350 Portland

Happy January! Welcome to our monthly newsletter, where we highlight some of the amazing work our volunteer teams have been up to. Read on to learn about their accomplishments, how you can join a team, and opportunities to take action!

TEAM UPDATES

Read more about the teams and volunteer opportunities Volunteer Opportunities page
Want to get involved but not sure where to start? Fill out the Volunteer Form

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

We’re hard at work in campaigns to fight the dangerous myth of “natural” gas. Did you know that cutting methane is the strongest lever we have to address climate change in the next 25 years? That’s why we’re developing educational materials to share with our legislators and neighbors about the dangers of methane gas. We’re also calling on Multnomah County to enact a ban on new buildings hooked up to fossil fuels and fighting the incessant greenwashing and misinformation campaigns coming from our local utilities, like NW Natural.

TAKE ACTION: Tell OPB to stop sponsoring NW Natural! Our public radio shouldn’t be promoting the fossil fuel industry.

GET CONNECTED: We meet virtually every other Tuesday at 5:30pm, and our next meetings are on Tues, Jan 25 and Tues, Feb 8. To get the zoom link and to also sign up for an orientation to the team, reach out to Melanie (melanie.plaut@gmail.com).

Defund/Divest Team

Our team follows the money, working as part of the national coalition StopTheMoneyPipeline (STMP). We call on financial institutions, insurance companies, and the government to divest from the fossil fuel industry.

What’s happening now:

• Divest Oregon: Reinvest in a Fossil-Free Oregon – a statewide coalition that our team helped to found – is now 80+ organizations strong! We’re pressuring the Treasurer and Oregon Investment Council to end new investment in fossil fuels, disclose the holdings they manage, transparently phase out current fossil fuel investments, and move to climate-safe investments using a social justice framework. How much are we talking about? $130 Billion, $90 Billion of which is state employees’ retirement.
• Divest Oregon workgroups reflect our multifaceted campaign: Outreach (to organizations, individuals, and legislators asking them to join us), Legislation (to support a bill for Treasury disclosure of the holdings they manage and a climate risk analysis they have undertaken), Research (to back public records requests and inclusion on gubernatorial candidate questionnaires), Communications (media outreach and social media campaigns), and Strategy (to keep it an effective effort!) See slides from our January general meeting for an overview.
• The Defund/Divest Team is taking a break from monthly meetings until the end of the legislative session; our team is working on the Divest Oregon campaign! We keep communication going with a weekly email about actions of our team and our allies, such as pressure campaigns on corporations and the government and support for frontline resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure. Local divestment campaigns in educational institutions are ongoing, with our team providing resources and support.

TAKE ACTION: Tell the State of Oregon to divest from fossil fuels

GET CONNECTED: Reach out to Jenifer (jenifer@350pdx.org) for a conversation about our team and to receive our weekly Defund/Divest team email. Click here to join the Divest Oregon team! Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month at 2 pm; workgroups meet during both day and evening.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense Team works to fight climate change by advocating for forest management practices that increase carbon sequestration and storage, decrease forestry sector carbon emissions, and improve community and ecosystem resilience in the face of the changing climate. We just launched three new sub-teams focused on different aspects of Forest Defense:

1. Protect Drinking Water from Industrial Logging
2. Advocate for vigorous implement of ODF’s Climate Change and Carbon Plan
3. Increase Shade Equity in the City of Portland

TAKE ACTION: January 20th (TODAY!) is a National Day of Action to protect the largest and most valuable carbon store in the country: the Tongass National Forest. Join allies in asking the Biden Administration to restore the National Roadless Rule in the Tongass. Submit a comment today!

GET CONNECTED: Do any of our new campaigns sound exciting to you? Join us at our next Forest Defense team meeting on February 7th at 6:00pm or contact Forest Climate Manager Brenna Bell (brenna@350pdx.org) to learn more.

City/County Watchdog Team

The City/County Watchdog team works to make sure we have local policies rooted in environmental justice and climate action. We recently worked towards getting environmental justice and climate action addressed in the City Charter Review process. The City’s charter is like its constitution, and the review process is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to transform structural barriers into supportive and responsive systems and institutions that will support Portland in surviving and thriving for the decades to come.

GET CONNECTED: Join us at our next Watchdog meeting Feb 3, 5:30-7:00pm. Contact Brooke (brooke@350pdx.org) or Indi (indi@350pdx.org) for meeting details or for more info about the team.

Creative Team

The recently-formed Creative Team amplifies and strengthens the work of the 350PDX campaign teams by developing a compelling narrative strategy. We use a “story-based strategy” method to help campaign teams take apart dominant narratives, investigate the myths we believe, build and participate in. And we pause to bring deeper intentionality to campaign words, imagery and assumptions. What’s our aim? To craft new stories that help reveal the future we all deserve!

We’re continuing our work with the Fossil Fuel team’s gas campaign. Through a series of collaborative workshops, we’ve landed on our Phase I audience, an initial narrative theme that uses some humor, and started designing a postcard and scripting a video.

We have an odd need – maybe you or someone you know could help us:

• We’re looking for a living room that is styled in a mid-century modern way (think 1960s) that could be the set of our video. We’d need it for about 2 hours and we can discuss Covid protocols that work for the owner (there would be 2-3 of us, all triple vaxxed, but the actress would need to be un-masked for a portion). Let Kyla know if you know of anyone willing!  kyla.r.yeoman@gmail.com

Some things we’re reading / exploring right now:

• Catching up on Mary Annaise Heglar and Amy Westervelt’s guest columns’ this fall in The Nation, like “To Build A Beautiful World, You First Have To Imagine It” 
• 2022 Narrative Predictions (warning: it’s heavy, but getting out of our progressive narrative bubble can force us to get clear on what we want and how we can get more people on board to get us all there)

GET CONNECTED: Fill out this form to get on our roster. 

Arts Team

In November and December, we settled into our wonderful new art build space at the new 350PDX office. We held five art builds through December and painted lots of sunflower umbrellas for our 350PDX Arts Team fundraiser. We also created burmashave banners to advertise the global Climate Conference, and earlier made posters for that conference. Upcoming possible plans include: creating lawn signs, designing postcards, and hosting a celebration for the amazing amount of funds we raised in December from members’ art.

GET CONNECTED: Our team meets on the 4th Monday of the month, and our next meeting is Jan 24. Interested in joining the team? Please contact Chris (chris@350pdx.org) or Donna (murph1949@aol.com).

SW Team

Last October, the 350 Southwest Team began shaping our team goals for 2022. We didn’t meet in December, but through our meetings last November and this month we’ve created a plan for upcoming projects. We’re looking into making yard signs for strategic placement in high foot-traffic areas to inspire active support for climate solutions (for example: Solar Power for All, Divest from Oil and Gas) and connect people to 350PDX. Sign distribution will require outreach to local schools, progressive faith communities and other community organizations located where we expect many pedestrians would see them. We will also invite them to join our weekly sign-holding actions once the days lengthen enough that late-afternoon commuters can read our signs. We hope to support others who start their own actions in other locations as well.

Members of our Southwest team live not only in SW Portland, Multnomah County (downtown and south to Multnomah) but also Washington Co. (unincorporated Beaverton and eastern parts of Beaverton) and Clackamas Co. (Lake Oswego, West Linn).

