 As promised, we’re holding another fabulous Get Out the Vote Postcard Writing Party to ensure maximum participation in this fall’s all important General Election. When: Thursday, September 19th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm Where: Wildcraft Ciderworks, 232 Lincoln St., Eugene What: Cards, cards, cards! Everything is provided for you! Invite your friends! No-host bar with delicious food cart options nearby and we’ll bring some pizza too. We can’t sit this election out. We need a massive turnout with Climate-Smart Winners! YOU make all the difference! ‘Cause when we fight together, we win! Come meet your peeps, hear the latest on our campaigns, and feel this good energy build and spread! Let’s do this! If you can’t come, or prefer to write on your own… We have packets of 60 cards available for pickup in Eugene or Springfield. Just email GOTV-Deb at [email protected] and she’ll hook you up.  DID YOU KNOW? Road trip, anyone? You could join with the Seed the Vote organization which recruits, organizes and can fund volunteers to go to “battleground” states to join local grassroots organizations there to door knock for progressive candidates. Starting in early September, they’ll be in AZ, NV, PA, WI, and MI and are seeking volunteers to work in these states where the Presidential race will likely be the closest, and where there’s a need to defend Senate or House seats or there’s a chance to pick up new ones. Seed the Vote works to build the number and power of progressive elected officials, while also blocking the far right from taking power in federal elections. They know that long-term changes don’t happen only through elections, so they send volunteers to local grassroots organizations that work year-round on social justice issues in working-class communities of color. How cool is that? If you are interested, check out this link to the frequently asked questions doc for Seed the Vote's door knocking program. This is the link to their sign up form / intake form. It gives folks the option to create a group for pods traveling together too. This is a doc about financial support available! and a link to sign up for info sessions on zoom if folks want more info. It’s all there, if you’re interested in face-to-face on the ground grassroots adventures, this could be your big chance!  SAVE THE DATE: SAVE OUR FORESTS! Tuesday & Wednesday, September 24th & 25th The "Who Will Own the Forest" conference is coming back to Portland (this year - rebranded as "Canopy") … and we're going back to meet them and let them know that we choose forests over profits! 350PDX will also be hosting a False Climate Solutions Teach-in with the Indigenous Environmental Network the evening before. Stay tuned for more info. Meanwhile, check out forestsoverprofits.org for the latest updates and info about plans for this year. If you’d like a homestay or to carpool from Eugene / Springfield for the Tuesday teach-in and/or the Wednesday noon protest, contact Deb at [email protected]. Join us and continue building a movement for land justice, an end to industrial forest exploitation, and real transformative solutions to the climate emergency!  The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
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 The last day to submit comments on the Climate Protection Plan (CPP) is quickly approaching! Submit your comments by August 30! The CPP's draft rules include cutting fossil fuel emissions by 90% by 2050 as well as investing over $150 million in community clean energy projects each year. We need to speak up NOW! The gas and oil industry sued to overturn the CPP last year. Since then, NW Natural has boosted their disinformation campaign in an effort to further sabotage this vital plan. Read more about this in this article by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Find more background information as well as talking points on the Climate Protection Plan HERE. CCEJ is hosting a testimony writing/prep event on Monday, August 19 @ 5:30-6:30pm over zoom. More info: HERE Register: HERE This Wednesday, August 21st @ 4pm, we have the opportunity to testify at the DEQ Public Hearing over Zoom. Call-in: 833-928-4609, Meeting ID: 843 9807 4366 Sample Testimony: HERE Or submit written comments to DEQ by August 30th @ 4pm on this website or by email. Sample Letter: HERE Months ago, the Lane County Commissioners voted to approve the CleanLane Resource Recovery Facility, previously known as IMERF. This Tuesday, August 20th, another vote is scheduled to approve or deny important parts of the project! We need YOU to urge the Lane County Commissioners to support modern recycling projects at our public landfill. Local garbage haulers are pressuring commissioners to block the project and ignoring the fact that better management waste is vital to stopping climate change! Take Action Today 3 Ways You Can Help:
For more information check out what our friends at Beyond Toxics have to say.   Concert for the Forests & Massive Comment-writing Party at Lamb Cottage August 14th Pacific Northwest Climate Activists know that old-growth and mature trees and forests play a critical role for our climate, water supply, biodiversity, soil, and wildlife. Right now we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the destructive logging practices of our federal land managers, in particular, the U.S. Forest Service. The US Forest Service is presently working to amend all 128 national forest plans to guide the stewardship of federal old-growth forests, which could become one of the most meaningful safeguards for federal forests that we have seen in decades. Last year over 500,000 of us wrote in to the U.S. Forest Service on behalf of old growth and mature forests during a key public comment period (a record), which has built a lot of momentum. Now, the US Forest Service is asking for our comments again. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released in June 2024 and the U.S. Forest Service is taking public comments through September 20, 2024. This process represents a huge opportunity to protect old growth and future old growth forests from commercial logging. Unfortunately, the current DEIS does not provide sufficient protections. TIME FOR ACTION: Join us on Wednesday, August 14th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Lamb Cottage at the base of Skinner’s Butte (northside) to meet your buddies, enjoy some music & games, and write tons of comments! (Family friendly!)  Here’s the Facebook event and you can RSVP using this form. Plan to come to the Foliage Fest Wednesday, August 14th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm for music and movement-building. In the meanwhile, you can sign Cascadia Wildlands’ petition to protect mature and old growth today! Can’t come on the 14th? Submit your comment using the U.S. Forest Service project comment portal here. Here are some general talking points from the Climate Forest campaign. (You can submit as many comments as you would like!) 350 Eugene is a member of the national Climate Forests Campaign, where Oregon Wild is a key leader, as well as the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance, both of which are dedicated to protecting our natural forests, especially mature and old growth on public lands. Good work. Good trouble (sometimes). Help us demand stronger protections for forests by submitting a comment & signing the petition today! Hit the Streets for Our Forests!Engage the public, tell our story, educate! Meet Monday August 12th at 1:00-2:30pm at 18th Ave., east of Chambers in the Bi-Mart parking lot along Westmoreland Park in Eugene. Fresh air and friendly conversation! Social time following. You Were There! Thanks to everyone who came and wrote Get Out the Vote postcards at our 350 Eugene Meet-up on July 25th at Wildcraft Ciderworks! We were 80 strong. We’re generating 8,000 postcards, and we’re just getting started… Wow!  