 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.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |