 You are not alone in feeling disoriented with the deepening and dizzying dread of an autocratic society with no environmental or civil guardrails. We got out the vote and now the voters have chosen. Our vital work remains before us, but our tactics must change. The path forward is uncertain, but this much is clear: We stick together and we persevere, clear-eyed, braver and smarter than ever. We stand on the shoulders of peace and justice warriors, past and present. TAKE ACTION: There is much we CAN do! We must focus locally. We must reach out (beyond our comfort zone) and support our talented allies, especially youth and BIPOC. We must more generously fund / resource these efforts with our creativity, time and money. We must support each other in the work to save the planet with the greatest dedication we can muster, and do it with love and joy. Are you in? Here’s some local work to be part of right now. SHOWING UP IS 99%:  ACTION 1: Attend Eugene City Council Meeting - it sounds boring, but we make it fun! Monday, November 25th at 7:30 pm at the new City Hall at 500 E 4th Ave. (old EWEB building pictured above). Since the withdrawal last year of Eugene’s residential electrification ordinance, advocates have been working tirelessly with city staff to implement GHG-reduction strategies in the Climate Action Plan 2.0. This January we usher in a new Mayor and Ward 1 Councilor, and anticipate greater engagement and progress around climate, as the federal and state IRA funds flow into Oregon, Lane County and Eugene/Springfield. But what we need now is POLITICAL WILL to maintain forward momentum. That means WE HAVE TO SHOW UP before January. Public comment time at city council is an important way to let the council know we have their back when it comes to enacting strong climate policy going forward. Our message is this:
Public comment is “in person only.” Sign-up starts at 7:00 pm. You have 2 ½ minutes to make a difference. Join your climate buddies at city council Monday the 25th. Come to speak or join in solidarity with those who do. See you there! (Social time following.) ACTION 2: Tune-in to the Sustainability Office’s Reports on Climate Progress Monday, December 9th at 5:30 pm - Work Session: Update on Building Decarbonization Wednesday, December 11th at noon (12:00 pm) - Work Session: Climate & Sustainability Revenue Use this link to access and watch the livestream on December 9th & 11th. See how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. Show them we’re concerned and engaged. Get to know the players and who supports (or doesn’t) city climate action. You might be surprised. (Note: Work sessions can only be viewed on-line and there is no public comment.)  ACTION 3: Stand up for Golden Gardens Park in West Eugene! Thursday, November 21st at noon (12:00 pm) - Virtual Meeting with City & Neighborhood We need a plan that respects both recreation needs and our environment! Golden Gardens Park, a beautiful natural place in the Bethel neighborhood, is one of the few places in Eugene where wildlife like herons, bald eagles, and Western Pond Turtles thrive in their natural habitat (located on Jessen Dr., SW of Jerry’s on Highway 99. Map).  The City of Eugene plans to develop a large sports complex, including 14 sports fields, lighting, parking, and unfortunately, the addition of plastic artificial turf, which would introduce harmful microplastics into the environment, disrupt sensitive ecosystems, and degrade the park’s wildlife habitat. We don’t have to use the fossil fuel industry’s new favorite product, PLASTIC, on our kids’ sports fields! City staff will discuss the final design for the park, which includes 124 acres of natural area, a trail system, and sports facilities. This is our opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and request nature-friendly solutions. And please complete the City Survey. Your voice makes a difference! Attend the public (virtual) meeting and share your thoughts on this proposal and advocate on behalf of natural, organically managed grass over artificial turf and protections for wildlife habitats. Virtual Meeting Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom: Register here For more information, here is the Beyond Toxics "Case Against Artificial Turf" info sheet. ACTION 4: Street Messaging - hit the streets to educate & engage our community on climate! Join us in December on the streets of Eugene to display signs and banners with a Climate Action and Climate Justice message. It’s a time to visit with other climate concerned people and engage the public with our message. Stand next to or hold our signs or banners and wave at our fellow citizens who are driving, biking and walking by.