GET CONNECTED: We welcome newcomers to our monthly meetings, currently held on Zoom. Find our meeting listings on the 350PDX calendar. Our February meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 21st, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Contact emilypolanshek@msn.com or patk5@msn.com to get on our email list or have coffee with one of us!

Washington County Team

We are currently working in these areas:

• Participating in legislative lobbying visits around energy and climate bills coming forward in the legislative short session.  If you live in Washington County and would be interested to occasionally meet with your legislators about climate policy and issues (online for now), please let us know! We’ll be happy to invite you to join us as we schedule future meetings.
• Preparing plans for stewardship of Hillsboro’s downtown Bagley Park, including new pollinator plantings
• Tracking recycling issues around local waste collectors, such as Ridwell’s new service in Washington County. If this is of interest to you, the Washington County Garbage and Recycling Advisory Council and the Washington County Board of Commissioners are engaging now in discussions around possible policy changes.
• Preparing for Earth Day activities
• Planning to do regular sign waving locally in partnership with Fridays for Future. Projected start date is February 18

GET CONNECTED: The 350 Washington County team meets virtually at 6:30pm every second Tuesday. We frequently have expert presentations and always discuss opportunities we can take for climate action. For more info or to join the group, please contact Debby Garman at debbygactivism@gmail.com

In solidarity,

350PDX Staff – Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Indi, and Julia
350PDX Board & Team Leads

The post 350PDX January Team & Campaign Update appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Hi everyone,

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that fossil fuel investments are risky and dangerous. There has been a wave of organizations and states divesting from fossil fuels, most recently the State of New York. Still, the Oregon State Treasury remains heavily invested in fossil fuels. Not only is the Treasury jeopardizing our state’s financial future by holding onto risky investments, but they are actively fueling the Climate Crisis. We’ve already seen the impacts of the crisis – from wildfires to droughts to heat waves. We’ve seen how Black and Indigenous People and People of Color, working people, and other marginalized groups are bearing the worst of these impacts.

Divest Oregon is a grassroots coalition of over 80 organizations, including 350PDX, fighting for our state to divest from fossil fuels and invest in our future. We’re calling on our legislators to take the first step towards divestment by passing the Treasury Transparency Bill, which would ensure the Treasury makes its investments and climate risk analyses transparent to the public.

Join Divest Oregon in taking action to pass the Treasury Transparency Bill. Email or sign up to virtually meet with your legislators today!

Transparency is the first step towards accountability, and simple good governance. We deserve to know where our money is being invested and how those investments put our communities at risk. Then we can start reinvesting in a more just, equitable future for all. Take action today!

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Stop War Crimes in the Philippines and Stand with Indigenous Land Defenders

US Representative Susan Wild wrote a letter calling for sanctions on some of the worst human rights abusers in the Philippines. 350PDX and our partners at Kalikasan Solidarity Organization and the International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines are calling for Oregon legislators to sign on to the letter. There is no climate justice without human rights. Join us in standing up against state-sanctioned fascist violence against environmental justice activists in the Philippines: Click here for a phone script to call Senator Merkley and Representative Blumenauer!

Take action to support Wet’suwet’en land defenders

Right now, Wet’suwet’en Indigenous rights are under attack: Canadian paramilitary troops flew into Indigenous lands in support of fossil fuel giant TC Energy, and their 417-mile fossil fuel pipeline — without the consent of hereditary chiefs. For the past twelve years, the Wet’suwet’en have asserted their sovereignty to stop fossil fuel companies from trespassing on their lands, and they have won. This community organized against two more huge pipelines and defeated them, and we know they can win. Banks from the U.S. to Japan to Canada, including the #1 worst banker of fossil fuels JPMorgan Chase, are funneling BILLIONS in loans to TC Energy, the company behind Coastal GasLink. We can support the Wet’suwet’en by fighting back against the financial backers of this climate-killing pipeline – take action today!

Keep up the heat on OPB! Our public radio shouldn’t air fossil fuel ads

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is still running advertisement and sponsorship ads for NW Natural – a fossil fuel company trying to sell the public dangerous and greenwashed fracked gas. When OPB promotes the use of fracked gas through ads that ignore harms to our communities, they lose our trust as listeners. OPB already refuses to air ads from tobacco and weapons companies — why are fossil fuels getting a free pass? Join us in writing to OPB to ask them to stop airing ads for the fossil fuel industry!

Updates Past Seven Years Hottest On Record

It’s official. 2021 ended as the fifth hottest year on record, with temperatures averaging 1.1-1.2C above pre-industrial levels. The Climate Crisis is here, but there’s still time to change course and save our future! Read the full BBC article here.

Ocean Warmth Sets Record High in 2021

Greenhouse gas emissions are indeed heating up the planet, as shown in 2021’s record high for average ocean temperatures. This increased heat in the oceans is to blame for those December tornadoes we saw in several states, and will likely cause future unusual weather events. Read the full Washington Post article here.

The Fossil Fuel Industry Rigged the American Economy

Billions of subsidies have long held up the fossil fuel industry, and 2021 was no different. During the pandemic, the Federal Reserve corporate bond relief program favored the fossil fuel industry despite the fact that it has been in steady decline. It’s time for our federal government to pull back subsidies from this dying industry and stop funding the Climate Crisis. Read the full article from Evergreen Action here.

New Storytelling Project Tracks the Fracking Boom in the Permian Basin

“In this six-part series, we explore the ongoing oil, gas, and petrochemical boom in the Permian Basin and Gulf Coast. It is a story of runaway toxic infrastructure, environmental injustice, and climate overshoot.” Read the full storytelling project here.

Opportunities​​​​ Don’t Look Up Discussion with Climate Odyssey Team

Thur Jan 13, 7:00-8:30pm, virtual

Have you watched the movie Don’t Look Up? Did it feel all too familiar? Did it make you laugh and cringe and weep? Did you think “this painfully accurate satire could open the door to many rich conversations about the climate crisis?” Let’s have those conversations! Join folks from the Climate Odyssey team for a facilitated group discussion about what this movie made you think and feel, and how we can use it as a launching point for invigorating dialogue about the climate crisis. Register in advance for this discussion here. Demand Essential Wages for Essential Workers!

Tues Jan 18, 2:00-3:30pm, Stanton Yard (PBOT) 2835 N Kerby

Show City workers that we have their backs! Demand Essential Wages for Essential Workers! DCTU, the council of unions representing some 1280 workers at the City of Portland, has reached an impasse with the City of Portland over wages that do not keep up with inflation. Workers have now been without a contract for over a year. Jobs with Justice, DSA, and DCTU led a joint rally this past Saturday, and thanks to the overwhelming support of the community over 300 people showed up! Let’s come together again in support of the workers who provide the critical services that we count on for every aspect of City life. Learn more and RSVP here. You can also support the DCTU Solidarity Fund here.

Defining Abolition: Black People Liberate Themselves

Sat Jan 22, 10:00am-3:30pm, virtual

The MLK Racial Justice Campus Collaborative is hosting a virtual Racial Justice Teach-In in honor of the legacy and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event will focus on the history, theory, and practice of abolition, with the understanding that white supremacy suppresses social imagination; Black people liberate themselves. Rooted in Black/African Diasporic feminisms, abolition has defined anti-oppression, anti-colonial, and anti-racist organizing nationally and globally. In keeping with the abolitionist tradition, this event seeks to create a space where Black community activists can convene to envision a world liberated from white supremacy, colonialism, and racism. Learn more and sign up here.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here

Join the 350PDX staff collective!

We’re hiring a Grants & Operations Manager and a Development Manager! Priority application deadline is Feb 1, 2022. Both positions are full time (all of our full-time positions are 30 hours/week) and salaried at $47,000-$49,000 per year (pending 2022 budget completion, although we have pay equity across all positions). 350PDX’s uses a a non-hierarchical staff collective model that aligns with our values of distributing power and sharing accountability. We are a relatively young, dynamic, volunteer-driven grassroots organization with thousands of supporters. We regularly engage hundreds of people to volunteer and take action for climate justice. Learn more and apply at 350pdx.org/job-opportunities!

We’re thrilled to announce that we exceeded our year-end fundraising goal by raising over $100,000! We wanted to give another round of appreciations to everyone in the 350PDX community for your support. Thank you for all your work this year for climate justice. Together, we’ll take on even more in 2022.

This know this is a difficult time for many, and we hope that you and yours are staying safe and healthy.

In love and gratitude,
Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Gaby, Indi, Jana, Julia – the 350PDX staff

The post 350PDX Weekly Update – Take action to Divest Oregon! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

350PDX is one of the over 70 organizations part of the Divest Oregon coalition, which is calling on the Oregon State Treasury to divest from fossil fuels. Read on to learn more about The Divest Oregon coalition’s 2021 wins and how you can take action! ———– A couple of actions you can take RIGHT NOW:

• Send an email to your Oregon Senator and Representative in support of the upcoming Treasury Transparency Bill – it’s SUPER easy and you can customize the letter or send it as is!
• Sign up here to attend meetings with legislators – it’s critical that you ask for support
• Tell us how you’d like to help with the campaign – fill out this form

In our last meeting, the Divest Oregon coalition collectively created a list of our “wins” of 2021:   For more information about the Divest Oregon campaign, see the slides from our last coalition meeting. Learn more about the coalition and join us here, either as an organization or as an individual. It’s time for the Oregon Treasury and PERS to divest from fossil fuels – together, we’ll make it happen! Sue & Jenifer Co-Leads of the Divest Oregon Coalition

The post Take Action with Divest Oregon! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Hi everyone,

We’re still celebrating the Jordan Cove LNG win, and I wanted to give another round of appreciations to everyone in the 350PDX community who helped make this happen! We played an important part in stopping Jordan Cove, turning out Oregonians by the tens of thousands to write public comments, rallying in Salem and along the pipeline route, calling the Governor, and pressuring banks funding the project. We helped win permit denials that delivered major blows to the project, leading to Pembina finally calling it quits.

This win is a reminder of how we can use grassroots organizing to reach tangible goals that improve our communities for generations to come. In this campaign, we fostered connections with groups across the state. Together, we kept 15 coal-fired power plants worth of emissions out of the atmosphere, stopped a corporation from building a 230-mile fracked gas pipeline out of tribal lands, and protected the drinking water of over a hundred thousands people. When we do climate justice work together, following frontline leadership and those most impacted by the crisis, we can achieve great things. We will continue to work in coalition to stop fossil fuel projects, battle the Climate Crisis, and fight for an equitable future in Oregon.

Hear more about the Jordan Cove victory from Dineen, our Campaign Manager!

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Pledge your support for grocery workers in our community!

Grocery workers of UFCW Local 55 voted for an unfair labor practices strike on Fred Meyer and Quality Food Centers (QFC) and are calling for community support. “Fred Meyer and QFC have repeatedly violated their legal duties to negotiate in good faith with Local 555, with the most blatant example being Fred Meyer’s refusal to provide information necessary for the Union to negotiate a new agreement and to process grievances. The way these employers have violated the National Labor Relations Act has left grocery workers no choice but to take action,” said UFCW 555 President Dan Clay. Pledge your support for grocery workers in our community!

Add your name to community letter from 50 BIPOC women – “We Won’t Surrender our Beloved City to People for Portland’s Bleak Vision”

Led by NAACP President Sharon Gary-Smith, Angela Uheberlau, the founder of Oregon Kids Read, and State Representative Andrea Valderrama of East Portland, 50 BIPOC women published an open letter in The Oregonian: “We Won’t Surrender our Beloved City to People for Portland’s Bleak Vision.” They are calling on  Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Commissioner Dan Ryan to denounce the “People for Portland” dark money campaign for more police and shelter enforcement. Join the over 500 people who have signed on in solidarity!

Tell the Oregon DEQ to reject a pollution increase at PGE’s Carty Gas Plant

Portland General Electric (PGE) wants the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to approve a massive increase in air pollution from carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound emissions–both of which have serious health and environmental impacts–in an area that already has frequent air quality advisories and alerts. Will you stand up for public health and our climate and send a comment to the DEQ today?

Tell OPB to Drop NW Natural Sponsorship

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) has been a trusted news source in our community. That’s why it’s so surprising to hear that OPB is running sponsorship ads for NW Natural. When OPB promotes the use of fracked gas through ads that ignore harms to our communities, they lose our trust as listeners. Our public radio should not be promoting the fossil fuel industry. Join us in asking OPB to drop their NW Natural sponsorship.

Updates Oregon Legislators support divestment and introduce 2022 bill

“Climate champion legislators Khanh Pham, Paul Holvey and Jeff Golden had an Op-Ed in The Oregonian, ‘Oregon must disclose and divest from fossil fuels‘ on December 8th, 2021 supporting our campaign. They stated, ‘That is why we are introducing a bill this upcoming 2022 legislative session to disclose Oregon’s fossil fuel holdings so the public can clearly understand our state’s financial and climate risks. We support the urging of Divest Oregon, a grassroots coalition representing unions with PERS members, racial and climate justice groups, youth leaders, and faith communities: the state must stop any new investments in the fossil sector and phase out current holdings in the next five years.'” – divestoregon.org

Portland Public Schools faces heat over climate policy revisions

Portland Public Schools are subtracting key pieces of climate action from their climate crisis response policy, despite students and stakeholders calling for them to take bolder steps. ‘I know there are challenges with budget. I know there are challenges with enacting this policy. That being said, we need to be bold and we need to be brave. We do not have a long time until our planet is devastated.'” – Danny Cage, a district student council representative for Grant High School, PPS policy committee member and climate activist. Read the full Portland Tribune article here.

The Quiet Culprit: Pension Funds Bankrolling the Climate Crisis

A new report from the Climate Safe Pensions Network by Third Rail Economy and Stand.earth chronicles how much United States’ top fourteen public pension funds have invested in fossil fuel assets – $81.6 billion! And this leaves out a large part of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System investment portfolio, which has not been fully disclosed. This report drives home that fossil fuel divestment is one of the best courses of action we have for battling the Climate Crisis. Read the full report here.

Oregon State University scientists call for Strategic Forest Reserves to protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change

Oregon State University scientists released a study identifying 36 million acres of forests in the Western U.S. they recommend becoming Strategic Forest Reserves. If protected, these forests would substantially reduce carbon emissions, protect unique wildlife and biodiversity, and protect drinking water for local communities. These Strategic Forest Reserves would help us reach the Biden administration’s goal of protecting 30% of U.S. land and freshwater by 2030. Read the full study here.

Opportunities​​​​ Powell Butte 350PDX Community Hike

Sat Dec 18, 1:00-3:00pm, Powell Butte

The 350PDX Forest Defense and City/County Watchdog team are hosting a December hike at Powell Butte, 1-3pm on Dec 18. Reach out to Felice (202-494-2852) when you’re there for exact location!