Don’t know if it’s effective? Check this out.  We’re part of something really big, and we’re making a difference!  (Reclaim Our Vote Postcard mailing center!) SAVE THE DATE More fun with a second 350EUG Meet-up & Get Out The Vote! Postcarding Writing Party Thursday, September 19th from 6 to 9:00 pm -Watch for details! We won’t stand by while Wall Street corporations impoverish our communities and destroy the amazing natural systems on which we all depend.    We know you are beyond worried about the climate crisis. We bet you’re also losing sleep over the state of electoral politics… You want to DO SOMETHING! Come and hang out with people who “get it” and are making a difference. Join us for a Long Overdue Meet-up & massive Get Out the Vote Card-writing Gathering next Thursday, July 25th from 6 to 9 at Wildcraft Ciderworks, 232 Lincoln St., Eugene Learn all about what 350 Eugene has been up to through These Pandemic Times and join with other democracy-heroes who are turning out the vote in November! Fun and inspiration! To begin, in an informal atmosphere we’ll hear short campaign updates, then relax into some SERIOUS CARD WRITING. All the materials are provided. There are a couple delicious food options nearby and a pay-as-you-go bar. Postcarding makes a difference and it’s fun too! If you can’t come, or prefer to write on your own… We have packets of 60 cards available for pickup in Eugene or Springfield. Just email GOTV-Deb at [email protected] and she’ll hook you up. If we all do a little, our collective impact will be huge! Bring a friend. *Please note the date change from Friday 7/26, previously published in error.*  Street Messaging Engage and Educate the Public: Keep Trees in the Ground for the Climate! Fresh air & friendly conversation When: Friday, July 26, 12:00-1:30 pm Where: Chambers St. & W. 15th We’ll display these magnificent posters on the east side of Chambers starting at 15th Ave and continuing north on Chambers. (We painted them ourselves!) Parking available along 15th Ave., west of Chambers. Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down. See you there!  Tuesday, July 23rd, 7 to 9:00 pm - “Crown Jewels” documentary (Art House in Eugene) This new documentary film makes the case for protecting mature & old-growth forests and has a segment featuring Oregon. As we’re gearing up for the National Forest Plan reviews and public commenting period this August, this film lays out our case to protect forests for the climate. The event will feature a panel discussion with Q&A and an opportunity to write a letter to the US Forest Service calling for safeguards to ancient forests in Oregon and across the country. (Local favs Chandra LeGue & Tim Ingalsbee are featured panelists!) Learn more and get tickets here.  What Happened at the City of Eugene’s July 10th & 17th Work Sessions? The City Sustainability staff gave thorough presentations to the City Council on their outreach with myriad stakeholders this year. They also provided numerous effective and often innovative strategies that other jurisdictions are using to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But… Instead of directing staff to bring back implementing language for any specific policies, Council voted 7 to 0 to study the options more in the fall. “Delay by process!” It’s classic. Here’s the GOOD NEWS: We’re still on track and have made a lot of progress! Thanks for attending, speaking, writing emails and showing up! This summer we’ll be developing strategies with our allies to move ahead with climate action in Fall of 2024! Sign up for our newsletters here and watch our calendar for meetings and events. Eugene Demands Climate Action and we won’t stop until we get it! Save the DateWednesday, August 14th - National Forest Plans Comment-writing Party with our allies Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands! Stay tuned for deets.
 Man! It’s hot outside! As our community experiences deadly, unprecedented heat, key climate and resilience policies are being considered by the Eugene City Council this Wednesday. Please join us in calling on the Council to move forward with common sense policies to reduce emissions from homes and buildings, increase energy efficiency and resilience, and transition our community off of fossil fuels. We cannot afford to wait any longer! Take action TODAY and send the Council a strong message: NOW is the time for action. 350 Eugene, along with its amazing allies in the Fossil Free Eugene Coalition (Springfield Eugene Tenants Association, Cascadia Wildlands, Sierra Club, Beyond Toxics, NAACP and more) is pushing for a suite of policies that will increase access to air conditioning, expand subsidies for high efficiency heat pumps and support low income households to transition off of fossil fuels. Council is meeting to discuss these policies on Wednesday, July 17th, and we need your help to ensure that Eugene continues to be a leader on climate action and social justice. Can you please send an email TODAY to [email protected] urging them to take action? They have everything they need. But they need YOU / US to tell them to ACT. We’re asking them to prioritize climate, energy justice and public health by moving to direct City staff to draft ordinance and / or resolution language reflecting the following policies in 2024:
Please email the Council in advance of Wednesday's work session and then please tune in to the work session on Wednesday at 12:00 noon. Who will be the leaders and protect our climate and public health? Here's the link to the webcast. Let's have LOTS OF PEOPLE TUNING IN! According to NASA this is the hottest year ever and likely the coolest we’ll see. Eugenians are ready for these policies. Thank you for your support! Grassroots gets the goods, and it’s past time to get this done! Additionally, please send a separate email to your own councilor, if you have one. Send your email TODAY to
[email protected] with "Wednesday Climate Action" in the subject line. Thank you so much for acting on this time-sensitive issue. Cities must lead on climate!  According to both the International Energy Agency and the IPCC, in order to achieve net-zero emissions in time to halt global heating at a relatively safe level, the development of new oil and gas fields must cease immediately. Both have also stated, unequivocally, that to have even a 50–50 chance to halt global heating at the Paris target of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, existing fossil energy infrastructure must be retired before the end of its expected lifetime. This means urgent action at every level. It’s time for Eugene to step up! We can do this. There are things each of us is doing to mitigate the extreme risks that global warming brings, from personal actions to systemic changes. In this newsletter you’ll find some very local and game-changing actions you can take to make Eugene a climate leader in July. Please lend your voice. It’s never been more important. Campaigns & Action Steps(Here's where you can plug in throughout July.) Join us Thursday, July 25th from 6-9:00pm for our first 350EUG Meet-up since Covid and a combo-card-writing party at Wildcraft Ciderworks. (More details in the GOTV section below.) Electrify Eugene - Let’s Get A Policy Over the Finish Line! Every voice matters!
