Hi everyone,

Welcome to the 350PDX newsletter, where we highlight action opportunities, upcoming events, and more. But first — a reminder to join our 10 year anniversary party next week on Nov 2!

Resistance, Resiliency, & Revelry – 350PDX 10-Year Anniversary Party

Thurs, Nov 2, 6:00-10:00pm — The Redd on Salmon (831 SE Salmon St, Portland) – A reminder that we’re a week away from our 10-year Anniversary Party! Get your tickets at ⭐️ 350pdx.org/party ⭐️  We’ll have dinner, drinks, live music, speakers, art displays, and more! Costs are sliding scale. Some reminders/updates about the party:

  • Children 12 and under attend for free! Although still reserve a ticket for them, please, so we can keep track of numbers.
  • We strongly encourage you to take a COVID test (rapid or PCR) before coming to the event. Masks not required but strongly encouraged. See our full COVID guidelines and more updates here.
  • It’s not too late to volunteer! We can’t make this event possible without our awesome volunteers! If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up here. All volunteers offering 2 hours or more of their time will receive a free entry ticket, which includes dinner and 2 drink tickets.

In gratitude,
350PDX Staff

Take Action

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. Take the Pledge of Action for more updates.

Take action to call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza & the West Bank

“In just two weeks, the Israeli military has killed over 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli warplanes have flattened entire neighborhoods. Shell-shocked children are left to search for their parents under the rubble. Millions of Palestinians have once again been made refugees, bombed as they tried to flee. Surgeons are operating by the light of their cellphones, increasingly without anesthesia. Let us be clear: This is genocide.” – Jewish Voice for Peace

Join Jewish Voice for Peace every day at 12pm PT for Power Half-Hour for Gaza: Channel grief & fear into action to stop a genocide. All are welcome to join and call on Congress to demand they stop fueling violence.

MORE ACTIONS & UPCOMING EVENTS:

Take action for Climate and Sustainability at the City of Portland

Last year, we passed sweeping reforms to the City Charter through Measure 26-228. As the City’s Transition Team helps guide our transition to a new governmental structure, we want to make sure they center climate solutions, environmental justice, and sustainability. Here are ways you can take action:

  1. Help shape the Sustainability & Climate Commission (SCC): This is likely to be a volunteer commission with several people from each district selected to serve. More details will be released in the next month. The following two opportunities will likely be Portlanders’ only chances to provide input on the new SCC before it is proposed to the city council.
    1. Fill out this survey from the City to share what you would like to see in a Sustainability & Climate Commission.
    2. Sign up to attend an SCC Community Conversation on November 1 at either noon or 6pm. You can attend virtually or in person.
  2. Call for the City of Portland to create a Climate Officer role in the City Administrator’s Office! The City’s Transition Team and chief administrative officer have recommended a draft organizational structure for City employees, bureaus, and service areas to reflect the Charter reform mandates. We want to make sure the new structure prioritizes climate justice, so we are advocating for the City of Portland to create a Climate Officer position, as well as strong networks for collaboration between bureaus, agencies, and service areas working on climate, environmental justice, and sustainability goals.
    1.  Send this letter to City Council, the Mayor, and transition teams advocating for a Climate Officer position
    2. Share a public comment at a City Council hearing on Nov 1 at 2pm (virtual or in person). Draft a 2-minute comment using the talking points in this toolkit for inspiration. The toolkit will be updated as we receive more information, including links to sign up when they are available.

Tell FERC to withdraw its approval of GTN XPress

GTN XPress is TC Energy’s project to dramatically expand the capacity of a fracked gas pipeline the Pacific Northwest. Through GTN XPress, TC Energy would build and expand on compressor stations along the pipeline route, allowing them to dramatically increase the amount of fracked gas that moves through the pipeline. The pipeline goes through Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and has already caused deep harm to local communities, particularly Indigenous communities.

BREAKING NEWS:  Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave a big gift to the fossil fuel industry by approving the GTN Xpress fracked gas expansion. But FERC won’t get the last word on GTN Xpress. We will continue to fight this project and work to hold FERC accountable.