Fall Training Series – Skilling Up For Climate Action

Join the last in a series of free trainings offered for all 350 groups across the country, whether you’re brand new or a longtime activist. Register and you’ll receive slides and recordings afterwards too, even if you can’t make it. More info on all the trainings here.

All trainings are Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm:

• Saturday, Dec 18th – Policy Advocacy: How to advocate, how legislative bodies work, and how to influence elected officials–with examples from local affiliates to demonstrate common tactics and best practices.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here

 

TODAY is the last of the 350PDX Art Sale!

Order before midnight today (Thursday, Dec 16) to guarantee your art pieces will arrive before Dec 25. These art pieces have been generously donated by 350PDX volunteers, staff, and supporters. 100% of the proceeds go towards our climate justice work so we can continue fighting to stop fossil fuel projects and build a just, equitable world. Help us raise $80,000 for our year-end fundraiser so we can continue growing our community and our work in 2022!

Just want to make a donation to 350PDX? Go to 350pdx.org/donate to contribute before Dec 31. Thank you for all your support!

The post 350PDX Weekly Update – Another round of appreciations for Jordan Cove victory! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

We’re still celebrating last week’s massive victory stopping the Jordan Cove LNG project and wanted to make sure you had a chance to celebrate with us too! Your work helped make this victory happen. 

Last week, Pembina Pipeline Co. filed a formal request to FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, stating it has “decided not to move forward” with the Jordan Cove LNG project and asking FERC to cancel its permit. Pembina said the corporation “remains concerned regarding the ability to obtain the necessary state permits in the immediate future in addition to other external obstacles.”

If Pembina had gotten its way, they would have built the Jordan Cove LNG export facility and Pacific Connector Pipeline across 230 miles of Southern Oregon, crossing through forests, rivers, tribal lands, and people’s backyards, and threatening the drinking water of over one hundred thousand people. The export facility would have permanently damaged the Coos Bay estuary and coastal communities’ way of life. The entire project’s emissions would have been the equivalent of building 15 new coal-fired power plants, all to ship fracked gas overseas.

This victory is a testament to the power of grassroots organizing.

For years, over 50,000 Oregonians (like you!) wrote and filed comments with state agencies, voicing concerns about this project’s effects on Oregon’s drinking water and state lands. We attended public hearings, marched along the pipeline route and rallied in Salem, wrote letters and op-eds, called the Governor, pressured the banks that gave loans and financially supported the project, and made beautiful art. Perhaps most importantly, the Oregon climate justice community worked together, making new connections with one another that remain to this day. Because of our collective work, state agencies delivered strong permit denials that Pembina couldn’t recover from.

Photos from the Nov 21, 2019 rally and sit-in at Governor Kate Brown’s office. Nearly 700 people rallied at the Capitol, demanding the Governor use her authority to stop Jordan Cove LNG. Nearly 80 people followed the lead of directly-impacted community members, staging a 9-hour sit-in where 21 people were arrested. Many see this action as a clear turning point in the campaign, since shortly after, U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio publicly came out against the project for the first time, followed by U.S Senator Ron Wyden, then FERC upheld Oregon’s decision to deny key permits for the project. This is a clear example of the power of grassroots organizing and nonviolent direct action. 

If you believe in the power of grassroots organizing, would you consider making a donation to 350PDX to support our involvement in campaigns like this in 2022 and beyond? We’re committed to a world where energy is clean and safe for our communities and climate, where fossil fuels stay in the ground, and where disastrous projects like these are cancelled for good. This victory is another reminder that grassroots organizing is the solution and we are already winning, we just need to keep going.

I truly want to thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart, for being involved in this fight for so long and not giving up. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, the people have won. I am so, so proud of us and this movement we’re in together. Thank you.

With immense gratitude,

Dineen O’Rourke,
Campaign Manager, 350PDX

The post Celebrating a historic victory stopping Jordan Cove! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Hi everyone,

350PDX is one of the over 70 organizations part of the Divest Oregon coalition, which is calling on the Oregon State Treasury to divest from fossil fuels. This past week, the Divest Oregon campaign made national news! We’re thrilled that this important campaign is getting much deserved coverage – with news outlets including The Washington Post, ABC News and US News publishing “Liberal Oregon resists dropping controversial investments.”

The article names that states like New York are beginning to divest from fossil fuels, but Oregon is still dragging its heels. In a recent letter to the State Legislature, the Oregon Investment Council (OIC) claimed they couldn’t divest the Treasury because doing so would be a “personal and political decision” and not within the scope of their responsibilities. But we know that divestment is not just “personal” or “political.” Divestment is about protecting Oregonian’s financial futures – as fossil fuel investments continue to get a below-market return and will soon be stranded assets. Divestment is about protecting our collective future against the Climate Crisis. Divestment is about survival.

As the Divest Oregon campaign grows, we continue to gain allies standing up for Oregon’s future. Gubernatorial Candidate and House Speaker Tina Kotek is now on the record supporting divestment, with her spokesman saying in an email that ”she finds it disappointing that Treasurer Read’s letter seems to affirm his support for the status quo.”

Divest Oregon is working hard to amplify Oregonians voices so the Treasury hears us. You can learn more about the coalition and join their work here!

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Tell the Oregon DEQ to reject a pollution increase at PGE’s Carty Gas Plant

Portland General Electric (PGE) wants the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to approve a massive increase in air pollution from carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound emissions–both of which have serious health and environmental impacts–in an area that already has frequent air quality advisories and alerts. Will you stand up for public health and our climate and send a comment to the DEQ today?

Tell OPB to Drop NW Natural Sponsorship

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) has been a trusted news source in our community. That’s why it’s so surprising to hear that OPB is running sponsorship ads for NW Natural. When OPB promotes the use of fracked gas through ads that ignore harms to our communities, they lose our trust as listeners. Our public radio should not be promoting the fossil fuel industry. Join us in asking OPB to drop their NW Natural sponsorship.

Write a Public Comment on Portland’s City Charter Review by Dec 9!

The City of Portland is at a turning point. This fall, the City is undergoing a Charter Review process that could transform how we tackle key problems, from the climate crisis to racial injustice. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the City to eliminate deep structural barriers that have prevented Portland from becoming the equitable, collaborative, strategic, and community-driven city it could be.

Now through Dec 9 — the City needs to hear from you. Submit a public comment on the Charter Review process by 8:00am on Thursday, Dec 9th

Join Statewide Divest Oregon Selfie Action

All through November – Join us in telling the @OregonTreasury and @TreasurerRead it’s time to #DivestOregon! They need to see that people from across the state are calling for divestment. Make your voice heard!

Take Action: We Need ODOT to Prioritize Climate, Not Freeway Expansions

ODOT has spent $5 million on communications and PR to rebrand the failed Columbia River Crossing project as the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, but we’re not being fooled. We don’t need a massive freeway expansion. We can pursue common sense alternatives that increase transit options while lowering carbon emissions and creating new jobs. Join us in telling Metro Council to stand up to ODOT and withhold money for this freeway expansion project. Write them a message today!

Updates Canadian police arrest Indigenous opponents of gas pipeline and 2 journalists covering it

TC Energy is building Coastal Gaslink – a fracked natural gas pipeline from British Columbia to the Pacific Coast – over the unceded territory of the Wet’suwet’en. Indigenous activists have been fighting the pipeline for years, and starting on Nov 18 a group blockaded construction. Roughly 15 people were arrested, and two journalists were detained. Read the full article in DeSmog here.