We expect “history to be made” at the July 17th work session! Don’t miss it. Note: You can always access / watch the live city council meetings & work session webinars via this link. Thanks for showing up and / or tuning in! ICYMI: To see the vital work of local and national legal & energy experts who are driving our transition off dirty fossil fuels, watch the Kicking Gas panel recording from this year’s Public Interest Environmental Law Conference panel by the same name. It will tell you how important our work in Eugene has been for getting clean energy policy enacted in our region! Meet-up with your Eugene Climate Buddies this Friday! Friday, July 5th at 6:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 13th & Chambers An Evening with Bill McKibben Watch Party Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and The Third Act, will be in Portland this Friday evening. He’s been speaking truth to power about global warming for decades and he’s bringing the climate & democracy movements together! Perfect timing! Eugene is hosting a live-screening. Donations are accepted at the door; light refreshments will be served. Join us at the local Eugene Watch Party!  Here’s his latest inspiring (& short video) : Bill McKibben on Climate Crisis: How we got here and what we can do now. Engage and Educate the Public about Electric Vehicles! Fresh air & friendly conversation.  Here are the dates, times, and location for our next two sign events. When: Thursday, July 11 & Friday, July 26, 12:00-1:30 pm Where: Chambers St. & W. 15th Signs will be displayed on the east side of Chambers starting at 15th Ave and continuing north on Chambers. Parking available along 15th Ave., west of Chambers. Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down.  Get Out the Vote - We’re getting people to the polls because it’s SUPER IMPORTANT! Thursday, July 25th from 6pm to 9pm - Postcard-writing Party & Meet-up at Wildcraft Ciderworks (232 Lincoln St., Eugene) The Center for Common Ground, a non-partisan, people of color-led voting rights organization organizes the Reclaim Our Vote campaign. Their mission is to empower underrepresented voters to fully participate in elections. The Reclaim Our Vote campaign has set a goal of sending out 500,000 postcards a week! Our part is 5,000 postcards (total) to be sent to registered Black voters in Arizona (WE CAN SO DO THIS!) We write colorful informative handwritten postcards to voters of color in targeted voter suppression states. Data show that voters who receive the cards are more likely to get to the polls! Since this campaign is non-partisan, we can provide postage! You are all invited to a "Card Writing Party" to join with other writers for fun and inspiration! If you prefer to write on your own… I have packets of 50 or 100 cards available for pickup in Eugene or Springfield. Just email me at [email protected]. If we all do a little, our collective impact will be huge! All the materials are provided. We’ll combine a short 350 / Climate Meet-up / Update with some very serious postcard-writing in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Bring a friend. It’s an open bar with a couple delicious food options on site or nearby. Postcarding makes a difference and it’s fun too! "The pen is mightier than the sword!" Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1839) Forest Defense is Climate Defense  On June 13th over a dozen banner drops were executed over I-5 and in Portland, more than 120+ folks rallied at the regional headquarters of the US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management, and delivered a letter from more than 70 organizations, calling on the Biden Administration to halt logging of mature & old growth forests. You can see our local action photos here and the Portland rally here. Stay tuned: This year all National Forest Plans are being reviewed and will be open for comment later this summer. We plan to submit a record 750,000 comments with all our national partners in August to ensure biodiversity, wildfire community hardening, and climate are considered in their plans! ACTION: What you can do now
Fracked Gas Resistance The Gas Transmission Northwest (GTNXP) compressor and pipeline expansion is currently on "hold". Trans Canada says it cannot afford the project if it cannot spread cost over its entire customer base. But FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) says they can only charge the customers who are receiving the fracked gas. Time will tell - but a delay sometimes turns into a "WIN!" TIPS FOR SUMMER: Our good friends at Electrify Now really understand how to breakdown and explain the many emerging & exciting clean energy solutions with their wonderful webinars! Here are their tips for summer, complete with some Funky Heat Pump Music! Electrify Now tips for summer.  Join Electrify Now for their webinar "Electric Yard Care - Ditch the Gas" on July 2 at noon. Learn the benefits of switching your yard care tools to electric: less noisy, easier to operate, shareable batteries, and so much more! Click here for more information and to register. Is it time for Eugene to join hundreds of other cities who are committed to pollution-free yard care? One hour of a 2 stroke engine's emissions equals a 1,100 mile car trip. Interested in cleaning the air from gas pollution and reducing sound pollution in our city? Stay tuned!  We made this world. We can remake it. We know what needs to be done and the solutions are here. Grassroots action gets the goods: we stick to the science, critique the status quo and demand solutions now.
