Join us in A Celebration of Life for the Earth as We Knew It as we acknowledge the mounting death toll and staggering losses associated with the collapse of our planetary eco-system.
May this offering of music, image and words of reflection, nourish our deep need to grieve what we hold dear - in community.
Eulogy offered by Patty Hine, President, 350 Eugene, a local climate justice organization.
Music offered by Dave Himber (flute), Agnes Vojtko (alto), Caleb Saunders (organ, piano), Kathryn Brunhaver (cello).
Facilitators: Jenny Gordon, PhD & Rev. Dr. Karen Love Baisinger
A reception with light refreshments will follow.

In this workshop, we will engage a variety of methods to express our climate emotions and share them with each other. Whether you are feeling sadness, anxiety, guilt and anger OR wonder, joy, gratitude and love, each emotional response illuminates meaning and holds value. Listening deeply to what you are feeling cultivates connection to your heart's wisdom. How might listening to what you feel guide your response to existential crisis of our time?
Facilitators: Jenny Gordon, PhD, Psychologist, and Karen Love Baisinger, D.Min., Pastoral Counselor
Both Programs are Sponsored by The Health Ministry Team of the FUMC and 350 Eugene.

The Forests over Profits mobilization held at the World Forestry Center in Portland Sept. 26-28 was a huge success! While capitalist investors and false solutions peddlers (we’re talking about you, biomass energy & carbon off-set speculators!) plotted how to make more money from forests at their "Who Will Own the Forest?" conference, hundreds of people gathered over three days to protest and also hold our own "Forests Over Profits" conference. Together, we shone the spotlight on financialized forestry and began a new era of anti-capitalist, decolonial forest defense. We’re just getting started!

Thanks to the folks who traveled to Portland and put in tons of time to make the event a success. (Thanks to our generous PDX home-stay hosts too!)
A special thanks to our Artivist team led by Joanie Kleban and to the Fireflies affinity group for showing up to engage, inform and disrupt.

For an inspiring one-stop-shop recap of the Who Will Own the Forest? Conference counter-protest and alternate conference, here’s the Coast Range Radio podcast that tells the tale.

                                                          Who’s Eugene’s Biggest Polluter?

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s GHG inventory, the University of Oregon’s gas boiler system is now the single largest source of non-industrial climate-polluting emissions in the City of Eugene. Transitioning this outdated system to run efficiently on clean, renewable electricity will slash emissions, help the UO meet its climate goals, protect the health and safety of students and community members, and show the UO to be the innovative, forward-looking institution it claims to be.

UO students have been hounding the administration for 13 years to Get Off the Gas! Let’s support UO’s student-led Climate Justice League this fall to apply max pressure.
Turn out for the student demonstration at the EMU Green, at 13th & University on Tuesday, Oct. 24th at 5:15 pm

Meanwhile… the UO has created a Thermal Systems Transition Task Force, which has launched a survey to collect information and provide an opportunity for feedback on its climate action plan. Perfect!

Please take a minute to urge the UO to take strong action on climate & dramatically reduce emissions through a conversion of its gas system to an electric one. Take the survey here. (Here are some suggestions for your survey answers too!) Thank you!

Stay tuned for more info on Task Force hearings scheduled for Tue., Oct. 24th 6-7:30 and Thur., Nov. 2nd, 12-1:30 pm.

Over 100 organizations call on the current Oregon State Treasurer, Oregon Investment Council members, and candidates for Oregon Treasurer to create and support an effective climate risk action plan that includes these components:
-Ends NEW investments in fossil fuel
-Phases out all CURRENT fossil fuel investments while protecting returns
-Uses a JUST TRANSITION framework to reduce climate risk to frontline communities
-Requires annual release of a public list of ALL portfolio holdings
This campaign is heating up! Please sign the petition to the Oregon Treasurer & Oregon Investment Council and demand action!

House and Senate Republicans recently penned a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the nation's top energy regulator, calling for the immediate approval of the Gas Transmission Northwest XPress Project (GTNXP). The project would upgrade three existing compressor stations, increasing capacity on an existing system that has transported natural gas in decades old pipes.
This group was led by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., and joined by fellow Oregon GOP Rep. Cliff Bentz, with four other House Republicans in Idaho.
While these “leaders” say that gas is better / cleaner than coal powered electrical plants, they are not listening to the latest science. Fracked gas is as bad or worse for the planet's carbon pollution problem than coal.
We must stop burning fossils if we are to have a liveable planet!
FERC, which is chaired by Willie Phillips, a President Biden appointee and Democrat, has delayed granting final approval for TC Energy to move ahead with construction in the project.
In July, FERC removed the project from its open meeting agenda and one day before that meeting, Democratic Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden wrote to the regulator, imploring it to reject the project. The commission again opted against discussing it during its following meeting on Sept. 21.
Send an appreciation email to Senators Merkley and Wyden for their stand against more dirty gas in Oregon!
Deb McGee - Fracked Gas Resistance Team Lead