The Portland public will now be able to testify on all city reports!

Thanks to testimony from Portland-Metro People’s Coalition, Portland Copwatch, and others, the Portland public will now be able to testify on all city reports. This opens a door for our voices to be heard! Read more and retweet the news here. Thanks to everyone who organized to make this happen!

Can younger generations spur corporations to divest from fossil fuels?

On Oct 29, youth activists from Future Coalition, 350 Seattle, and other groups rallied hundreds in Seattle to call for divestment. Divestment campaigns are growing around the country, with young people often at the helm. Read the full Crosscut article here.

More than 400 toxic sites in California are at risk of flooding from sea level rise

“… predominately Black and brown communities … are five times more likely than the general population to live within half a mile of a toxic site that could flood by 2050, according to a new statewide mapping project led by environmental health professors at UC Berkeley and UCLA. All told, the ocean could inundate more than 400 hazardous facilities by the end of the century — exposing nearby residents to dangerous chemicals and polluted water.” – Los Angeles Times. Read the full article here.

Opportunities​​​​ 350PDX Volunteer Orientation

Wed Dec 1, 6:00-7:45pm, online – register here

A great place to get started with 350PDX – hear what we’re all about, meet some cool people, and start finding your place in the climate justice movement here in Portland!

Divest Oregon Action at Mt. Tabor Park

Wed Dec 8, 9:30-10:30am, in person – Mt. Tabor Park (gather at the gate located on SE Salmon Street just past SE Taylor Court)

Divest Oregon coalition members are once again rallying together to make our voices heard about the Oregon investment portfolio. The theme this month is: “We Don’t Want Our Retirement $$ to Destroy This Special Place.” All are welcome! Meet at Mt. Tabor Park at 9:30am on Dec 8 – gather at the gate located on SE Salmon Street just past SE Taylor Court. Learn more here.

350PDX December General Meeting

Wed Dec 8, 6:00-7:15pm, online – register here

Join us for this month’s General Meeting which is open to all and is a great place for new and existing volunteers to meet staff and other volunteers, come and hear what the other teams are up to, and to do a deep dive into a topic. In December we’ll hear from our new Forest Climate Manager, Brenna Bell, who will be diving into the climate science and ecology of our forests, and what the 350PDX Forest Defense team is doing about it.

People’s Forest Forum: Unsettling Mt. Hood Ecologies

Wed Dec 9, 6:00-8:30pm, online – register here

Join Bark on Dec 9th from 6:00-8:30pm for six critical, constructive discussions for our fourth annual forum, in collaboration with graduate students in the Racial Ecologies course at the U of O! Discussions topics include “Memory Haunts This Mountain,” “Representing and Naming Mt. Hood,” and “Indigenous and Settler Mapping Practices.” Bark’s mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives and where local communities have a social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation.

Fall Training Series – Skilling Up For Climate Action

Join these free trainings offered for all 350 groups across the country, whether you’re brand new or a longtime activist. Register and you’ll receive slides and recordings afterwards too, even if you can’t make it. More info on all the trainings here.

All trainings are Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm:

• Saturday, Dec 4th – Strategic Campaigning: How to choose a campaign, map out decision makers, allies and opponents, plan campaign goals, timeline, and roles, and select effective tactics using a justice and equity lens.
• Saturday, Dec 18th – Policy Advocacy: How to advocate, how legislative bodies work, and how to influence elected officials–with examples from local affiliates to demonstrate common tactics and best practices.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here

The post 350PDX Weekly Update – Divest Oregon in national news! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Happy November! Welcome to our monthly newsletter, where we highlight some of the amazing work our volunteer teams have been up to. We also want to take this moment to offer some resources for National Day of Mourning tomorrow. Together, let’s continue our commitments to decolonizing ourselves, our communities, and our movements.

The Indigenous Solidarity Network created this extensive Rethinking Thanksgiving Toolkit, which includes accurate histories of this “holiday” and answers to common myths, questions you can use as prompts around the dinner table, places to donate and support Indigenous-led movements and organizations, and lots of resources on decolonizing and reparations.

“There are many different experiences we will have over Thanksgiving – some of us will have lots of food, some of us will struggle to have enough. Some will be surrounded by people and some will be alone or with just one other person. For many, it’s an important time of coming together with family. This day also gives us a chance to look at and change stories we have about our families and ourselves. Thanksgiving is based on myths that hide and erase the genocide that the United States is founded upon. What would it mean to tell a different story; an honest story?

This past year has been filled with an emboldening of white supremacy. At the same time, more and more people are working to create something different. We cannot expect that justice will ever come if we are not willing to face the injustices of our past and present. Holidays can be a time to connect and talk about these realities and touch people’s hearts in profound ways. This can be fertile ground for lasting change.” — Indigenous Solidarity Network, from their Rethinking Thanksgiving Toolkit.

We also recommend listening to this podcast episode from All My Relations: ThanksTaking or ThanksGiving? and donating money to the Chúush Fund from the Warm Springs Reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs is the largest reservation in Oregon, and since May of 2019 they have not had access to clean drinking water after a water main line broke. You can learn more about this issue from a webinar here.

Read on to learn about our team’s accomplishments, how you can join their work, and opportunities to take action!

350PDX December General Meeting

Join our next General Meeting Wednesday Dec 8, 6:00PM – 7:15PM on Zoom. These monthly General Meeting are open to all. Whether you’re a new or existing volunteer with us, these meetings are a great place to meet staff and other volunteers, hear what the other teams are up to, and deep dive into a specific topic. In December, we’ll hear from our new Forest Climate Manager, Brenna Bell, who will be diving into the climate science and ecology of our forests, and what the 350PDX Forest Defense team is doing about it. Hope to see you there!

TEAM UPDATES

Read more about the teams and volunteer opportunities Volunteer Opportunities page
Want to get involved but not sure where to start? Fill out the Volunteer Form

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

We continue to be hard at work in our campaigns to fight the dangerous myth of “natural” gas. Did you know that cutting methane is the strongest lever we have to address climate change in the next 25 years? And at COP26, countries around the world signed a global pledge to reduce methane emissions. But locally, we still have incessant greenwashing to fight coming from local utilities. That’s why we’re developing educational materials to share with our legislators and neighbors about the dangers of methane gas, and calling on Multnomah County to enact a ban on new buildings hooked up to fossil fuels.

TAKE ACTION:

Send a message to Oregon Public Broadcasting telling them to stop airing greenwashed advertisements from the fossil fuel industry. You may have heard on the radio — OPB has been airing ads for NW Natural, allowing the gas utility to manipulate public opinion and share misinformation about gas. Our public radio should not be taking money from the fossil fuel industry — send this tool to your friends to help us get lots of messages to OPB!

Submit a public comment against the Carty Generating Station, a fracked gas power plant in Boardman, OR. PGE is seeking a new permit to allow more air pollution at the facility. Let’s make sure the Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality hears from us loud and clear: don’t give PGE a green light to pollute!

GET CONNECTED: It’s a great time to join the team! We meet virtually every other Tuesday at 5:30pm, and our next meeting is on Tues, Nov 30. To get the zoom link and/or to schedule a new member orientation meeting, reach out to Melanie (melanie.plaut@gmail.com).