Join us for July climate action! Thank you!  This is our day to speak truth to power! Can you join in? In the coming months, the Biden Administration and Forest Service will set management policies that will affect tens of millions of acres of PNW forests for decades to come. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to push for bold policy changes that prioritize our forests, communities, and climate. Communities across our region have organized a Day of Action on June 13th to call on our leaders to implement policies that recognize our PNW forests as vital climate solutions, protect and restore our remaining mature and old-growth forests, return healthy fire to the landscape, and value the expertise of Indigenous land stewardship. EventsBANNER DROP IN EUGENE: Join local forest climate defenders up and down the I-5 corridor, Thursday, June 13th from 10:00 to 11:30 am for a local banner drop over I-5 to demand protection of mature and old growth forests! All are welcome! We have really BIG signs and need YOU to wave and engage drivers below! Here is a google map location. Park among the business offices on the west side of the Centennial Boulevard I-5 overpass. Meet at the base of the trail to the overpass to get directions & walk together to our destination. Bring water and a chair if you prefer to sit. We’ll be positioned on both the north & south sidewalks on the overpass wearing safety vests. Join the 350 Eugene Fireflies (Forest Defense) Affinity Group in a show of solidarity for this vitally important year to protect our natural forests! See you there!  PDX PROTEST AT USFS OFFICE: Catch a ride to the Forests Are Our Future rally June 13th which starts at 3:00 pm outside the Region 6 Forest Service office at Terry Schrunk Plaza 431 SW Madison St in downtown Portland to highlight the pivotal role our forests play in tackling climate change and demand that our leaders protect them. Lots of great speakers and music too! There's more info here, and also a carpool ride board to help folks find rides to get to the rally.  COMMENT-WRITING PARTY IN AUGUST: We’ll be joining our forest defense allies in a massive comment-writing effort to once again send volumes to our leaders to say Forests are Worth More Standing! August 14th - SAVE THE DATE. Mature and old-growth forests are some of our best climate solutions, but they are threatened by outdated policies that prioritize profits at the expense of our forests, communities, and climate. This year we have a chance to change that. When we organize, we win!
Thanks for taking action to protect the planet for future generations!  The approach of more laid back summer days brings along with it worries about the possibilities of extreme heat, drought and scary wind-driven, climate-fueled wildfires (mainly from industrial tree farms). What are we to do? We do what worried people everywhere are doing… Join with others to make a difference! Large or small. Every fraction of a degree of warming we avoid saves something we love! Take Action on Our CampaignsElectrify Eugene - Take one or more actions! Following 10+ years of engagement and planning, it’s past time to upgrade our building codes to protect indoor air quality and reduce planet-harming emissions in our homes… But elected officials are not acting with the urgency that the climate crisis demands. We’re running out of time. So, please jump in on one or more of these opportunities to speak truth to power! 1) Are They Really Listening? The City of Eugene is hosting a virtual listening session June 6th from 12 to 1:00 pm to share the overarching themes that emerged through engaging different sectors of the community on building decarbonization. Please attend and share your concerns and need for bold action now. Register here. The more, the merrier. Open to the public. 2) Take the City’s Survey! The City has invited the community to take a quick Efficient, Healthy and Resilient Homes survey (available in English or Spanish) to help us meet our community climate goals! Let’s slam the survey and tell ‘em we need more action faster! (We know Northwest Natural is promoting the survey to discourage climate action.) Complete the survey by June 12th. Hint: Let’s double NWN’s fee to fund a just transition and amend building codes to mandate new homes be built with electric appliances NOW! Good News on Electrification Progress in Oregon: Ashland’s City Council unanimously decided to move forward elements of Ashland's youth-proposed Climate & Clean Air Policy Package. They've directed city staff to draft language for policies including a low NOx emissions standard for water heaters and furnaces in new homes and a carbon charge for connecting new homes to gas lines, with the charge going to fund energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households. Go, Ashland! 3) Show Up for City Council Mondays, June 10th & 24th, and July 8th at 7:30 pm - Eugene City Council Public Comment. Please note: City officials will be moving into their new digs (the old EWEB building on East 3rd) during this period, so check their website for public comment guidance & meeting location details here. Stay tuned for escalating actions as we end the council year with a bang! 4) Hit the Streets with It’s Electric Street Messaging: Fri., June 7th, 2:30 to 4:00 pm; meet at Bimart on 18th. Fresh air, good friends and fun & interesting community engagement. GTN XPress - Sign and share the letter!  For two years, communities across the Northwest have been fighting a proposed fracked gas expansion project from TC Energy called GTN XPress. The gas pipeline spans over 1,300 miles through Central Oregon and right through Bend’s backyard. Not only is GTN XPress a backwards plan threatening the health, safety, and climate of the northwest region, but the expansion imposes a considerable burden on ratepayers – specifically Cascade Natural Gas customers. TC Energy is not a trusted company to build this project. Recent pipeline explosions in Virginia and Alberta, Canada have resulted in the destruction of habitat, threatened properties and posed significant wildfire risks. The existing 60+ year old pipeline infrastructure in Central Oregon is aging and may lack the capacity to safely accommodate the heightened volume with the approved expansion. These factors compound the urgency for thorough risk assessments and stringent safety measures to mitigate potential harm to communities and ecosystems. Join us in sending a strong message to Cascade Natural Gas: Customers should not pay for the unsafe GTN XPress project! Add your name to the 350Deschutes Letter. Forest Climate Defense - Time for a Banner Drop  Summer 2024 - Forests Are Our Future - Forest Climate Actions This is a very important year for our forests. All national forest plans are being reviewed and updated (long overdue). Two years ago, the President ordered an inventory of national forests and last year directed these land managers to include new protections for old growth, biodiversity and conservation, but the USFS and BLM continue to log these our oldest trees! We have to stop them. IN EUGENE: Thursday, June 13th from 10:00 to 11:30 am - Big Banner Drop on I-5 at Centennial Blvd overpass; park among the office building lots west of I-5 and walk up the sidewalk to the overpass. Everything is provided. Bring a chair if you want to sit. It’s fun to get the waves and honks! We’re joining others on the I-5 corridor to bring attention to forest protection. IN PORTLAND: Also June 13th (in-person) - Take Action for the Future of Our Forests Come to the Forests Are Our Future Rally at the regional Forest Service & BLM headquarters in Portland. This year, the Forest Service and Biden Administration are creating management guidelines for the future of our region’s forests for decades to come, via the NW Forest Plan Amendment, the National Old Growth Amendment (EO 14702), and the Blue Mountains Forest Plan. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demand bold policy changes that prioritize our forests, communities, and climate. Read more and rsvp here for the Portland event. BIOMASS IS BAD: Email Senators Merkley and Wyden urging them to support Sen. Cory Booker’s Senate Bill 4153, the Forest Biomass Emissions Act, which would require the EPA to reject assumptions of “carbon neutrality” of forest bioenergy in rulemakings and regulations and rely on science to determine the full life cycle carbon impacts of industrial biomass production and burning. The bill also responds to environmental justice concerns in the Southeast by requiring the EPA to analyze and publish the cumulative impacts of the wood pellet industry’s pollution on communities living near the industry’s operations. Last week, we, along with 22 regional organizations, sent a letter to federal senators from Washington and Oregon asking them to co-sponsor this bill. Could you please ADD YOUR NAME? We need all tactics! Banner drops, rallies, letters, comment-writing, tree-sits and more… We must protect our mature and old growth forests to purify our water and air, protect biodiversity and draw down atmospheric carbon. Oh, and we’re also celebrating our victories! Southern Oregon activists claim victory after BLM changes plans in logging area. The wonderful Coast Range Radio podcast interviews Grace Warner about the badass Poor Windy Timber Sale tree-sit. “(BLM Backs Down.”) Rock on, comrades! Watch for our ad in the Eugene Weekly: “See the Forest | Save the Trees | Worth More Standing!” Climate Revolutions By Bike After a bit of a hiatus Climate Revolutions By Bike is back as a campaign of 350 Eugene with an exciting new bicycle game! It’s a game called Quest by Cycle and it is designed specifically for cyclists who want to motivate each other to ride more. Watch the Video: Learn how to play here. Join the Fun: Start playing at https://QuestByCycle.org. Play Dates: Available from May 19th to June 20th. This free game is accessible on phones and computers. It challenges you with biking adventures to earn "Carbon Reduction" points, badges, and prizes. A social feature connects cyclists of all levels, fostering a supportive community. Let’s ride into a sustainable future together! Resilience and Regeneration Workgroup Here is an excellent article by Bob Doppelt featured in Psychology Today, May 2024. Regenerating communities is key to regenerating ecological systems.KEY POINTS
From Our Friends at Sierra Club NO NUKES - FREE FILM: Thanks to an educational grant from the Grassroots Network of the Sierra Club and its Nuclear Free Team, the documentary film “SOS – The San Onofre Syndrome: Nuclear Power’s Legacy” will be available for free from June 3rd through the 10th at this link: . SOS is an empowering story of successful community action to shut down leaking reactors. But then they discover horrific amounts of high-level radioactive waste lethal for millions of years are being placed in thin canisters only 108 ft. from the rising sea. Criminal mismanagement of radioactive waste is a syndrome at all 93 reactors in the U.S. and beyond. Will safer alternatives be taken in time? You can join in a follow-up SOS Webinar – The San Onofre Syndrome: Nuclear Power's Legacy Discussion Panel, with two of the filmmakers and a panel of experts on June 10th at 5:00 pm. Register for the webinar here.  We’re on the radio! Have you heard about 350 Eugene on KLCC? We’re trying a little “underwriting” on our local public radio station to let folks know who we are. If you heard it, please follow this link to our website and tell us what you think. We’d love to know! Climate Rights - Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment Campaign (OCERA): A recently formed group of collaborating individuals and organizations, including 350 Eugene, has launched a campaign to hold governments responsible for applying the Public Trust Doctrine to protect our environment for future generations. (Sound familiar? This effort is building on the work of Our Children’s Trust’s recent successful lawsuit in Montana.) OCERA is developing a plan to amend our state constitution via ballot measure (the only way such an amendment can be undertaken). A well organized statewide kick-off meeting was held in Salem on May 4th. Stay tuned for future developments. For more information, visit OCERA’s webpage. Save The Date An evening with Bill McKibbenRenowned Climate Activist, Author, and Journalist Friday, July 5th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm First Unitarian Church Eliot Center (SW 12th Avenue & Salmon St, Portland, OR 97205) FREE ADMISSION / In Person or Online Livestream Go here for live or online tickets. Third Act Oregon presents an intimate conversation with renowned climate activist, author, journalist, and educator Bill McKibben about what we can do right now to save our planet and our democracy. Bill has authored 20 books, including The End of Nature (1989), and he also helped found 350.org. In 2022 he founded Third Act, a national organization for people over sixty determined to change the world for the better. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to spend an evening with one of the world’s most beloved and important environmentalists and global thinkers. Bill will talk about what’s bringing him joy, what gives him hope, and why he believes that, working together, we can have a huge impact on making our world a better place for generations to come. Event sponsors: 350PDX, 350Eugene, 350PDX-WashCo, Braided River Campaign, Elders Climate Action - Oregon Chapter (ECA-OR), Extinction Rebellion PDX (XRPDX), Havurah Shalom Climate Action Team, Metro Climate Action Team (MCAT), Oregon Climate Acton Hub (ORCAH), Portland Citizens Climate Lobby, Rogue Climate. Stay tuned for local carpool information and the Eugene venue for the livestream. A Note from the President of the Board
