Welcome to our monthly newsletter, where we highlight some of the amazing work our volunteer teams have been up to. Read on to learn about our teams’ accomplishments, how you can join a team, and more opportunities to take action.

TEAM UPDATES

Want to get involved but not sure where to start? Fill out the Volunteer Form

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

The devastation that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio could happen here in Oregon. Our local government should be doing whatever it can to mitigate the dangers of oil trains in our communities, but instead, Portland City Council is continuing to allow Zenith Energy to bring in oil by rail for 5 more years. This is unacceptable. Our Fossil Fuel Resistance Team continues to work to stop Zenith Energy and transform the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. Right now, we are working to build a grassroots movement of people who live in the “blast zone” of Zenith’s oil trains.

Do you live in the blast zone of Zenith’s oil trainsUse this map to find out. If you do, call and write to the City of Portland and share that you live in the blast zone and are concerned for your safety. If you’re interested in getting more involved and becoming a local leader in your neighborhood (we’ll support you through this!) reach out to dineen@350pdx.org to learn more.

Our team’s other main campaigns are:

  • Fighting for a Fossil Free Multnomah County, campaigning for buildings in our community that are clean and safe and free of dangerous methane gas, and educating our community about the dangers of methane
  • Stopping the GTN XPress pipeline expansion proposal in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California.

GET CONNECTED:  We meet 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 5:30pm, rotating between virtual and in-person in the 350PDX  (3625 Mississippi Ave). Our next meeting is on Tuesday, April 11 at 5:30 pm and it’s an in-person tour of the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub followed by a team hangout at a nearby brewery on an outdoor heated patio. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to dineen: dineen@350pdx.org.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense team has been engaging in the Oregon State Legislative session with members testifying on several forest-related bills. Last month, some of us went to Salem to meet with our legislators – read the full update here.

We called on our legislators to support:

  • SB 522, Relating to the Oregon Global Warming Commission, which would update the name of “Oregon Global Warming Commission” to “Oregon Climate Action Commission” and modify state greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
  • SB 530, Natural Climate Solutions, which would create a fund to incentivize land management practices that build carbon storage on natural and working lands.
  • HB 3016, Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program, which supports green infrastructure investments and workforce development across Oregon.

Legislators and staff were generally receptive to our advocacy, and we learned some helpful things for next time too! So far, each of these bills have made it to the next phase of the legislature: moving out of committee to Ways and Means where the state will sort out how to allocate the budget for the various proposed bills still in play.

TAKE ACTION: Join us in testifying at the Ways and Means Committee hearing this Saturday (April 8), 10am-12pm, at the PCC Sylvania Campus (PAC Auditorium, 12000 SW 49th Ave)You can register to testify in person here, to share your experience, perspective, knowledge, and heart with the committee, which will make important decisions on these bills.

In the Urban Shade Equity campaign, we are in the beginning stages of planning the Shade Equity Workshop which will take place on May 22. This will be a follow-up to the wildly successful Shade Equity Social back in February. So save the date! Some things we anticipate working on include ensuring priority communities (BIPOC and low-income) receive the focus of the support, ensuring ongoing funding for tree maintenance, etc.

TAKE ACTION:  In state forest news, four Board of Forestry members voted to continue the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) work, so the plan is still on track. If passed, the HCP would go a long ways towards protecting threatened and endangered species and increasing carbon sequestration and storage in western state forests. Still, the fight isn’t over! Join us in urging the Governor and our Legislators to support the HCP and get this critical plan over the finish line.

GET CONNECTED: Join us at the next general Forest Defense team meeting on Monday, April 17 from 6-7:30pm, via zoom. Contact co-leads Felice (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler (tyler@350pdx.org) for meeting details.

City/County Watchdog Team

This month, the City/County Watchdog team is continuing to track the Spring Oregon Legislative Session and support the passing of key climate justice bills. We are also supporting the Portland Clean Energy Fund’s (PCEF) current community input process, in which the City is calling on members of the community to support drafting a Climate Investment Plan (CIP). The CIP will help shape its investments around climate justice goals related to PCEF.

TAKE ACTION: You can read the draft of the Climate Investment Plan hereas well as submit a public comment on the plan (by this Friday, April 7).

Finally, we are continuing to support Phases II of the City Charter reform process, in which the city is operationalizing the Measure 26-228 reforms voters passed last fall to transition us to a more equitable, representative form of city government. Last month, the City released its first quarterly progress report about the transition, which you can read here. You can also submit public comments on the City’s transition here.

GET CONNECTED: Want to get involved? Email Chris (chris@350pdx.org) to join us for our next meeting on Thursday (tomorrow), April 6, from 5:30-7 PM.

