local, regional and federal levels. He’s worked with the Federal Emergency Management Administration FEMA and the National Weather Service where he once briefed U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (in photo). He also helped draft the first-ever climate action plan for Clackamas County. Glazewski was most recently a senior policy advisor for Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps. I wanted to share Matt’s perspective because earlier this summer he says left his job out of frustration with the lack of progress on climate change among other city staff and elected leaders. In his final days as a City Hall staffer, Glazewski shared his concerns publicly during the open comment period before a city council meeting.
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“It was a colossal failure, in my opinion, to redo the project the way that it was done, especially when we have bike plans going back 25 years that say we’re going to put bike lanes on Hawthorne.”
— Glazewski on PBOT’s decision to repave Hawthorne with wider auto lanes and no bike lanes
You might recall Glazewski from a story we did back in February where he suggested using green street and stormwater management infrastructure as a tool to deter vehicular violence. He also spoke out personally (not as a representative of Commissioner Mapps) about his support for bike lanes on SE Hawthorne Blvd, and don’t miss the part of our interview where I ask him more about that controversial project.
You can learn more about Glazewski on his website or follow him on Twitter @sentencesrunon. Watch and listen to his testimony at Portland City Council on June 21st via YouTube.
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— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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