Dearest Climate Community, 350 Eugene has been active for over 10 years in this community, combining a consistent commitment to science-based climate action with our particular brand of creative grassroots movement building. Our work has been wide-ranging, from fossil fuel divestment & resistance, forest defense, events and town halls, energy policy, air quality standards and building codes… to puppets, costumes, games, songs & dances, as well as self-care and civil disobedience. Something for everyone! Like any organization, we have adapted and responded to the exigencies of the moment. And we will continue to do so, now more in collaboration with the many strong new groups and organizations that have emerged as the climate crisis deepens. The clean energy revolution is here. Accompanying it, a revolution of love, which honors the earth and the brilliant lifeforms that call this planet home. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for to make this world a safer, fairer, more peaceful and equitable place for all. Thanks for all your generous contributions over the years. It’s all hands on deck! In solidarity, Patty Hine President, 350 Eugene Board of Directors  We all want clean air. We all want clean water. We all want to leave our children a stable climate future. The solutions are here. In this, our decade for climate action, the transition to clean energy is happening. But will it be a just transition and will it be in time? There has been an explosion of groups working on climate solutions, and we are now in the midst of a massive market shift to high-efficiency, zero-emission electric technologies and away from fossil fuels. These changes will stabilize energy bills, improve health, and cut climate pollution amid extreme weather challenges. We need BIG SYSTEM CHANGES. The Inflation Reduction Act is not the silver bullet, but it's the strongest climate policy we have. (A no-brainer in the face of record-setting heat and looming tipping points.). What can one person alone do? As Professor and writer, Kathleen Dean Moore says, “Stop being just one person.” Find your group. Connect and learn with others. We can do this. Burning Trees for Energy is Not the Answer Friday, April 19th at 5:30 pm - An important film screening, BURNED - Are Trees the New Coal? Join us at the Campbell Community Center at 5:30 pm, 155 High Street, Eugene; free and open to the public. BURNED is a feature-length documentary, which takes an unwavering look at the latest electric power industry solution to climate change. This 74 minute documentary tells the story of how woody biomass has become the fossil-fuel industry’s renewable, green savior, and of the people and parties who are both fighting against and promoting its adoption and use. Joining us in person will be Natural Resources Defense Council Forest Advocate and Nature expert, Rita Vaughn Frost (bio here). Rita will share her expertise on the international biomass industry and how wood pellet mills are popping up everywhere, claiming they’re carbon neutral, but the emissions are worse than coal. Forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Come learn how we’ll defend our communities from this dangerous industry. Watch the 2 minute film trailer here. You can hear an interview with Rita from last weekend’s Locus Focus on KBOO here. She’s a local treasure.  Electrify Your Ride! Earth Day is coming up, and one of the best steps you can take to reduce your environmental impact is to electrify your transportation! Discover all the in’s-and-out’s of driving electric at the Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association’s car show on Saturday, April 20, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Coburg Road in Eugene. EVEVA members will have a wide variety of cars and light trucks on display, and can talk about their experience owning and driving electric vehicles. The organization will also provide information about financial incentives from state and federal governments and from EWEB. EVEVA is a volunteer organization composed of electric vehicle owners, drivers, and enthusiasts, who are excited to share the joy and environmental benefits of driving electric. More information is at www.eveva.org.  Fall in Love with Forests - they need our protection now more than ever Sunday, April 21st - Kentucky Falls Earth Day Hike - join our buddies at Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands for a 4.4 mile moderate hike to Kentucky Falls, an icon of the Siuslaw National Forest. Learn about the Northwest Forest Plan, experience and help save our mature and old growth forests. More info and registration here!
 Children's Earth Day Art Contest - Awards Ceremony Monday, April 22nd (the real Earth Day) from 4:00 to 6:00 pm - an award ceremony at the 5th Street Market Alley. 350 Families and MECCA have joined together and assembled art from local young climate activists. What do the kids see? Let them show us!  Show Up - Urge Eugene City Council to Support Building Electrification! Localities across the world are taking actions to implement climate-friendly policies. Cities control local land use, safety and rights of way. Eugene can and should upgrade policy to require clean energy in new homes to alleviate hidden sources of air pollution to deliver healthier air to breathe and a livable climate for our citizens, while working to ensure that those most burdened by high energy costs and polluted air are the first to benefit, On Monday, EARTH DAY, show your support by attending the City Council meeting at 7:30 pm. Wear your favorite Earth Day outfit. Location: Lane Community College downtown campus across from Eugene Public Library. Speak truth to power. It’s the only way things will change. Thank you!  In the Sacred Grove: Writing Our Relationship With Trees Saturday, May 11th 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM Campbell Community Center. Gathering facilitated by Brian “Bragi” Sunset. It’s the cedar—the mother of lingonberry—that is my tree... From “My Tree,” by Rolf Jacobsen Ask most people to name a tree with whom they feel connected—a tree they planted as a child, a tree growing in a park near where they live, or perhaps a mythic tree, such as the World Tree—and you get a rich response. You can probably think of your own tree. One for you who is more than just some scientific name and with whom you share a heartfelt connection. Which tree would it be? Although it may seem far-fetched to some, for many people historically the notion that you can relate to trees is as natural as the ocean ebbing and flowing. Perhaps it is natural for you too? If so, consider joining this gathering where we will explore our relationship with trees, approaching them not as things, but as sacred beings. Our medium for this exchange will be poetry and journaling, with opportunities for sharing, for those who wish to do so. Brian “Bragi” Sunset is a native Oregonian raised in the Willamette Valley. He holds an MA in Transformative Language Arts and is a board-certified Holistic Healthcare Practitioner. Brian’s 20 + years of experience includes working with individuals and groups in a variety of settings: hospitals, community groups, mental health treatment centers, summer camps, and jails. Brian is currently exploring the ways in which journal writing activates flow, moves energy, and promotes mental, spiritual, and physical health. In his spare time, he enjoys walking, playing music, and stargazing. For more information and Registration: bit.ly/3U8poWG Space is limited; registration is required. Light (Vegan) lunch included. Donations accepted at the door. Sponsored by 350 Eugene Resilience and Regeneration Workgroup  What do we need? We need YOU, THE PEOPLE, demanding change: in the streets, in public settings, in choosing our elected leaders, in meetings with decision-makers, serving on committees, writing letters, holding info sessions, actions big and small that catalyze ACTION.