Join us in calling on FERC to withdraw its decision and grant our petitions for rehearing!

Take action for clean air in Multnomah County

Here in Multnomah County, we have a huge opportunity to fight back against the gas industry and enact policies that ensure cleaner and safer air for us all to breathe. But the County needs to hear from YOU to take this action.

Join us in telling Multnomah County Commissioners: We need Clean Air Quality Standards NOW!

Chair Jessica Vega Peterson: 503-988-3308 mult.chair@multco.us

Sharon Meieran: 503-988-5220, district1@multco.us

Susheela Jayapal: 503-988-5219, district2@multco.us

Lori Stegmann: 503-988-5213, district4@multco.us

Julia Brim-Edwards: 503-988-5217, district3@multco.us

CALL SCRIPT

“Hi _____. My name is _____ , I live in ______. I’m calling because I am urging you to use your power as our local health authority to fight for air quality standards for our community. I’m concerned about appliances that leak dangerous methane gas and toxic pollutants in the buildings in our community, and I think it’s time for the County to take bold action. Pollution from our stoves, heaters, and fireplaces can cause conditions like asthma and heart failure. Please take action on this important issue.”

Events & Opportunities

Check out our full calendar here.

Climate Horrors Party

Fri, Oct 27, 3-11pm — Green Anchors (8940 N Bradford St, Portland) – learn more here
What monsters haunt the Willamette, and what can we do about it? Join 350PDX, Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, the Breach Collective, Sunrise PDX, Green Anchors PDX, and the Mosquito Fleet on October 27th, 2023, at Green Anchors (8940 N Bradford St, Portland) to learn about and support the local climate justice movement. From 3-6pm there will be family-friendly activities, from trick or treating and pumpkin carving to a costume contest and giant puppet performance. Then from 6-11pm, see Glitterfox and Rizo perform, tour a haunted house, and see an aerial, drag & fire show!

March for Portland Students!

Sat, Oct 28, 9am — PAT HQ (345 NE 8th Ave) – learn more here
Join the March for Portland students, where educators and parents are rallying for the outstanding public schools our future deserves. Together, we’re committed to building safe, modern classrooms and providing personalized attention to our students, all while ensuring our dedicated educators receive competitive wages and benefits.

350PDX Volunteer Orientation

Tues, Nov 7, 6:00-8:00pm — 350PDX office (3625 N Mississippi Ave) – learn more here
Come and hear more of what 350PDX is all about, meet some staff and volunteers, see our office space, and explore more how to get involved! We’ll start at 6pm with some pizza and wine/beer/soft drinks, and then have an intro training that covers what we’re all about. We’ll do some group exercises to get you practicing some of your new skills, and we’ll finish with some time to chat one on one about getting more involved or get your remaining questions answered.

Rally Against Portland’s Climate Villains

Fri, Nov 10, 3:00PM – 5:00PM – learn more & rsvp here
Portland residents are up against two giant climate villains: Zenith Energy and NW Natural. Zenith runs oil trains through our neighborhoods and oil tankers through our river, threatening to explode and spill. NW Natural bombards us with false and misleading advertisements that greenwash its dangerous fuels and restrict our electrification options. Our City Council has stood by silently when we’ve asked for action, so we’re taking matters into our own hands, calling on Oregon’s State Agencies to join us in standing up to Zenith and NW Natural!

Rumble on the River Forum #10 on Zenith Energy and the CEI Hub

Thurs, Nov 16, at 6pm — at Havurah Shalom (825 NW 18th Ave)
Join us for our next Rumble on the River Community Forum! Rumble on the River, a local community forum series about the dangers of Zenith Energy and the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, is having our 10th forum in this successful series. More details on the panelists to come soon.

Actions with Don’t Shoot PDX

Throughout the week, across the city – details here

Worker Solidarity Actions

Throughout the week, across the city – visit the Portland Jobs with Justice page for more info. Also see their list of solidarity actions. Thank you to everyone who showed up to support the United Auto Workers International (UAW) strike and campaign! Yesterday, UAW announced a tentative agreement with Ford Motor Co, which includes critical wage increases and more.