Biomass pretends to be a clean way to generate electricity and dispose of “woody wastes” from our forests - it is anything but…

Webinar: Forest Biomass, Oregon and Beyond
Thursday, October 19th 5:00-6:15 pm
The biomass industry is looking to expand into the Pacific Northwest. Wait. What? More and more money is being allocated for thinning and logging in the name of wildfire safety. How are these related, and what does this mean for our wildlands, timberlands and rural communities?
As part of the Global Day of Action on Big Biomass on October 19th, the Sierra Club's Oregon Chapter Forest Team invites you to attend: Forest Biomass: Oregon and Beyond, a free webinar with Rita Vaughan Frost and Dr. Dominick DellaSala (from Phoenix, OR). REGISTER HERE.
​
Eugene has its own biomass business at Sierra Pacific Industries on Highway 99. Read about it here. Not a climate solution. Not good for the forest. Not good for our air.

How do we take care of ourselves so we can sustain effective action?
Here are two opportunities.

​Fri., Nov. 3rd at 7:00 pm - A Celebration of Life for the Earth As We Knew It - A Community Grief Ritual - at First United Methodist Church (FUMC), 1376 Olive St., Eugene.
Music, images, words of reflection. Facilitated by Jenny Gordon, PhD & Rev. Dr. Karen Love Baisinger. Light refreshments to follow. Free and open to the public.
Sat., Nov. 4th - 9:00-12:00 pm - Deep Listening Circle: Climate Emotions - at FUMC.
“How might listening to what you feel guide your response to the existential crisis of our time?”
Programs sponsored by the FUMC Health Ministry Team and 350 Eugene. Suggested donation: $20-$60.

Eugene's first Beam Bright Parade was a big hit last Saturday night! 350 Eugene was there with our beautiful forest-themed salmon flags & lanterns, singing and chanting for our climate-saving forests! Thanks to everybody who turned out! Forest defense is climate defense!

Post-pandemic, things are picking up at 350.org. We have a new energetic national director, Jeff Ordower. There’s a new campaign emerging to make monopolistic utilities accountable to their ratepayers and not finance public relations campaigns that hinder a just & rapid clean energy transition. (Perfect for our Northwest Natural work!) There’s momentum and cohesion building across our movements. How are you plugging in? To change everything, we need everybody. See you in the streets!

Find and like our *new* FB page here. And watch our website calendar for the latest!

Save the Forests!
Right now policymakers are asking for the public's opinions on the future of Oregon's forests. ALL FORESTS - not just state parks. All Oregonians are asked for input to help direct policy for the next several decades. 
Right now the comments are being flooded by a few special interest groups who plan to take advantage of our forests just to make a profit. This is why we need YOUR VOICE! 
Fill out this survey by Oregon's Kitchen Table, a Portland-based non-profit by Monday 10/09. I know the deadline is approaching fast but with this quick survey you can tell our state government why the forests are important to you and urge them to protect our trees.

EWEB
​EWEB is considering adopting the changes to PURPA (Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act) which would make EV charging more readily available and provide consumers with more affordable rates, and they want to know what you think.
Currently, EWEB does not have any demand response programs in place. The updated PURPA standards require that EWEB "...shall promote the use of demand response and flexible demand" and "a utility may establish rate mechanisms to recover costs of demand response practices". This would lower energy consumption during times when there is unusually high demand. The demands are expected to increase with more EV charging, smart thermostats and other 'DR capable' technologies that become available. 

EWEB promotes EV use but does not currently have any specific incentives to push for electrification. PURPA requires that EWEB should promote transportation electrification, promote equitable and affordable charging options, reduce charging times and promote third party charging infrastructure, and appropriately recover costs of delivering this electricity to EVs.
Urge EWEB to go through with the updated PURPA standards by emailing your comments to [email protected] by October 14.

350 is lighting up in the BEAM BRiGHT Parade on October 14. If you would like to join us in celebrating and sharing out love for mature and old growth forests meet us at 5th Ave and Oak St at 6:15pm day of to get ready and learn the chants! 
If you would like to participate email [email protected] to RSVP.
More info in the flyer below:

We have a new Facebook page! For updates on 350 Eugene's events and events we are sponsoring/promoting check us out here.