Defund/Divest Team

Our team follows the money, working as part of the national coalition StopTheMoneyPipeline (STMP). We call on financial institutions, insurance companies, and the government to divest from the fossil fuel industry. This year, the 350PDX Defund/Divest Team started a the statewide coalition: Divest Oregon: Reinvest in a Fossil Free Future.

What’s happening now:

• Divest Oregon: Reinvest in a Fossil-Free Oregon – a statewide coalition that our team helped to found – is now 70+ organizations strong! We’re pressuring the Treasurer and Oregon Investment Council to end new investment in fossil fuels, disclose the holdings they manage, transparently phase out current fossil fuel investments, and move to climate-safe investments using a social justice framework. How much are we talking about? $120 Billion, $90 Billion of which is state employees’ retirement.
• Divest Oregon workgroups reflect our multifaceted campaign: Outreach (to organizations, individuals, and legislators asking them to join us), Legislation (to support a bill for Treasury disclosure of the holdings they manage and mandating climate risk analysis), Research (to back public records requests and inclusion on gubernatorial candidate questionnaires), Communications (media outreach and social media campaigns), and Strategy (to keep it an effective effort!) See slides from our November general meeting for an overview.
• The Defund/Divest Team is taking a break from monthly meetings until the end of January. We keep communication going with a weekly email about actions of our team and our allies, such as pressure campaigns on corporations and the government and support for frontline resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure. Local divestment campaigns in educational institutions are ongoing, with our team providing resources and support.

TAKE ACTION: Tell the State of Oregon to divest from fossil fuels

GET CONNECTED: Reach out to Jenifer (jenifer@350pdx.org) for a conversation about our team and to receive our weekly team email. Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month at 2 pm; workgroups meet during both day and evening. Click here to join the Divest Oregon team! Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month at 2 pm; workgroups meet during both day and evening.

Forest Defense Team

We fight climate change by protecting Oregon’s forests from harmful logging practices and building forest climate resilience. One of the biggest community impacts of industrial logging is the degradation of community water supplies. Our team is working on a multi-level approach to reduce industrial clear-cut logging, which will lead to greater carbon storage and cleaner water for people and fish!

Over the past month, the Forest Defense Team:

• Encouraged the Board of Forestry to adopt the Oregon Department of Forestry’s first Climate Change & Carbon Plan – which passed unanimously! Thanks to all who sent messages to the Board of Forestry urging them to take bold action on climate. Now, the Forest Defense Team is going to make sure the CCCP is implemented!
• Urged the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to take more responsibility for forest waters, including regulating logging practices to bring streams and lakes into compliance with the Clean Water Act. We submitted comments connecting clean water and climate change and urging real change in forestry regulation.
• Took a great hike together in Tryon Creek State Park! We’re planning another team hike on Saturday December 18th, and all are welcome.

TAKE ACTION: Join members of the Forest Defense Team on December 9th at Bark’s People’s Forest Forum: Unsettling Mt. Hood Ecologies for critical discussions about race, colonization, conservation and place.

GET CONNECTED: Join us at our next team meeting on December 6th at 6:00pm to learn about issues of equity (or lack thereof) in the Urban Tree canopy with Ted Labbe of the Urban Greenspaces Institute, or contact Brenna Bell (brenna@350pdx.org) to learn more.

City/County Watchdog Team

We’re ramping up efforts to get environmental justice and climate action addressed in the City Charter Review process. The City’s charter is like its constitution, and the review process is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to transform structural barriers into supportive and responsive systems and institutions that will support Portland in surviving and thriving for the decades to come.

TAKE ACTION: Submit a public comment on the Charter Review process by Dec 9th.

GET CONNECTED: Join us at our next Watchdog meeting on Thursday, December 2, 5:30-7pm. Contact Brooke (brooke@350pdx.org) or Indi (indi@350pdx.org) for meeting details or for more info about the team.

Creative Team

Right now, we’re collaborating with the Fossil Fuel Resistance team on their gas campaign. Over the summer we started exploring how a story-based strategy might shape how the campaign is shared with various audiences. After a pause, we’re picking that back up and considering which words, images and methods might help us reach a specific target audience with limited resources. We’re also planning to work on our training offerings so new folks can get up to speed on what a “story-based strategy” is.

Some things we’re attending / exploring right now:

• Center for Story-Based Strategy Story-Telling 101
• The Race Class Narrative webinar (recorded here) from the group We Make The Future

GET CONNECTED: Fill out this form to get on our roster. 

Arts Team

These past few months, the 350PDX Arts Team hosted fun Art Builds, assembled posters, repaired puppets, wrote poetry, painted Earths, and screenprinted muslin. You can do all this, too! Join us as we add visuals, color, and texture to Portland’s climate movement.

In November, we also launched our Arts Team Fundraiser! The fundraiser was so successful last year we are doing it again, and you can help. Reach out to Donna Murphy (murph1949@aol.com) if you’re interested in helping out with the art sale! You can also purchase pieces from the art sale here – all proceeds go to 350PDX to support our climate justice work!

GET CONNECTED: Join us for our monthly meetings – next meeting is Dec 27, 7:00-8:30pm. Reach out to Donna Murphy (murph1949@aol.com) for more information.

JEDI Team

This month the JEDI Committee is focusing on making 350PDX more accessible, specifically our virtual team meetings. Some of the ways we’re continuing that journey is by ensuring that we use Zoom’s live captioning in all our Zoom meetings; making sure to give folks the opportunity to let team leads know if they have accessibility needs before meetings, and providing resources and advice for teams to meet those needs; and doing a better job of providing materials ahead of time, so folks know what to expect in the meeting, and can get caught up beforehand.

SW Team

The 350 SW Team has been an active neighborhood team of 350PDX since 2015. We have about a dozen active people, with others who follow what we’re doing and join us for our monthly Monday meeting when they can. You’re welcome to check us out!

What’s happening now:

• Climate Action Now – sidewalk sign-holding/waving to drivers every Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. through December 1, 2021. Since daylight is waning, we’ll resume again on January 5, 2022 at the corner of SW 35th and Multnomah Blvd, if it’s not raining. We have signs to share! Please check the 350PDX calendar for details and join us if you can.
• We’re sending individual comments on behalf of forward-looking climate policies (Carty Generating Stn, DEQ to protect water quality, Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability re: clean air and City of Portland’s Charter Review).
• We’re starting a process to decide which campaigns we might engage in ongoing as a team. Please join us the third Monday of January (January 17, 2022) on Zoom, 6:30-8:00 p.m. to participate. Newcomers welcome!

GET CONNECTED: Contact emilypolanshek@msn.com or patk5@msn.com to get on our email list or find out more about us!

Washington County Team

GET CONNECTED: The 350 Washington County team meets virtually at 6:30pm on second Tuesdays. For more info or to join the group, please contact Debby Garman at debbygactivism@gmail.com

In solidarity,

350PDX Staff – Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Gaby, Indi, Jana, and Julia
350PDX Board & Team Leads

The post 350PDX November Team & Campaign Update appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Hi everyone,

We’re thrilled to be launching our annual end of year art sale fundraiser this week! Members of the 350PDX community have donated beautiful art pieces for the sale, and 100% of proceeds go to supporting our climate justice work. Art pieces for sale include a 350PDX yard sign, one of our sunflower umbrellas, and much more. We need your help so can continue our climate justice work in 2022 and grow our movement bigger than ever before. Purchase an art piece now through Dec 18th, and share the art sale with friends!

