Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved being in the woods, wading in a creek or looking under rocks and bushes for wildlife.
A news clipping of Rex
receiving his Eagle
Scout award in 1973
Working my way up from Cub to Eagle Scout, I got to learn about the natural world and how humans can benefit from, enjoy and sadly, even destroy it. The first Earth Day was a big deal in my junior high. We picked up litter and started recycling drives. As a classroom exercise, we created two visions of the future – Utopia and a stinky, dark and militarized future – and that lesson has stayed with me ever since. I bought my first serious commuting bicycle then – after years of delivering the Des Moines Register by Stingray – and have cycled to work, school and play ever since.
Rex with his two sons, Lars and Gehron, relaxing
in a hammock in 1989
So by the time I went off to college, I was committed to learning the skills I thought I needed to help solve our environmental crisis. Armed with a degree in Biology, I worked for the US Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service, and then taught high school science for a few years. I hope I inspired at least a few students to see their world with the same wonder I do. Later, I earned a Masters in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts in 1989.
By 1990, my son was 5 years old, and beginning to explore his world by bicycle, but Portland was a scary place for a youngster on a bike then – No bike lanes, few paths. His interest and determination to explore his community on a bike inspired me to try to make our region somewhere that a child could walk or bike in safety. As a result, I helped found the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, working there eight years. We made a lot of progress: more adults feel safe riding and so do more kids.
Rex in Lima, Peru, where he was
invited to speak as part of the city’s
first Bike to Work/School Day.
I also met a lot of people who shared my concern for the planet and our community. Together, we formed the Coalition for a Livable Future, that today includes over 80 organizations focused on making this a sustainable region, where everyone prospers, is healthy and safe, and can enjoy its beauty and abundance.
In 2000, I ran for Metro Council, hoping to use my energy, skills and knowledge to help create a sustainable region. Transportation is and remains one of my key interests. Almost 40% of greenhouse gases come from our cars and trucks. 600 Oregonians are killed in crashes annually, destroying lives and families. Our mobility to and from our jobs is crucial to our economy, as is our capacity to move goods. Can we do this in a way that enriches our lives, nurtures our children and protects our environment?
That’s the challenge of our generation and why I’ve valued serving at Metro, the sustainability government.
