Hi everyone,
Thank you to everyone who took action last week to defend City Charter reform Measure 26-228! Earlier this month, Commissioners Dan Ryan and Rene Gonzalez proposed sweeping changes to the measure’s implementation, such as shrinking the future City Council from 12 to eight members, adopting a watered down version of ranked-choice voting, and giving the mayor veto powers. These changes would have undermined Portlanders’ dream for a more efficient, equitable, representative form of City government, and gone against what nearly 60% of us voted for last fall.
That’s why last week, Portlanders showed up en masse at City Hall — calling on our commissioners to uphold the will of voters and implement the measure as it was written on the ballot. And the good news is, after receiving little support for their proposals and a lot of public push-back, Ryan and Gonzalez are no longer moving forward with their proposals to reduce the number of City Council seats or change ranked choice voting.
However, they are still calling for the mayor to have more power, so we will need to keep up the fight to defend the charter reforms we voted on last fall. Stay tuned for ways to join the fight, and together we’ll keep Portland headed in a direction of adopting a more representative, just form of City government.
In gratitude,
350PDX Staff (Anissa, Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Eloise, Kiera, & Julia)
Take Action
For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. Take the Pledge of Action for more updates.
For years, community members across the city have been opposing Zenith Energy’s dangerous oil-by-rail operations. Together we’ve rallied, called, wrote, built a garden on the tracks, held a 60-hour vigil at the facility, educated our neighbors about the problem, sued the company, wrote songs, lobbied our elected officials, and so much more. Despite this ongoing organizing, Portland City Council turned its back on the people of Portland when it approved Zenith’s request to continue transporting crude oil through our community. Enough is enough.
Tomorrow, after months of continued grassroots pressure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will decide whether to approve TC Energy’s proposed GTN XPress pipeline expansion. The GTN XPress proposal would push even more fracked gas through a decades-old pipeline that crosses Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. This decision is coming right after a TC Energy gas pipeline in Virginia ruptured just yesterday, causing a catastrophic fire and explosion. This company has a horrible track record — TC Energy is the same company whose Keystone XL Pipeline spilled 600,000 gallons of crude oil into a Kansas stream earlier this year.
Is FERC really going to approve the risky project less than 48 hours after another major TC Energy pipeline failure? Help us increase the pressure on FERC in these final hours before their meeting in DC. Use this toolkit to call on FERC Commissioners to deny TC Energy’s application.
Events & Opportunities
People Over Profit! Seattle Counter Summit Against APEC
July 29-30 — Seattle, WA – learn more here
Sign up for the Peoples’ Counter Summit against APEC happening Saturday July 29 – Sunday July 30 in Seattle, Washington. This will include a gathering to host discussions and make plans for regional and national organizing against APEC and other “free trade” bodies in the future. The weekend will also include an informal social event and a rally to protest the APEC ministerial meetings that will be beginning the same weekend in Seattle. Sign up to save the date and receive more information about the event and other logistics.
The Blue River: A Call to Heal the Willamette Film Screening and Panel
Sat, Aug 6, 4-5pm — Historic Alberta House (5131 NE 23rd Ave, Portland) — sign up here
Join the Portland Harbor Community Coalition for a launch of The Blue River: A Call to Heal the Willamette — a short film premiere on Sunday, August 6. The film was funded in 2021 by Metro, and produced by Tule Films. PHCC and supporters worked closely with the late, beloved Cayuse/Nimiipuu tribal elder Art McConville, member of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation and other trusted community members to shine a light on Native/Indigenous approaches to healing the river. The Willamette River is an important inter-tribal harvesting and cultural historical area that has been compromised in large part due to industrial pollution over the last century. The film will be followed by a special panel led by those in the film.
Youth Climate Organizer Summer Workshop Series
Aug 7-28 (Mondays from 5:30-8pm) — at Green Anchors (8940 N Bradford St. in Portland – Learn more and sign up here for the summer workshop series!
The Breach Collective, in partnership with other PDX organizations and community members, is hosting a weekly workshop series throughout the month of August. Workshops will be every Monday evening from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m at Green Anchors (8940 N Bradford St. in Portland) and are open to people 30 years old and younger.
350PDX Book Club: The Ministry for the Future
Wed, Aug 23, 6:30-8pm — 350PDX office (3625 N Mississippi Ave, Portland) – learn more here
We’ll meet for our monthly book club – this time to talk about The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.
350PDX Action Night & Pedalpalooza Ride!
Mon, Aug 28, 6-8pm — RSVP here
350PDX has monthly, in person gatherings where you’re invited to meet people in the climate justice community and take action together! This August, our Action Night will also be a Pedalpalooza bike ride on Mon Aug 28, 6PM – 8PM (start and end location TBD). Our general schedule is as follows:
6:00PM – 6:15PM – Meet at first destination
6:15PM – 7:00PM – Bike ride
7:00PM – 8:00 PM – Picnic/Potluck at park destination, network with our teams, and learn how you can take action!
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.
THIS FRIDAY, JULY 28, 6-10pm @ Unlimited IPA (6350 SE Foster Rd, Portland) — Check out the Class War Propaganda Benefit Exhibition Art Show and help the Teamsters fight UPS for the contract they deserve. Print & drink sales feed the picket line! Event is 21+ and Free
News & Updates
Flash Futures PNW: A Climate Fiction & Art Contest
We’re still gathering submissions for a brand new creative competition – Flash Futures PNW: A Climate Fiction & Art Contest (hosted by 350PDX, the Breach Collective, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Portland Neighbors Welcome)! Submit your art and writing by Aug 31. Contest winners will have their work published in a zine launched in the spring, 2024, and the top three winners in each category (writing and visual art) will also receive cash prizes.
The Prompt: What do you imagine for the future of climate justice work in the Pacific Northwest? Tell us a story (through visual art or in writing) about what that work could look like in the future – 10, 50, 500+ years from now. We invite you to dream boldly!
Victory: Enbridge Ordered to Shutdown Line 5 and Pay Bad River Band $5.1M
“Ashland, WI — Canadian oil corporation Enbridge has been ordered to shut down its Line 5 tar sands oil pipeline and pay the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians $5.1 million. Chief Judge William M. Conley of the U.S. District Court for Wisconsin ruled on June 16, 2023 that Enbridge must adopt a more conservative shutdown and purge plan for its remaining time on the Bad River Indian Reservation.” — read the full article from Unicorn Riot here
In love and gratitude,
The 350PDX staff