Follow & like us on Instagram and our Eugene 350 FB page, watch our website calendar and get involved. We are all connected.  It’s time to stop the pollution that is overheating our planet. We have the tools. We know what to do. With the move to clean energy well underway, we need everybody everywhere to push for the real change that makes our communities safer, healthier and cleaner. Following Covid, momentum is building again across our movement, with new progressive groups emerging: legal, conservation, climate, labor, civil rights and think tanks, at every level of government and society. The world is waking up to the dangerous overheating of our environment, but those who are causing it are fighting back with disinformation and delays. That’s where the GRASSROOTS come in! April 22nd is Earth Day and the month is full of opportunities to learn and grow our movement. We think our job at 350 Eugene is to help more people understand the threat of climate change, so that they can care about it and force our leaders to prioritize taking action. Read on for information on our campaigns, and those of our allies, and see how you can join in. April Opportunities for Earth Day(s)Wednesday, April 10th - We’ve been invited to a Community Conversation on climate-change-related topics at the Eugene Library at 6:00 pm. This is the fourth in a series of six informal philosophical conversations on various topics. You can’t get any more grassroots-y than this! Please join your climate buddies at this event!  Are trees the new coal? Friday, April 19th at 5:30 pm - An important film screening, BURNED - Are Trees the New Coal? Join us at the Campbell Community Center at 5:30 pm, 155 High Street, Eugene; free and open to the public. BURNED is a feature-length documentary, which takes an unwavering look at the latest electric power industry solution to climate change. This 74 minute documentary tells the story of how woody biomass has become the fossil-fuel industry’s renewable, green savior, and of the people and parties who are both fighting against and promoting its adoption and use. Joining us in person will be Natural Resources Defense Council Forest Advocate and Nature expert, Rita Vaughn Frost (bio here). Rita will share her expertise on the international biomass industry and how wood pellet mills are popping up everywhere, claiming they’re carbon neutral, but the emissions are worse than coal. Forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Come learn how we’ll defend our communities from this dangerous industry. Watch the 2 minute film trailer here. Save our natural forests! That means don’t grind them up for pellets and toilet paper! The electric vehicle revolution is going strong! Earth Day is coming up, and one of the best steps you can take to reduce your environmental impact is to electrify your transportation! Discover all the in’s-and-out’s of driving electric at the Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association’s car show on Saturday, April 20, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Coburg Road in Eugene. EVEVA members will have a wide variety of cars and light trucks on display, and can talk about their experience owning and driving electric vehicles. The organization will also provide information about financial incentives from state and federal governments and from EWEB. EVEVA is a volunteer organization composed of electric vehicle owners, drivers, and enthusiasts, who are excited to share the joy and environmental benefits of driving electric. More information is at www.eveva.org. Enjoy a beautiful spring visit to an old-growth forest and one of the Coast Range's biggest waterfalls! Sunday, April 21st - Kentucky Falls Earth Day Hike - join our buddies at Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands for a 4.4 mile moderate hike to Kentucky Falls, an icon of the Siuslaw National Forest. Learn about the Northwest Forest Plan, experience and help save our mature and old growth forests. More info and registration here! Children's Earth Day Art Contest - Kids Show Us What They See Monday, April 22nd (the real Earth Day) at Saturday Market on 8th & Oak Streets in Eugene: 350 Families and MECCA have assembled art from local young climate activists. Details to follow. CampaignsElectrify Eugene This spring, Eugene city staff are doing extensive community outreach to take input on plans to clean up dirty energy infrastructure (aka decarbonize our buildings). The Sustainability Office provided an excellent update to the city council on the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2.0 on March 11th. We are making progress! You can watch it here. The city is considering policies this spring that will improve indoor air quality and reduce carbon pollution in residential buildings. We are watching the city of Ashland, as it makes progress on its policy. Although Eugene withdrew its electrification ordinance last summer due to a legal decision affecting a similar ordinance in Berkeley, there are other electrification options for cities. This blog post from 350 Contra Costa PAC nicely lays them out. The staff is researching options and will provide draft policy in early summer. Fossil Free University of Oregon Since UO is the single largest single-source of greenhouse gas emissions in Eugene, it’s appropriate the students and the community are pushing UO Trustees for the biggest and fastest transition plan to get off their gas boiler system. Students from the Climate Justice League, joined in solidarity by Students for Justice in Palestine, organized a loud rally on March 12th outside the Ford Alumni Center ahead of the Trustees meeting, but despite the consistent engagement of students and the community for two years, the Trustees decided to delay choosing a plan until fall. Shame! Stay tuned. The students are committed. Student rally photos here courtesy of Robert Scherle. Kudos to the Eugene Sustainability Commission: Commissioners sent a letter in January to the Mayor and City Council to raise their awareness about the university’s pending decision about upgrading their thermal heating system. GTN Express Last Wednesday, activists in Seattle faced-off at Amazon’s Headquarters to protest the company’s plans to connect three of its four data centers near Boardman, OR to the planned GTN Xpress gas pipeline expansion. Go, Troublemakers! Read their press release here.  