When: Friday, December 6 from 1:30-3:00pm Where: W. 18th Ave just east of the Bi-Mart at 18th & Chambers Meet at the east corner of the Bi-Mart parking lot just before 1:30 or look for the signs and banners along 18th Ave whenever you arrive after that. When: Saturday, December 14 from 1:30-3 pm. Where: W. 13th Ave next to the Fairgrounds and Holiday Market, near Monroe St. Meet at the corner of 13th & Monroe just before 1:30, or look for the signs and banners along 13th Ave west of Monroe if you arrive later. In Solidarity, we hope you’ll be with us out on the streets! ACTION 5: Attend the Weatherization Workshop - A Just Transition Series! Saturday, November 16th 3 to 4:30 pm Learn how to make your home cozy & energy-efficient this winter while saving money! This workshop focuses on the needs of BIPOC community members, renters & homeowners in Eugene-Springfield area.  🛠️ FREE supplies + DIY demos 🍕 Free pizza & refreshments 💰 $50 stipend for participants Register here. ACTION 6: Read local UO Sophomore and leader of the Climate Justice League, Jack Dodson’s, latest critique of the UO administration’s failure to honestly engage in the divestment issue in the Emerald. We’re working side-by-side with strong, young climate leaders! ACTION 7: Attend World Toilet Day! Tuesday, November 19th at 6:00 pm at Whirled Pies on 8th & Charnelton in Eugene Meet your peeps and learn about a more sustainable future!  Inspiration(Quick Watch & Listen) WATCH: There’s a brand new story about what’s happening with our forests. Wildfires… it’s a brand new world! What do the most destructive fires have in common? Here’s a short video (12 mins) from PBS’s “Weathered Fast Fires” that will shock you. The title of this short is: Is this type of fire impossible to stop? Check it out! LISTEN: The Coast Range Association is a scrappy organization on the north central coast that advocates for protecting Oregon communities, oceans and forests. It regularly hosts a very local and (often spectacular) podcast called Coast Range Radio. We highly recommend a recent program, State of the Climate Emergency 2024: State of the Climate Report, with co-author Dr. Jillian Gregg (Principal Investigator, Executive Director of Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates (TERA) in Corvallis). In this short interview, Dr. Gregg talks about the report's terrifying findings and how we can break through the climate action gridlock. (Apple podcast link and Spotify link - 38 mins.) Good News - We Helped Do ThisOregon Protects Elliott State Research Forest As a Carbon Reserve - Savor the Moment In October, Oregon adopted a new forest management plan for the Elliott State Research Forest—one of the largest (and newest) research forests in the U.S. This plan boosts protections for salmon and other at-risk species, and also makes the ENTIRE 83,000-acre forest a carbon reserve, prioritizing its value in storing harmful greenhouse gasses over timber harvest. “This is a precedent-setting moment for Oregon,” says Wild Salmon Center Oregon Policy Manager Michael Lang. “Governor Kotek and the Oregon Land Board deserve huge thanks for their leadership. This visionary plan can serve as a model for other public forests in Oregon.  We were there with our voices, our art, our indomitable spirit! Together, we win! It is time to hold each other close with grace and empathy. It is time to do that “extra thing” you were waiting to do, like subscribe to that Substack newsletter that helps you cope, send some money to that new organization with young leaders. It’s time to cross over and lend support to the labor movement or join in re-indigenizing the world. It’s time to build bonds of love and connection for the long haul in these uncertain times. Let’s be fierce.  As the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King said, “Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter - but beautiful - struggle for a new world.”
0 Comments
 With elections right around the corner, it’s difficult to think of much else. So much is at stake. And with climate progress so slow and the accelerating global heating & biodiversity crises so perilous, we must do everything we can to protect our democracy so we can protect what we love, our only home: Earth.  We’re Getting Out the Vote! Our amazing GOTV Team has written & mailed out approximately 12,000 postcards! Wow! Working alongside scads of local groups here and across our country, we’ve sent the message that THIS ELECTION is the most important of our (and perhaps anyone’s) lifetime! Thanks for your dedication, the many donations for stamps, and the hours and hours of writing. (Thanks also to those super heroes who are phone-banking & door-knocking in swing states!) 350 Eugene Vote Climate Street Messaging Join us this month on the streets of Eugene to display signs and banners with a Vote Climate message. It’s a time to visit with other climate concerned voters and engage the public with our message. Stand next to or hold our signs or banners and wave at our fellow citizens who are driving, biking and walking by. When: Thursday, October 24 from 3-4:30 pm Where: Corner of E. 30th Ave & Hilyard St & East of Hilyard along 30th Meet in the southeast corner of the Albertson’s parking lot just before 3:00, or look for the signs and banners at that corner and east on 30th Avenue whenever you arrive. When: Halloween! Thursday, October 31 from 3-4:30 pm You are welcome (but not required) to come in costume and even bring a “Vote Climate” sign to go with your costume. (Example: for Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz: Vote Climate by Nov. 5… from Oregon to Kansas and beyond, we need climate leaders!) Where: Meet at the NW corner of River Road & Maxwell Rd., just before 3:00, or look for the signs and banners along the west side of River Road near Maxwell. Parking is along Hamilton Ave or Court Dr., both west of River Road and north of Maxwell. Bring your own “Vote” signs, if you’d like and a lawn chair if you like to sit down. Rain or shine!