News & Updates

Stand with land defense campaigns, locally and beyond

Learn about how Indigenous communities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho are fighting the commercialization of huckleberries by the Forest Service, private companies like Tillamook, and commercial pickers, which has been devastating for tribal communities. You can also support the Wanapum Sustenance Foods and Spiritual Practices Conservation’s efforts by donating to $KlairiceWestley on CashApp.

Learn about the Stop Cop City movement to defend Indigenous lands and the Weelaunee forest from a massive police militarization facility, in Atlanta, Georgia, and show up for a call to action this Nov 10-13, 2023.

Learn about the Indigenous-led Fairy Creek campaign, one of the largest and longest displays of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Land defenders risked their lives to protect the last intact Old Growth Watershed on Vancouver Island.

Learn about how Indigenous communities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho are fighting the commercialization of huckleberries by the Forest Service, private companies like Tillamook, and commercial pickers, which has been devastating for tribal communities. You can also support the Wanapum Sustenance Foods and Spiritual Practices Conservation’s efforts by donating to $KlairiceWestley on CashApp.

Learn about the Stop Cop City movement to defend Indigenous lands and the Weelaunee forest from a massive police militarization facility, in Atlanta, Georgia, and show up for a call to action this Nov 10-13, 2023.

Learn about the Indigenous-led Fairy Creek campaign, one of the largest and longest displays of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Land defenders risked their lives to protect the last intact Old Growth Watershed on Vancouver Island.

Donate to the Art Sale for Climate Justice

We’re excited to announce we’ll be doing our end of year Art Sale for Climate Justice fundraiser for the fourth year running! We’ll be selling donated pieces of art with all proceeds going to 350PDX to help us hit our much needed end of year fundraising target of $100,000. Are you an artist? Do you have artist friends or family? We’re looking for donations of anything from oil paintings to postcards, sketches to sculptures. The art can be climate themed or totally unrelated. Price range can be anywhere from $5 to $500 (or more, although for reference, last year’s best-selling items were in the $20-$100 range). We’d be happy to give an in-kind tax-deductible donation receipt for the piece you donate.

Submit an art piece here, by early November. This year, we’ll be repeating the very successful in-person art sale night in December, to complement the online sale platform, so watch out for that!

Communities in the Blast Zone coming together!

Do you live in the blast zone of Zenith’s oil trains? Use 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. You can also pick up a yard sign to have in your front yard or apartment window to educate your neighbors about the blast zone and what they can do to #StopZenith. Send an email to stopzenith@350pdx.org to coordinate receiving a yard sign from one of our team members.

The 350PDX Fossil Fuel Resistance Team is also helping folks hold Neighborhood Parties to educate their community about the issue, reach out to dineen@350pdx.org and lisebethjacobs@gmail.com to learn more.

Donate to support Kalikasan Solidarity Organization members in traveling to ICHRP’s 4th General Assembly

Kalikasan Solidarity Organization is an environmental justice organization fighting in solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for land, self-determination, and freedom from foreign domination. Like 350PDX, they are also a member organization of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), a global network of organizations concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines and committed to campaigning for just and lasting peace in the country. This November, KSO has the opportunity to attend ICHRP’s 4th General Assembly and “Peace We Want” Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, and are hoping to send 7 members to this critical event. Sharing space with other ICHRP members from all over the globe and with organizers waging the struggle on the ground in the Philippines will be critical to KSO’s ability to effectively participate in this movement.

A few who are committed to traveling to Bangkok cannot independently afford the costs of the plane tickets, passport fees, and conference registration fee. To collectively overcome this barrier for low-income members, they are asking for support. You can donate at this GoFundMe or on venmo @kalikasan-sol_org with a note about the donation. Thank you!

In love and gratitude,
The 350PDX staff

ACTION ALERT: Call for the City of Portland to have a Climate Officer Role Action alert: Help shape the Sustainability & Climate Commission