Forest Defense is Climate Defense Board of Forestry Votes to Approve the Habitat Conservation Plan A win! In early March, the Oregon Board of Forestry voted 4 to 3 to approve the long-awaited Habitat Conservation Plan. When implemented, this plan will significantly improve timber management and protect essential habitat in Western Oregon State-owned forests. Opposition from industry was fierce. Long-time activists say this was the first time since 1991 that anything facing united pushback from the timber industry has been approved in Oregon. All the grassroots work that has been done in recent years to secure a more open-minded Board and a new State Forester was fully validated by this vote. Thanks to everyone who submitted comments and showed up at public hearings. When we work together, we win! Where False Climate Solutions Come to Die A reprieve... Drax, the British peddler of false climate solutions has learned what organized opposition looks like in the Pacific Northwest! It has plans to build a wood biomass pellet manufacturing factory in Longview, Washington, downstream from Portland on the Columbia River. However, due to activists' pressure campaign demanding a rigorous environmental review, the Southwest Washington Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) withdrew their clean air permit and cancelled a public hearing on the Drax project scheduled for March 28th. A new permit will likely be submitted at a later date. Sometimes "delays" count as "wins"! Meanwhile, a well-organized ‘Ax Drax’ coalition in the U.S. is hard at work with activists in Asia, the U.K. and Canada to ensure misguided policy is corrected to reflect that burning wood for energy at scale is not a clean energy resource. Once corrected, this will eventually shut off the perverse demand for wood pellets to meet clean energy objectives and relieve the pressure on our vital carbon-storing forests. To learn more about the threat from Drax on the West Coast, tune in to the upcoming online forum on April 15th at 4 pm: “Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) Biomass Boondoggle”. Register for the forum here. Northwest Forest Plan 30th Birthday Party: April 13th Since 1994, more than 24 million acres of federally-managed lands in the Pacific Northwest have been protected from the worst ravages of industrial logging, the first plan of its kind to successfully protect endangered species. Along with all the nation's national forests, this Plan is now due for an update to include issues not addressed in the original plan such as climate change, carbon sequestration, wildfire and tribal inclusion. A multi-stakeholder Federal Advisory Committee will present its recommendations soon. A public comment period will then begin. Meanwhile groups plan to come together in Portland on April 13th for a 30th Birthday Party for the Plan. Here’s where to find all the details of this free family-friendly event and to RSVP. Gotta celebrate progress! Divest Oregon It’s time to elect the next Oregon State Treasurer! The Divest Oregon Coalition is hosting a candidate forum in Portland on Tuesday, April 2nd.  With the passage of the COAL Act in the Oregon legislature’s short session, this campaign has had tremendous success! Come CELEBRATE the HUGE wins for Divest Oregon and the national divestment movement & KEEP the MOMENTUM going with the next Treasurer! Candidates Jeff Gudman & Senator Elizabeth Steiner will be participating in the forum. Moderated by the Oregon Capital Chronicle's Alex Baumhardt, the forum is free and open to the public. Register to attend or join online here. A celebration reception including food, slide show, music and a chance to meet the candidates will follow. Live Streaming will be available for those outside the Portland area — but you must RSVP. Attendees are invited to submit questions as part of their RSVP. Get Out the Vote Some say this may be the most important election of our lifetimes! According to the US Census, 37.9 million Americans are living in poverty, experiencing the global intersecting crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, all while our Democracy is coming under attack from authoritarians and corporations protecting their short-term profits. What can we do? Here’s one thing… We send postcards to encourage and educate our fellow citizens about the power of their vote. "Your Vote is Your Voice!" Democracy is like a muscle - we must exercise it to keep it strong! If you haven’t already, please let me know if you want to help Get Out The Vote beginning in May! Races are won by very small margins, so every card we send matters! Gratitude to those who have contacted me to participate! Debby at [email protected] (As a non-profit organization, 350 Eugene does not support or provide resources to individual electoral candidates. However, as “Private Citizen Debby," I can. If you want partisan postcards let me know!)  Resilience Mark Your Calendars In the Sacred Grove: Writing Our Relationship With Trees Gathering facilitated by Brian “Bragi” Sunset Saturday, May 11th 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM Campbell Community Center Suggested donation: $30. Pre registration opening soon Brian “Bragi” Sunset is a native Oregonian raised in the Willamette Valley. He holds an MA in Transformative Language Arts from Goddard College, in VT, and is a board-certified Holistic Healthcare Practitioner through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Creator of Soulful Oaks Journaling Arts, he facilitates process-oriented writing groups, including Journal to Wellness and In the Sacred Grove: Writing Our Relationship with Trees. Among other pursuits, Brian is currently exploring the ways in which journal writing moves energy, activates flow, and promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In his spare time, he enjoys walking, playing music, and stargazing. Stay tuned for registration details. Sign On Today!Local Active Transportation (walking & biking) allies are working behind the scenes to make Eugene’s sidewalks safer. Please sign the safe sidewalks petition!  Stop Northwest Natural’s luxury travel junkets for politicians! Sign on to Sierra Club’s latest petition about the scandal: Call on all Oregon and Washington legislators to say no to the gas lobby's efforts to wine and dine them in Scandinavia. This fall Salem Reporter article covered the expose. (Maybe we can get the next junket scheduled for April canceled! Can you sign on today?) Also, we got confirmation that the two dems attending are Rep Helm's chief of staff, Greg Mintz, and Senator Meek himself. Please call them and leave voicemails (and write personalized emails!): Rep. Helm’s staffer Greg Mintz - (503) 986-1427 / [email protected] Sen. Meek (503) 986-1720 / [email protected] Talking points here. We're On Social Media
Have you noticed? We have a new FB page! Check Eugene 350 Facebook page here and our Instagram. Like us and share! A quote from Bill McKibben in the film BURNED: “It seems to me like climate change is a kind of final exam for our species. We’ll find out if the big brain was in fact a good idea or not. Maybe if it’s connected to a big enough heart to make a difference. We’ve been given ample warning by the world’s scientists. Now the question is whether we’ll heed it or not.” Bill McKibben, Author, Educator, Environmentalist, founder of 350.org & The Third Act It’s simple: carbon pollution from fossil fuels stays in the atmosphere, causing the planet to overheat dangerously and there’s complete scientific consensus on this fact. Join us in engaging the public to demand we protect our community, conserve and preserve what we love and upgrade our lifestyles to use safe, healthy and clean energy sources. |