Think Climate. Vote Climate. Save our home. No Partisan Gerrymandering In Lane County: Vote no on Measure 20-362!  This summer, right-wing County Commissioners pushed a surprise deal, Measure 20-362, onto the November ballot. They want new voting district boundaries that give them a political advantage, changing them mid-cycle, five years ahead of schedule before two of them have to run for re-election in 2026. The current districts were updated by a democratic, transparent citizen-lead process, just three years ago. There is no legitimate reason to monkey with the districts now. We say:
More MAGA County Commissioners Ignoring Constituents  Oakridge is home to rich local pioneer and Indigenous history, and is surrounded by sensitive elk herd calving grounds. It was also recently recognized as the Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest . Despite vigorous public outcry and the county’s own Planning Commission’s unanimous vote against rezoning Oakridge’s TV Butte for a gravel mine, the Lane County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to continue to pursue the proposed quarry. This fight was fought and won by grassroots resistance in 2015 and must be stopped again. You can help! Come to the Benefit to Save TV Butte Fri., Nov. 1st from 7 to 11:00 pm at Hybrid Gallery 941 W. 3rd, Eugene  Gather with your Earth-Protector buddies. Let’s save what we love. Come to the benefit! For more info, check out the OakridgeStrong website. We can stop this for good. Locking-in Polluting Fossil-gas with Eugene Citizen Tax Dollars Using Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemptions (MUPTE) Does it make sense to you to pass a Climate Recovery Ordinance (2014), create a Climate Action Plan 2.0 (2019), pass an ordinance to mandate all new residential construction under four stories be built with only electric for water & space heating, which had to later be rescinded due to a court decision in California (2023)... all WHILE giving tax subsidies to developers to build with dirty fossil gas infrastructure? No, it doesn’t make sense. It’s inconsistent, at best and hypocritical at worst! Why create a five-year “Accelerated MUPTE” pilot program to stream-line a process that purports to reduce planet-heating emissions by building smaller dwellings that use less energy and are near transit lines (maybe), which does nothing to strengthen protocols that actually REDUCE emissions, like electric-only? It’s a no-brainer. TAKE ACTION Tune in at noon to the Wednesday, October 23rd work session of the Eugene City Council using this link, and in advance (like today) send an email to [email protected] to tell them it’s past time to stop giving tax subsidies for any buildings with fossil fuels! DEQ is Planning to Approve a Disaster for the Columbia River Estuary?! At Port Westward, near Clatskanie, OR (in the estuary of the Columbia River, a little over halfway from Portland to Astoria ), a Houston-based company called NEXT Renewables LLC Oregon is proposing to construct a major new refinery. This refinery would immediately become one of Oregon’s top greenhouse gas polluters. The refinery would be one of the largest of its kind in North America, risking accidents from the storage of dangerous, flammable, toxic, liquid fuel, while displacing a thriving farming community and harming fish habitat in a sensitive and unstable area. TAKE ACTION Sign Columbia Riverkeepers’ petition and tell DEQ and Gov. Kotek to protect the Columbia River and our climate from NEXT’s pollution and greenwashing today! Justice for West Eugene - Dangerous Transloading Project Threatens Neighborhood TAKE ACTION TODAY IS THE LAST DAY the City of Eugene has to withdraw its decision approving the zoning verification for the proposed biofuel transfer station in the Trainsong neighborhood. Send a message TODAY to [email protected] asking them to withdraw their approval. Overburdened West Eugene should be free of toxic air and noise pollution and fire hazards. Don’t have time to write your councilor or don’t have one, take this easy URGENT action today with Beyond Toxics’ email form! Save the Date Check out the website & FB event! Come to the People's Fall Fest at WOW Hall, 291 West 8th St., on Sunday, October 27th from 10:30am to 2:30pm to celebrate our community's environmental and social justice organizations. It's a Spooky Event, so dress for it. More info here. Take care of yourselves and each other. This is a time for solidarity and grace. Let’s keep our eyes open and summon our collective courage. Come what may, when we