Are you an artist? Contribute a piece of art for the sale, now through early December! Learn more on our art sale site.

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Write a Public Comment on the Clean Air Protection Program

Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS)’s Clean Air Protection Program would be a critical first step towards reducing air pollution in our city. The program would draw funds from Portland’s largest sources of air pollution through a Clean Air Surcharge, generating about $2 million a year to fund key pollution reduction programs. Join us in calling on BPS to adopt the Clean Air Protection Program! Write a public comment on the program by noon on Nov 19.

Tell OPB to Drop NW Natural Sponsorship

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) has been a trusted news source in our community. That’s why it’s so surprising to hear that OPB is running sponsorship ads for NW Natural. When OPB promotes the use of fracked gas through ads that ignore harms to our communities, they lose our trust as listeners. Our public radio should not be promoting the fossil fuel industry. Join us in asking OPB to drop their NW Natural sponsorship.

Write a Public Comment on Portland’s City Charter Review by Dec 9!

The City of Portland is at a turning point. This fall, the City is undergoing a Charter Review process that could transform how we tackle key problems, from the climate crisis to racial injustice. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the City to eliminate deep structural barriers that have prevented Portland from becoming the equitable, collaborative, strategic, and community-driven city it could be.

Now through Dec 9 — the City needs to hear from you. Submit a public comment on the Charter Review process by 8:00am on Thursday, Dec 9th

Join Statewide Divest Oregon Selfie Action

All through November – Join us in telling the @OregonTreasury and @TreasurerRead it’s time to #DivestOregon! They need to see that people from across the state are calling for divestment. Make your voice heard!

Tell Biden to End Finance for Fossil Fuels!

The Biden administration could decide right now to stop Wall Street funding of financing fossil fuels and deforestation, kicking the legs out from under the fossil fuel industry. We need Biden to tackle the climate crisis with the urgency it demands. Sign Rainforest Action Network’s petition telling Biden to end finance for fossil fuels and deforestation!

Take Action: We Need ODOT to Prioritize Climate, Not Freeway Expansions

ODOT has spent $5 million on communications and PR to rebrand the failed Columbia River Crossing project as the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, but we’re not being fooled. We don’t need a massive freeway expansion. We can pursue common sense alternatives that increase transit options while lowering carbon emissions and creating new jobs. Join us in telling Metro Council to stand up to ODOT and withhold money for this freeway expansion project. Write them a message today!

Updates The progress (and failures) of COP26

While some progress was made at COP26, the world’s climate goals still fall short. Grist documents the progresses and failures of COP26 and where we are far behind on curbing emissions, stopping finance of fossil fuels, and phasing out fossil fuel production. It remains clear that world leaders will have to do much more to tackle the climate crisis with the urgency it demands and keep global warming below catastrophic levels. Read the full article here.

‘A death sentence’: Indigenous climate activists denounce Cop26 deal

Indigenous climate activists have been making their voices heard during the COP26 season, despite the stark underrepresentation of Indigenous delegates at the conference itself. Following the conference, many Indigenous activists are saying the Glasgow deal – which created a regulated global carbon trading market – merely incentivizes countries and corporations to offset emissions, not reduce them.

“’Cop26 leaders signed an agreement that will entrench sacrificing Indigenous people … [but] failed to include real solutions to meet the climate chaos that many of our frontline Indigenous communities are facing,’ said Thomas Joseph from the Hoopa tribe, located in California. ‘The leaders pushing for market-based solutions and the commodification of our Mother Earth are signing a death sentence.’” Read the full article here.

Opportunities​​​​ Film Screening: How to Let Go of the World

Sat Nov 20, 2:00-4:00AM, online – register here

Join 350PDX’s Washington County team for a virtual film screening of How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change, followed by conversation. The film asks: what is it that climate change can’t destroy? What is so deep within us that no calamity can take it away? Register for the screening here.

Gather in this Moment: 350PDX Climate Emotions Support Group

Sun Nov 28, 7:00-8:30pm, online – register here

Join other feeling humans like yourself who care about the planet and its inhabitants and want to live thought-fully, care-fully and joy-fully.  We’ll have time enough to get to know each other a tiny bit better, to observe our minds in quiet open awareness, and to discuss how we are taking care of ourselves during these times: what’s difficult and what’s working well.  This is but one of many tiny actions we can choose to keep us on a path to meaningful engagement with ourselves, others and this beautiful world. Register here.

350PDX Volunteer Orientation

Wed Dec 1, 6:00-7:45pm, online – register here

A great place to get started with 350PDX – hear what we’re all about, meet some cool people, and start finding your place in the climate justice movement here in Portland!

Fall Training Series – Skilling Up For Climate Action

Join these free trainings offered for all 350 groups across the country, whether you’re brand new or a longtime activist. Register and you’ll receive slides and recordings afterwards too, even if you can’t make it. More info on all the trainings here.

All trainings are Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm:

• Saturday, Nov 20th – Organizing and Movement Building: Why build a movement? How to recruit, engage, and onboard new volunteers, develop volunteer leadership, and build community.
• Saturday, Dec 4th – Strategic Campaigning: How to choose a campaign, map out decision makers, allies and opponents, plan campaign goals, timeline, and roles, and select effective tactics using a justice and equity lens.
• Saturday, Dec 18th – Policy Advocacy: How to advocate, how legislative bodies work, and how to influence elected officials–with examples from local affiliates to demonstrate common tactics and best practices.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here

Thank you all for the work that you do, stay safe, we’re all in this together,
Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Gaby, Indi, Jana, Julia – the 350PDX staff

The post 350PDX Weekly Update – Art sale in full swing! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Today we are launching our annual end of year art sale fundraiser! 

All pieces in this sale have been generously donated by staff, volunteers, or supporters of 350PDX, and 100% of the proceeds go towards helping us hit our end of year fundraising target of $80,000.

The sale starts today and goes until December 18th, so we can make sure to have all the art delivered before the holidays.

Check out the art sale here

We’re still looking for more art for the sale, and will keep adding pieces until early December! Want to contribute a piece? Click here for more info.
Can you help spread the word?

• Forward this email onto friends and family
• We’ve got two flyers here that you can print and put up in coffee shops and community bulletin boards in your neighborhood!
• Share these posts on Facebook, and Twitter.

 

In solidarity,

Chris (Volunteer Manager, 350PDX) and the 350PDX Arts Team

P.S. We’re doing volunteer-powered free pickup/delivery in the Portland metro area! Want to volunteer helping deliver art? Contact chris@350pdx.org.

The post Launching the 2021 Art Sale! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Hi everyone,

World leaders are meeting in Glasgow this week to make key decisions about our collective future. This year, the stakes of those decisions are higher than ever. Despite warnings from the International Panel on Climate Change, the world remains on a collision course, with the global climate set to warm 3 degrees C by mid-century. Here in Oregon, we’re already suffering the consequences of insufficient climate action. The decisions from COP26 will impact our wildfire season, the length of our droughts, and ocean level rise on our coastline.

So far, countries at COP26 have pledged to cut their carbon emissions, but on timelines too slow to meet the climate crisis with the urgency it demands. The Indigenous caucus is calling for leaders to go beyond “net zero” goals and aim for absolute carbon reduction. Indigenous people, alongside people from other marginalized communities and the Global South, have historically been left out of these climate talks. It is critical that global leaders, especially leaders from countries in the Global North that have been the main drivers of climate change, listen to these frontline voices. Read more from Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Ron Turney, a water protector of the White Earth Nation tribe, about the importance of Indigenous voices at COP26.

