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Happy New Year to our supporters and volunteers - a Busy 2024 is here! We are thankful to have many hands sharing our work that makes it both fun and accessible. We hope everyone has been able to stay safe and warm during this icy cold weekend. What a way to "slip" into the new year!  YOU WERE THERE & OTHER UPDATESSuccessful Lobby Day in Salem on January 10th!Over 100 people, including 12 from Eugene, came from across Oregon to talk with and educate their legislators about the COAL Act. The Oregon Treasury invests money for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). The Divest Oregon group has been working to divest their money from fossil fuels. This year the focus is on eliminating 1 billion dollars currently invested in Coal. The COAL Act is simple: 1) Phase out coal investments 2) No new coal investments 3) Report on the phase out of coal. Investments in Coal are a bad idea not just for our planet’s health but because it is a dying industry and not a good investment for recipients of PERS. The bill will have a number in the next week or so. You can stay informed at www.divestoregon.org. and learn how and when to best advocate for this bill!  Update on UO Campus Thermal Task Force, action TBD in March 2024 We are watching for further developments: the University of Oregon Thermal Task Force is expected to finalize their recommendation to UO’s Board in February 2024 with action by the Board in March. There was no clarity on what that means for public comment and/or rallies. Stay tuned! CHECK OUT THESE WINTER WEBINARSLincoln Street Community MeetingTuesday, January 23rd, 6:00pm - 7:00pm @ Downtown Library, Bascom-Tykeson Room  Community engagement has concluded for the Lincoln Street Bikeway Project. Come learn about what the City heard and see the preferred design for Lincoln Street! Join the City on Tuesday, January 23rd in the Bascom-Tykeson room of the Downtown Eugene Library from 6:00pm to 7:00pm for a Community Meeting about Lincoln Street between 13th Avenue and 5th Avenue. Transportation Planning staff will give a 30 minute presentation covering project background, what was heard during community engagement, and the preferred design of Lincoln Street. The presentation will be followed by time for questions and answers.  Jan. 24 at 4 pm PT/ 5 pm MT/ 6 pm CT/ 7 pm ET: Register here. Speaker: Carra Sahler, Director and Staff Attorney, Green Energy Institute Lewis & Clark Law School. Other speakers may join. Webinar From our Friends at Electrify Now Appliance Standards Update - Impacts on Gas Prices and Electrification Appliance efficiency standards aren’t something most of us think about very often, but they have helped to reduce our energy consumption and our energy bills enormously since standards first took effect in the 1970’s. Join Electrify Now and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative as we explore these two important and interrelated topics of federal appliance standards and gas price increases Panelists Joanna Mauer + Steven Nadel Thursday, January 25 · 9 - 10am PST More info & Registration for the webinar: Register HERE CAMPAIGNS Take Action locally for our forests! The science on climate change and forest ecology is clear: we must protect remaining mature and old-growth forests in the Cascadia bioregion both as our best safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change and to conserve the myriad ecosystem services they provide to humans and other species. Connect to many current details for Action here: PNW Forests Need your Voice!
This amendment will apply to all land management plans for the National Forest System. Following the scoping period, we expect an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be published in May with a 90 day comment period. The EIS is expected to be finalized in January 2025. The Big Picture Moving Forward Overall, this is progress on old-growth forest conservation, but less so on mature forests. In areas like New England and the eastern US in general (where very little old-growth remains), this policy will have little immediate impact. The Climate Forests Campaign will use this comment period to urge meaningful protections for old growth in the amendment and as an organizing opportunity. We will continue to call for a national rule that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests. We are thanking President Biden for his leadership, and calling on the Forest Service to follow through on the direction of Biden’s Executive Order. And One More Forest Support Opportunity: We’re kicking off the new year right with an important opportunity to drive comments to the US Forest Service. Linked here is a 2-page overview of the recently proposed national forest plan amendment to advance protections for the last remaining mature and old-growth trees in U.S. national forests. Here is a toolkit to help spread the news about this opportunity - let’s continue to make hay out of this moment!  What are the Home Energy Rebate Programs? The Home Energy Rebate Programs include $8.8 billion dollars in grant funding to help American households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment and improve energy efficiency, reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution, and create workforce training programs. Rebates are rolling out via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)! Find out if you qualify! The Sierra Club has published an overview to help people get on board for incentives to a clean energy future. IRA Rebates We have a New and even BIGGER appreciation of the amazing web woven by our esteemed 350Eugene president and director as they are enjoying a well earned sabbatical while home volunteers learn the inner workings of our 350 movement chapter… no squeaky wheels or rusty links… we hope to turn each crank in time to keep you informed and involved. Thanks for being with us in the new year! 
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