fight together, we win! Is it worse to have no climate solutions – or to have them but refuse to use them? The Guardian (Oct. 16, 2024) by Rebecca Solnit   We know we have the solutions to the problems we’re facing right now. Ordinary people everywhere are stepping up their actions to protect democracy and this beautiful planet! If not us, then who? We’re lobbying, protesting, speaking up at public meetings and engaging / educating the community! Read on and check out our website calendar for times & places to jump in. Fall is CLEAN UP TIME, and do we ever have our work cut out for us! Thanks for all you do. When we fight, we win! BIG OPPORTUNITIES TO CLEAN-UP LOCALLY Support the No Gerrymander in Lane County Campaign! Far right county commissioners have slipped a last minute measure onto our November ballots that would alter district voting maps mid-cycle, undo the independent citizen commission recommendations, and cost taxpayers at least an additional $75,000 (during a budget shortfall), all with no public hearing or comment process, despite vociferous opposition from the League of Women Voters, county staff, a large cadre of elected officials (past and present) as well as scores of county residents. Peter DeFazio says, “Gerrymandering under the guise of so-called ‘independent redistricting’ is misleading and an affront to genuine democracy. TAKE ACTION Get involved. Tell friends. Vote NO on Measure 20-362. More info at www.nogerrymander.com and donate to protect fair elections in Lane County!  Think Climate. Vote Climate. Save our home. 350 Eugene Vote Climate Street Messaging Join us in October to HIT THE STREETS of Eugene to display signs and banners with a Vote Climate message. It’s a time to visit with other climate concerned voters and engage the public with our message. Stand next to or hold our signs or banners and wave at our fellow citizens who are driving, biking and walking by. Here are the dates, times and location for our October sign events: When: Friday, October 11 from 3-4:30 pm Thursday, October 24 from 3-4:30 pm Where: Corner of E. 30th Ave & Hilyard St & East of Hilyard along 30th Meet in the southeast corner of the Albertson’s parking lot just before 3:00, or look for the signs and banners at that corner and east on 30th Avenue whenever you arrive. Bring your own “Vote” signs, if you’d like. Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down. Stay tuned and check our website for a possible added Vote Climate street messaging event the last week in October at 350eugene.org! SEE YA IN THE STREETS! Another Toxic Project in West Eugene?  Proposed hazardous fossil fuel project… Our allies with the Active Bethel Community & Beyond Toxics have organized a community conversation about a proposed biofuels transfer station in West Eugene. What could go wrong? How would this affect our climate goals? USD Clean Fuels LLC is planning to build a biofuels rail-to-tanker truck transfer station in the Trainsong neighborhood, which will bring 40 tanker truck trips daily through this neighborhood already struggling with pollution. Despite this, the City Council has yet to fully consider the dangers posed to Trainsong residents, especially children and pets, who already live near the proposed superfund site from the former J.H. Baxter creosote plant. All residents of River Road, Trainsong and Bethel will feel the impacts of this proposed construction project. The city is poised to approve this project unless we come together to demand better protections for our community. Date & Time: Monday, October 7th, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Location: Lions of Judah Christian Center, 2600 Wood Ave., Eugene, OR 97402 (Google Map) Mayor Lucy Vinis and City Councilor Lyndsie Leech (Ward 7) will be there to listen to citizen concerns and help answer questions about the impacts of this project. COME TO THE MEETING! Forest Defense is Climate Defense Support the National Forest Biomass Emissions Act Good news! The first federal policy to address the impacts of biomass was recently introduced. (It’s about time.) This legislation directs the EPA to collect data on air and noise pollution from biomass. It instructs the EPA to assess biomass emissions. It orders a study of the community health near biomass facilities. Biomass emits more carbon than coal. This industry has destroyed millions of forest acres in the US South and they’re coming for our PNW forests. Most biomass plants operate in rural areas with low wealth and majority Black communities. Biomass plants emit air and noise pollution 24 hours a day. Biomass is an environmental injustice. Send a strong message using this quick form to your U.S. Senators and Representatives to support the Forest Biomass Emissions Act. We need big changes at the federal level to protect our forests from the scourge of industrial biomass. (Takes two minutes.) Thank you for sending your message now.  