It can feel daunting watching global leaders making decisions a half a world away, knowing the outcome of these talks will impact our everyday lives. But we’re far from powerless. As people of the global climate justice movement, we remain steadfast in our commitment to bringing about a just and equitable world. We stay true to our values – calling on leaders at COP26 to center the voices of Black and Indigenous communities, People of Color, working people, and other groups that are facing the brunt of climate catastrophe.

We don’t know what will result from these talks when they wrap up on Nov 12, but we do know that no matter what, we will continue our climate justice work here in Oregon. We will support the thousands of climate activists showing up in Glasgow and around the world calling for action. We will continue believing in the power of local climate action, and the power of centering frontline voices in all the work we do. See daily updates from Democracy Now on COP26 and see below for ways to take action for the climate.

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Take Local Actions Every Day of COP26 

Take action every day of COP 26 – now until Nov 12 – with the Portland, OR hub of the COP26 Coalition. Together, we can push for Oregon to divest from Fossil Fuels, get Pacific Power off of coal, stop Portland General Electric’s air pollution plans, and show up for a global day of action on Nov 6. Learn more about these actions and others here.

Join COP26PDX Coalition for Global Day of Climate Justice

Sat Nov 6, 4:30-6:30PM, South Waterfront Park (43 SW Naito Pkwy, near Bill Naito Legacy fountain, north of Morrison Bridge)

Join the COP26PDX Coalition to take action in Portland as part of a Global Day of Climate Justice. As the COP26 climate talks continue, we are coming together to call for climate action for our local and world leaders. Meet at 4:30PM on Saturday, Nov 6, at South Waterfront Park. Learn more about this action.

Join Sunrise PDX for ODOT Strike

Wed Nov 10, 4:30-6:00PM, 123 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97209

PDX needs climate action, not freeway expansion. Join Sunrise youth outside the regional ODOT building this Wednesday to demand an end to ODOT’s freeway widening projects, including the $800 million expansion into the backyard of Harriet Tubman Middle School. This is a recurring strike, and we plan to be there every other week until our demands are met. Masks and social distancing required, follow @youthvsodot for more details! Learn more about this action here.

Write a Public Comment on Portland’s City Charter Review by Dec 9!

The City of Portland is at a turning point. This fall, the City is undergoing a Charter Review process that could transform how we tackle key problems, from the climate crisis to racial injustice. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the City to eliminate deep structural barriers that have prevented Portland from becoming the equitable, collaborative, strategic, and community-driven city it could be.

Now through Dec 9 — the City needs to hear from you. Submit a public comment on the Charter Review process by 8:00am on Thursday, Dec 9th

State of Oregon: Time to Divest from Fossil Fuels

The Oregon Treasury has the responsibility of investing our state’s public money, and right now billions of dollars are invested in the fossil fuel industry. Not only is this morally unconscionable in this time of a rapidly worsening climate crisis, it’s also an irresponsible financial investment for Oregonians. Oregon should be at the leading edge of climate-safe investments to support a sustainable future for us all.

Our Defund/Divest team is a part of the newly-launched Divest Oregon campaign, working to get the Oregon Treasury to divest their holdings in the fossil fuel industry. Will you join us by writing to Treasurer Tobias Read and the Oregon Investment Council and calling the Treasury?

Tell US Insurance Executives to Stop Insuring Fossil Fuels

Send your message today!

US Insurers like AIG, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers continue to insure fossil fuel companies with complete disregard for the climate crisis. Take action with Stop the Money Pipeline by sending a message to US insurance executives. 

Updates 350PDX volunteers take action at Wells Fargo Bank to Stop the Money Pipeline

On Oct 29, 350PDX volunteers took action at a local Wells Fargo Bank branch, calling on the bank to divest from fossil fuels. JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo were the biggest financiers of the fossil fuels industry from 2016 to 2020. We need to Stop the Money Pipeline now!

BIPOC youth climate activists continue to lead the movement

It’s no surprise that young people are key leaders in the climate movement, as they are among those who face some of the worst consequences of climate change. Read more from youth climate activists in this article from The Guardian about their views on COP26, real climate solutions, and what it means to build a grassroots movement. Read about the power of BIPOC youth voices in our movement in this article from Truthout.

Indigenous activists say their voices are missing at COP26

“‘The Cop is a big business, a continuation of colonialism where people come not to listen to us, but to make money from our land and natural resources,’ said Ita Mendoza, 46, an indigenous land defender from the Mixteca region of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, attending Cop for the first time.” Read more from this article from The Guardian.

5th International Rights of Nature Tribunal held in parallel to COP26

The International Rights of Nature Tribunal is a citizen-led effort to investigate Rights of Nature violations around the world. Today and tomorrow (Nov 3 and 4), they will convene on cases investigating “false solutions to the climate change crisis” and “Amazon, a threatened living entity.” Learn more here.

Opportunities​​​​ Sidewalk Vigil for Climate Action Now: SW Portland

Fri Nov 5, 8:00-9:00AM, corner of Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy and SW Shattuck Rd

Join a group of climate activists who gather on Fridays calling for bold climate action. Contact Emily (503) 545-1513 for more info or just show up! Learn more here.

Join 350PDX November General Meeting

Mon Nov 8, 6:00-7:15pm, online – register here

Join us for this month’s General Meeting which is open to all and is a great place for new and existing volunteers to meet other volunteers and staff (including our three newest staff Jana, Brenna, and Julia!). We’ll also have a deep dive into a few actions our campaign teams are currently working on, including the City/County Watchdog team’s big city charter campaign. Register here.

Calling Artists for Our End of Year Art Sale!

Deadline: Nov 14 – details here

Are you an artist? Do you have artist friends or family? We are looking for donations of anything from oil paintings to postcards, sketches to sculptures, climate themed or totally unrelated. Price range can be anywhere from $5 – $500 (or more), although last year our best selling items by far were in the $20-$100 range. If you’re interested in donating a piece, or have any questions, please reach out to artsale@350pdx.org or learn more here.

Cook for Climate: COP Edition

Sun Nov 14, 3:00-6:20PM, online – details here

As COP26 wraps up, join youth climate activists from Care About Climate to hear from their delegates who attended the climate talks. Learn more and sign up here!

Fall Training Series – Skilling Up For Climate Action

Join these free trainings offered for all 350 groups across the country, whether you’re brand new or a longtime activist. Register and you’ll receive slides and recordings afterwards too, even if you can’t make it. More info on all the trainings here.

All trainings are Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm:

• Saturday, Nov 20th – Organizing and Movement Building: Why build a movement? How to recruit, engage, and onboard new volunteers, develop volunteer leadership, and build community.
• Saturday, Dec 4th – Strategic Campaigning: How to choose a campaign, map out decision makers, allies and opponents, plan campaign goals, timeline, and roles, and select effective tactics using a justice and equity lens.
• Saturday, Dec 18th – Policy Advocacy: How to advocate, how legislative bodies work, and how to influence elected officials–with examples from local affiliates to demonstrate common tactics and best practices.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here

Thank you all for the work that you do, stay safe, we’re all in this together,
Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Gaby, Indi, Jana, Julia – the 350PDX staff

The post 350PDX Weekly Update – Take action every day of COP26 appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.