In case you needed another reason why Portland is the greatest city, The Oregonian's Richard L. Hill offers up this piece of information:

Portland's pluck early on that it could lead the nation in reducing the release of planet-warming greenhouse gases has paid off. Emissions of carbon dioxide in Portland and Multnomah County have dropped below levels not seen since 1990, the first time a major U.S. urban area has shown such a decrease.

City and county officials were elated Wednesday after a 30-page report indicated that carbon dioxide emissions last year nudged 0.1 percent below 1990 figures. On a per capita basis, the drop marks a 13.2 percent decline. Relative to trends elsewhere nationally, that's dramatic.

Portland and Multnomah County's figures contrast sharply with carbon dioxide emissions levels nationwide, which have increased more than 17 percent since 1990 -- about a 0.6 percent per capita rise.

[...]

Portland's emissions decrease "is absolutely astounding," Jane Lubchenco, an environmental scientist based at Oregon State University and participant worldwide in global warming proceedings, said Wednesday. "I know of no other city in the world that has lowered greenhouse gas emissions at this level."

As much as I enjoy being here inside the Beltway -- yesterday alone I came within a few feet of Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Patty Murray, Henry Hyde, John Lewis and others -- I'll be glad to be in Portland come August.