SEND A MESSAGE NOW Oregon Legislature - State Policy Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment (OCERA) A Successful Lobby Day at Salem Capitol Legislative Day OCERA organized a successful lobby day in Salem during September Legislative Days on September 24th!  Thank you to Catherine Thomasson (peeking out from behind Deb on the left) for scheduling appointments and organizing so many legislator meetings! 43 advocates from multiple coalition organizations spoke to legislators about why we need an Environmental Rights amendment in Oregon. Mel Martin and Linda Perrine testified before the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire committee introduced the Amendment. Stay tuned for the next Legislative Day lobbying event from Dec. 10-12, 2024! Is a constitutional amendment a new idea? No. Three states already have fundamental and enforceable constitutional environmental rights protections: Pennsylvania (1971), Montana (1972), and New York (2021). Similar provisions exist in other state constitutions yet are not considered fundamental / enforceable, so results have varied. Many other states have pending amendment referrals in their legislatures and Hawaii has just negotiated a settlement with Earthjustice and Our Children’sTrust. Everybody, everywhere! In the streets & in the courts!  Patty Hine & Deb McGee with Senator James Manning. See and read more here. The Eugene Environmental Film Festival is here! October 11-20, 2024 at the Art House Check out the film festival and join your local climate buddies for a special debut of our local Grassroots Climate Story in the new Gas Leaks documentary “Electrifying Eugene,” premiering at the Art House on Thursday, October 17th at 6:15 pm. Here’s the film’s trailer. More info about the showing here. The Art House address is: 492 E 13th Ave. in Eugene.  See you at the Art House on October 17th at 6:15 pm! Let’s Electrify Eugene! Incentives to make West Eugene residents homes more energy efficient! This fall, the Bethel Clean Energy Project is connecting low-income West Eugene residents to incentives for new space heaters, air conditioning, water heaters and insulation, at little to no cost. The program meets over three nights on the following dates: Tuesdays - October 8, 15 and 22 from 6:00-8:00 pm. (Free dinner included.) Participants receive a free Home Energy Score from EWEB that recommends energy efficiency improvements to help them save money, education about available incentive programs to reduce the cost of improvements, and help getting bids from local installers. The program also provides a stipend to put towards your energy efficiency projects! Previous participants have received free and reduced cost heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and insulation for their homes. If you are a West Eugene resident and are interested in participating in the program or learning more, please fill out the interest form here: Bethel Clean Energy Project Form. Tell your friends! You Were ThereForests Over Profits Mobilization  The Pacific NW Forest Climate Alliance hosted the False Climate Solutions teach-in on Tuesday, September 24th in Portland, featuring Thomas Joseph, Carbon Pricing Educator from the Indigenous Environmental Network, Julia Bernal, Director of the Pueblo Alliance and New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition, and Brenna Bell, 350PDX Forest Climate Manager. Each speaker highlighted a different false climate solution - carbon offsets, "renewable" hydrogen, and industrial biomass energy - and came back to the same theme: capitalism and colonialism are at the root of the climate crisis and the only real climate solutions are ones that move away from these systems. On Wednesday, September 25th about 60 people braved the rain and protested the timberland investment conference, Canopy (formerly "Who Will Own the Forest"), at the World Forestry Center. With songs, chants and speeches, we let them know that just greenwashing the name and rhetoric of the conference does not mask its true intent to transform more land and natural processes into money. A wet and lively time was had by all! (Below is Green Man, Stephen Fuller-Rowell, from Eugene!
