The Portland Public Schools board will be voting soon on a comprehensive “Climate Crisis Response Policy” that has been more than a year in the making. It will call on the district to reduce its own emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040, prepare schools for the effects of climate change, create a climate curriculum to educate both students and staff on climate solutions and support student-led climate justice. It would also prohibit natural gas infrastructure in new buildings and phase out all natural gas in district buildings by 2050. The policy is currently in a public comment period, the last step before a board vote. We hear from Portland Public Schools board member Julia Brim-Edwards, who serves as chair of the policy committee.