Arts Team

At our March Art Build, we built puppets and Dirty Bank signs, remodeled our storage space, and took our posters and drums to a Dirty Bank protest downtown. Our six drummers added wonderful rhythm and noise and lots of energy to the protest. Our drummers impressed the crowd, and have now been requested for another downtown Dirty Bank protest on April 24! Our Mother Earth Puppet will make its debut at the Stop Zenith Action on April 29

GET CONNECTED: Can you help? Please come to our Art Build this Saturday, April 8, from 1-4 at the 350PDX office (3625 Mississippi Ave). We’ll make more signs, more puppets, more drums, and have more fun with delicious snacks. Let Donna know if you can be there: murph1949@aol.com

Creative Team

The Creative Team uses storytelling to make the climate justice movement irresistible. This month, we’ve continued working on a messaging workbook to help guide 350PDX’s campaign teams as they design their communications strategies. We’re also continuing to support the Forest Defense Team, Divest Oregon, and the Gas-busters campaign in creating messaging strategies.

We also finished our new Intro to 350PDX zine, which you can check out hereWe’ll soon be launching a new climate fiction zine project, so stay tuned for more info.

GET CONNECTED: Fill out this form to get on our creative roster, or reach out to Julia at julia@350pdx.org to get involved with the team.

SW Team

Welcome to our southwest neighborhood team, which currently spans various neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland, from PSU to Hillsdale, Multnomah Village, Beaverton and Lake Oswego.

Our third outreach program at Hillsdale Library on Sunday, March 26th was on Saving our Oceans. Attendees learned about threats to fisheries and ocean ecosystems through a sequence of video segments and discussion. We discussed solutions including sustainable seafood choices, how to reduce plastic pollution, and recent progress on the United Nations’ treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.

In April, you can help us organize our first presentation at the Beaverton Library. Our topic is Saving our Planet. On Earth Day, April 22nd,  we will be representing the SW Team at an Earth Day Fair from 3-7 p.m.  To get involved in our outreach actions, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

GET CONNECTED: Contact Pat Kaczmarek (patk5@msn.com) to get on our email list, talk by phone or ask to join our monthly meeting! Attend our next monthly meeting on Monday, April 10th, 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Zoom.

Washington County Team

The Washington County Team is SUPER excited to present a superb locally produced film on wildfire on April 13th! Please join us on April 13 at the Cornelius Cinemas at 6:30pm for our Washington County premiere showing of ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE, followed by a Q&A with fire experts and policymakers. Tickets are available here.

Join us for:

  • Team tabling at Reconnecting with Roots: A Youth Environmental Conservation Summit. Saturday, April 15, from 1 to 5pm at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.

  • Team tabling at PlanetCon this Saturday, April 8, from 11 to 2pmWe’ll be tabling along with a number of other Washington County community groups.

  • Sign-Waving this Saturday, April 15, from 11am to noon at the corner of Cornell Road at NE 25th (park in the Burgerville lot). Signs will be provided, or you can bring your own. Mark your calendar for third Saturdays, ongoing.

Other things we are up to:

  • Continuing our local campaign to encourage the Washington County Board of Commissioners to complete drafting and take action on an overdue County Climate Resolution. We will continue to do all possible grassroots work to encourage the Commissioners to take their best bold action asap. We are working in coalition with several community partners now as we hope to see success in the next few months.

  • Supporting good bills in the Oregon Legislature

  • 350 WashCo presented at the Washington County’s Office of Sustainability’s annual celebration of United Nations World Day of Social Justice on February 22
  • Stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro

GET CONNECTED:   We always welcome newcomers to our regular monthly 6:30pm second Tuesday (online) meetings and at all our events. Our next team meeting is Tuesday, April 11 (learn more on the 350PDX calendar). We’ll catch up on all recent actions and plan for the future, as well as expect to have informational presentations on embracing plant-based diets and why we need to ditch Methane/Natural Gas. If you are in Washington County and would like to receive updates from us, please sign up HERE. You can also “like” our Facebook page for updates.

Finally, we wanted to share a few action opportunities with you:

Making Earth Cool Art Residency Opening

Thurs, April 6, 5-9pm @ the Parallax Art Center (516 NW 14th Ave, Portland)

Join Making Earth Cool for an event launching their Art Residency at the Parallax Art Center. The event is free, all ages are welcome. There will be live painting by Naomi Likayi, snacks from K-Bar’s Gay Bar, music by Yawa and DJ Gila Suspectum, and more!

Learn more and RSVP here

Navigating climate change with grief, hope & humor w/ author Andrew Boyd

Tues, April 11, 7pm @ Havurah Shalom (825 NW 18th Ave Portland) or on Zoom

Join a night of stand-up tragedy celebrating the new book, “I Want a Better Catastrophe” by renowned climate activist and author Andrew Boyd. With gallows humor and a broken heart, Boyd steers readers through their climate angst as he walks his own. Learn more and RSVP for the event here.