Thanks to the 350 Eugene Forest Defense Affinity Group (the Fireflies) for showing up and to our generous Portland hosts for their hospitality! See ya next year!  You can still sign-up for Quest by Cycle, an exciting bicycling adventure / scavenger hunt to promote clean, healthy active transportation. Family friendly. Play the game! Fall is Clean Up Time! If we all do our part, we’ll make a powerful difference for our democracy and for our environment. Thanks for all you do!   Sunday, Sept. 22nd at 1:00 pm Quest by Cycle Launch Party! With so many possible ways we each can make a difference, from changing personal habits to demanding strong political action from governments… How can you help? Read on… Support Active Transportation: walking, biking & public transit! Did you know that over 40% of our planet-heating pollution comes from the transportation sector? (The next highest is from buildings.) Transportation emissions are difficult to influence because the majority of transportation policy and funding is not locally controlled. But… People everywhere (including right here in Eugene) are working together to revolutionize our transportation system to make it more sustainable, healthier and ultimately more social.  For several months, 350 Eugene has supported an exciting project: Quest by Cycle. Quest by Cycle is a free eco-adventure game that encourages participants to complete cycling-related tasks around their community, promoting sustainability and healthy living. Players earn points by completing various fun and engaging challenges, turning everyday rides into an adventure while fostering community transformation. We’re excited to invite you to the Quest by Cycle Launch Party on Sunday, September 22 from 1-4 pm at Arriving By Bike! This free eco-adventure game promotes cycling and sustainability through fun, community-based challenges. Come join us for a live game demo, raffle prizes, and activities that celebrate our shared commitment to a fossil-free future. Event Details:
 Watch the cool video that Lane Transit District produced recently highlighting the exciting Quest by Cycle project!  Tuesday, Sept. 24th Legislative Lobby Day for an Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment - Virtually! You might think that our constitutional rights to life and liberty include natural life support systems -- that a right to a clean and healthy environment is an implied, enforceable right (and it should be). Unfortunately, case law has made it clear that if it's not expressly stated, there's no guarantee it will be recognized. So, to make our expectations clear, to restore a responsible, sustainable balance between competing interests, we need certain language in the Oregon Constitution to clearly expect and enforce our fundamental right to a healthy environment. That’s where YOU come in. 350 Eugene is organizing specific legislator visits in the on-line format for the following representatives and times: Rep. Nathanson (HD-13): 9:30 am Sen. Manning (HD-14): 10:30 am Rep. Fahey (SD-7): 3:45 pm If you reside in one of these districts, please consider joining the brief virtual lobby meeting. It’s important to have numbers on these calls. Read more about OCERA in this one-pager. There’s no need for a deep dive on your part. The meetings have a leader who will guide the short meeting. Thanks for signing up here. We will contact you with links to the 15-minute online meetings with your representative. It’s easy & quick, Our legislators need to hear they have our support! If you can come to Salem on Tuesday for in-person meetings, join us for a meeting with Rep. Lively HD-7 (Chief of Staff Andrew Hickerson): 3:00 pm in his office H-481.  Everything we do matters!
Thanks for writing and submitting comments to save Oregon’s Climate Protection Plan, for sending emails to the U.S. Forest Service to protect mature & old growth forests, and for supporting our incredible Get Out the Vote efforts. Everybody, everywhere. We need a clean energy revolution, and we need it NOW.  We’re turning out the vote for November's General Election! Is there anything more important? Sending postcards to infrequent voters works! 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! Let’s celebrate the progressive wave! No-host bar with delicious food cart options nearby and we’ll bring some snacks too. See you there!  Invite your friends. It’s a lot of fun! CampaignsForest Climate Campaign: National Old Growth Amendment (NOGA) - Take Action! Our Local Goal - 500 Comments National Goal - 750,000 There are only 12 days left to send the US Forest Service comments to support a super strong Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for our Old Growth Forests! If WE don’t tell the Forest Service to protect MATURE trees so they can become OLD trees, there will be no Old Growth in the future! Mature and old growth forests improve our health, lessen the impacts of climate change, keep more species alive and help rural community economies. It’s easy and you can (and should) submit comments multiple times. We suggest using these three portals. Five minutes and you’re done! Thank you. Climate Forest Campaign Comment tool: https://www.climate-forests.org/take-action Oregon Wild’s Comment tool: https://oregonwild.org/take-a-last-stand-for-old-growth/ Cascadia Wildland’s Comment tool: https://www.cascwild.org/take-action-protect-mature-and-old-growth-forests-across-the-nation/ Please make a comment on ALL these sites today!  