We celebrated the successful passage of our Building Resilience Climate policy package this past legislative session (SB 868, 869,870, 871) and the passage of our Climate Protection Plan (CPP). The Climate Protection Plan is crucial to making us all healthier and safer; we're doing our part to ensure a more stable climate future. However, now the Climate Protection Plan is in rulemaking and industry is trying very hard to weaken it.
Our statewide coalition, Oregon Climate and Equity Network, is working to keep this program strong. Here is the comment submitted by 350 Eugene:


"The passage of the Climate Protection Plan (CPP) is an important step towards reaching our climate safety goals. As with any legislation, the success of the outcome is due to the specifics in the rule-making process.
We are very disturbed to see the make-up of the rule-making advisory committee. (RAC).
We note that of 14 members, only two are public interest groups. How can such a heavy reliance on the regulated industries’ input serve the public interest? We in Eugene are acutely aware of how the gas industry can manipulate public opinion through large expensive campaigns to derail safer electrification regulations.
The current concessions to regulated industries allow out-of-state RNG bio-methane investments and could enable the expansion of new large industrial emitters, defeating the goals of the Climate Protection Plan (CPP). The current proposed rule amendments will compromise the program’s intended public health, economic, and employment goals, and hinder benefits for Oregon consumers, workers, local economies, and environmental justice communities across the state.
We are also concerned that this type of out of state investment would divert money from the Community Climate Investment fund, created specifically to focus on benefits to Oregonians.
We see Northwest Natural Gas is already seeking to comply with the CPP by purchasing Renewable Thermal Certificates associated with RNG outside of Oregon. Please strengthen requirements by restricting bio-methane used for CPP compliance to that which would produce direct benefits to Oregonians.
Finally, we ask you to strengthen the emissions reduction requirements for new or expanded stationary source facilities in Oregon under the BAER Act. These large emitters must pivot to use their economic base to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
This rule-making is vital to ensure this program stays on track to achieve its stated climate, public health, and economic goals. You are in a crucial role to make sure this actually happens." -350 Eugene


Your comments can be short and simple. It is just important that DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) hears from as many people as possible, telling them that they need to stay strong in the face of industry push back to weaken this program.
Hearing from us in Eugene is important because we have already seen what Northwest “Natural” Gas has done, pouring almost $1 million into trying to defeat our city’s electrification ordinance.
PLEASE SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS TO DEQ! NUMBERS COUNT!
Submit written public comments to DEQ by October 13, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
Email comments to: [email protected] with “2023 Climate Rulemaking” in the subject line.
Our partners at Beyond Toxics have also put together talking points on their website. Visit our website for sample testimonies and talking points.
Aside from the effort to weaken the plan in rulemaking, industry is now suing the state to disallow the plan altogether! Our statewide coalition attended the State Court of Appeals hearing where industry and Beyond Toxics as intervenor made their arguments. We can’t let industry dictate our climate future. We had a strong showing with Senator Golden and Rep Marsh joining us.
The time to act is NOW! Your voice can help protect the CPP and secure a resilient climate future for Oregon. Together, we can make a difference!

"The university [of Oregon] recognizes that as a public institution of research and education, its leadership and example are an important contribution to a global effort that reaches across all sectors of society to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition away from fossil fuels, and plan for resiliency as we face effects from climate change." (UO Climate Action Plan)
Despite this recognition that UO is seen as a leader for a sustainable climate, the university is the largest pollutor of carbon emissions in Eugene. The UO Thermal Systems Task Force has released a survey for the public to input their opinions. We ask that you fill out the survey and tell the task force to switch their gas boiler system to electric. 
Take the survey to tell UO to electrify its gas boiler system and dramatically reduce emissions. Fill out this survey and urge them to do better. 

For ideas on how to respond:
Q: In 2022, the State of Oregon launched an enforceable plan to reduce statewide emissions from fossil fuels by 90% by 2050. Should the University of Oregon rely primarily on that plan or spend money on additional actions that reduce campus heating emissions that may be more costly?
A: Take additional action to reduce campus emissions
Q: Why is it important for the University of Oregon to take action above and beyond planned state level emissions reduction plans? Because:
A: Any of these answers make sense - alternatively you can choose “Other” and write “all of the above”
Q: Of the potential impacts related to the project, which of the following are you most concerned about?
A: Use the sliders to indicate that you’re not concerned about any of the impacts
Q: What would you need to feel more informed and engaged about the university’s efforts to transform the university’s heating system?
A: Greater transparency about the decision-making process of the Thermal Task Force and more opportunities for public comment ahead of the Task Force’s recommendation to the Board.
Send additional input to the Thermal Task Force at: [email protected]

We have a new Facebook page! For updates on 350 Eugene's events and events we are sponsoring/promoting check us out here!

Now is the time to take action. Fill out the UO survey and send your comments to the DEQ to help fight for a healthier planet and better future for all!
The greatest threat to the planet is the belief that someone else will save it. ~Robert Swan