Forest Defense Is Climate Defense - deadline is September 20th 350 Street Sign Messaging for September: “Forest Protection - No False Solutions” Join us along the streets of Eugene to display signs with positive climate solutions. Our Oregon forests are our best climate protection! Stand next to our beautiful hand-painted tree signs or bring signs of your own. When: Thursday, September 19, 3:00-4:30 pm. Where: W. 18th Ave. just east of the Bi-Mart parking lot next to Westmoreland Park. (Parking available in the Bi-Mart lot.) Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down. Stay tuned for October sign messaging dates, times, and locations with a Vote Climate theme.  September 24-26, Wall Street Investors will again join timber corporations, carbon offset & biomass companies in Portland for their annual “Who Will Own the Forest?” conference. Like last year, we’re rising up and fighting back and won’t let our forests, communities, and climate be sacrificed for the rich to get richer. Last year, hundreds of us rallied to confront these Wall Street investors and big polluters–and they felt the heat; this year they’re rebranding the conference as the very innocuous sounding “Canopy: Forests + Markets + Society”. These deep-pocket capitalist elites hope to convince the public that they are our climate saviors; if only we let them turn our forests into biomass pellets or carbon offsets the climate crisis will be averted. We see through their charade, and won’t let them get away with it. Join the forest defense & climate justice movement Wednesday, September 25th for a protest at the World Forestry Center to confront these Wall Street elites and call out their false climate solutions and show them that managing forests to maximize profits for the rich & stall climate action will be met with increasing resistance. There will be speakers, music, art & creative resistance, and more – come out to show these Wall Street elites that extractive forestry and false solutions will be risky investments in the face of staunch grassroots opposition! Want to learn more about what exactly “false climate solutions” are, and how big polluters are using them to dodge accountability for their role in creating the climate emergency and increase their profit margins? Come to the False Climate Solutions Teach-In on Tuesday, September 24th from 5:30-7:00 pm at 350PDX / the Climate Justice Workshop office (3639 N Mississippi Ave). Check out forestsoverprofits.org for the latest updates and info about plans for this year. We hope you'll join us and continue building a movement for land justice, an end to industrial forest exploitation, and real transformative solutions to the climate emergency! 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].  State Climate Legislation - Save the Climate Protection Plan & Come to Lobby Day!  A strong Climate Protection Program gives Oregon the opportunity not only to cut harmful climate emissions, but also to create jobs, improve public health, and create cleaner, cheaper, healthier energy and transportation options that will benefit Oregon jobs, families, and the economy. The Climate Protection Program is under attack by big polluters that are fueling the climate crisis with their dirty emissions. Join us in fighting back by telling DEQ to restore the Climate Protection Program! Make your voice heard TODAY! The deadline has been extended to 9/27. Join us for a Lobby Day on Tues., Sept. 24th in Salem! We are Celebrating the completion of draft amendment language for the Oregon Coalition for Environmental Rights Amendment: OCERA. We have arrived at an official draft of the amendment language that will heighten environmental protections and clarify priorities for the State of Oregon. We will all meet for a Lobby Day on Tues., Sept. 24th in Salem! We need you to come to Salem to speak with all our legislators about why you care about protecting everyone’s right to pure water, clean air, and a stable climate. Legislators need to learn about the bill to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. We need lots of constituents to join us in Salem. People are also welcome to join remotely. Register here to receive info on the 9/16 Orientation and relevant materials for Lobby Day 9/24. Chief co-sponsor Senator Golden will also hold a hearing in his Natural Resources committee the morning of the 24th. Come wearing green to show support! We will provide talking points and explanations of the amendment at a webinar on Sept 16th at 6pm for those who cannot come to Salem in person. Please register here for more details. The same material and orientation will be provided on our Lobby Day, Tues., Sept. 24th. Divest Oregon: ...What we've been up to this summer:
Quest By Cycle Launch Party Stay Tuned for details…  It’s time for the People to exercise our power. We’re showing up, we’re engaging, we’re challenging the status quo. This is the time we were born into.   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
 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! |
