350PDX Weekly Update – Another heatwave, volunteers needed – August 11 2021
Hi everyone,
What a week. Another blistering heatwave is upon us, and on Monday the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their latest damning report.
You can read it here, or read a summary of the key takeaways here, but the basics are that it confirms what we already know: the Earth’s climate is getting worse more rapidly than predicted, and the window to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is quickly closing.
This is not easy news to receive, and many of us are feeling all sorts of dire emotions this week. Support in the movement for climate justice is more than organizing and strategy. No one is immune to the difficult news of the climate and other crises of justice, and growing a culture of mutual emotional support will be increasingly vital over time.
So we’re reserving the first half of our August General Meeting (coming up on Mon Aug 30, 6pm, register here) for a climate emotions check-in. Facilitated by longtime 350PDX volunteer and workshop facilitator Barbara Ford, we will take some time to reflect together and share in small groups how we are doing. You are free to share, or just to listen. We will also share some plans for other events like this, and solicit ideas for what might be fun and supportive ways to grow our sense of community.
In the meantime, here are some resources for working with climate emotions, and here’s a very short (3 min) video from eco-philosopher Joanna Macy on why uncertainty about our future can be a powerful resource to draw from.
Listen to eco-philosopher Joanna Macy on uncertainty (3 min)
Heat Resources
It’s going to be dangerously hot again. Here are some resources about dealing with the heat, and helping others.
- 211Info is a resource for information about cooling centers. Information can change at the last moment so encouraging folks to call the centers first is the best bet. Let people know to take steps to stay cool. The community can get current information by visiting the 211info.org website for cooling center locations. If people do not have online access, they can dial 211 for assistance. If they are in Multnomah County and lack access to transportation, they can contact 211 to set up a ride to one of the designated cooling centers. If 211 website isn’t working you can check here too.
- Help for when it’s hot from Multnomah County
- Defense Fund PDX needs volunteers, ice, water, coolers, and Gatorade, from 9am-5pm Weds-Fri at 3534 SE Main St.
- Careful about where you swim – the Willamette downtown has a blue-green algae bloom that can be toxic to dogs and others – read more here.
Mutual Aid Support: Volunteer to help Cooling Centers Stay Open!
The emergency management director for the City of Portland reached out to us to ask if we could share this message. Sign up at the links below.
I’m sure you saw that another heat wave is hitting the City. We’ve opened cooling centers and misting stations in parks, to serve the residents who are most at risk. Staffing is a challenge. We’ve offered employees overtime, asked them to bring their friends and family, and tapped all our community volunteers. We’re grateful for help from anyone who has a desire to assist people affected by the heat. I wonder if you would consider sharing our volunteer requests with your email list? We can call it “direct action to help people impacted by climate change.” People can sign up with older kids, spouses, and friends. Families and friend groups can sign up together if they like. Here are the details:
Charles Jordan Community Center, 9009 N Foss Ave (Portsmouth): https://www.signupgenius.com/
The Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave (Downtown): https://www.signupgenius.com/
Glenhaven Park, NE 82nd Ave & NE Siskiyou St (Roseway/Madison South): https://www.signupgenius.com/
Knott Park, 11456 NE Knott St (Parkrose Heights): https://www.signupgenius.com/
Mt Scott Park, SE 72nd Ave & Harold St (Mt Scott): https://www.signupgenius.com/
Lents Park, SE Holgate & 97th https://www.signupgenius.com/
East Portland Community Center, 740 SE 106th Ave https://www.signupgenius.com/
Harney Park, SE 67th & Harney https://www.signupgenius.com/
Actions
For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.
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No Tar Sands Here, No Tar Sands Anywhere. City of Portland: it’s time to Stop Zenith!
The City still hasn’t made it’s decision on this critical permit. Let’s keep the pressure up! Ever since Zenith Energy began operating in our City over 3 years ago, the amount of dangerous oil trains in our community has quadrupled, with many trains carrying tar sands oil, the most polluting form of energy on the planet. It’s time for this to stop. The Portland City Council has a big decision to make about Zenith Energy’s oil-by-rail terminal this month and they need to hear from you! In the face of a climate emergency, Portland has the opportunity to say “NO!” to this dirty oil company and assert its vision for a sustainable city—one that values community and environmental health over profits for fossil fuel companies.
Take action to stop Zenith by calling each member of City Council. If you only have time for one phone call, though, make it to Commissioner Dan Ryan, who oversees the Bureau of Development Services which will make this permit decision. His number is 503-823-3589.
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Sign up to be a kayaktivist!
Whether you’re an experienced boater, or have never been out on the water and have been wanting to try, this is for you! This is a great chance to get outside while still doing climate action, and being on the water is naturally socially distanced!
Fill in the form to get more info, get trained up, and get looped in when actions are happening. Join the local people-powered movement to stop the climate crisis and sign up below
Kayaktivists on the Willamette a few weeks ago protesting Zenith Energy
Opportunities
- Action: The Climate Horror Picture ShowFri Aug 13, 10:30AM – 12:00PM, Bank of America, 3757 SE Hawthorne Blvd, and then downtown
Please join XR PDX and 350PDX at 10:30 Friday at the Bank of America, 3757 SE Hawthorne Blvd, with your signs and energy! We will be focusing on evil bank greenwashing, defunding fossil fuels and of course, Stop Line 3 and Stop Zenith Oil. (This is part of the kickoff of the Deadline Glasgow campaign organized by StopTheMoneyPipeline.)
We will be performing the Climate Warp (Don’t do the climate warp now!) at Bank of America and then repeating the action at Chase Bank at Cesar Chavez and Hawthorne (2 blocks away). Then we will go downtown and do it all again at Chase Bank, 811 SW 6th.
If you can only attend half the action, we encourage you to show up for the downtown half. We expect to be there about 11:30.
WE NEED SINGERS/DANCERS, preferably in costume. Please let Annie (cabeckstany@gmail.com) know if you are interested. (Performers will meet at the Wells Fargo parking lot, 3782 SE Hawthorne @ 10:00 on Friday for a quick rehearsal.) This is gonna be FUN!
- Action: Health Professionals Against Line 3Tues Aug 17, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd #400, Portland. Share Facebook event here.
Stop Line 3 solidarity event for health professionals, public health advocates, and any and all others who wish to join – if you’re a climate justice advocate you can call yourself a public health advocate too!
Join Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility on August 17th for a National Day of Solidarity Action
Line 3 cuts through the heart of the Anishinaabe territory in Minnesota, violating treaty rights, damaging sacred wild rice beds, and threatening the health of Indigenous communities.
Health professionals in Minnesota have opposed Line 3 for several years in a movement led by Indigenous leaders. They are now calling on us to stand in solidarity with the water protectors.
Health Professionals across the country have responded with several states, including Oregon, participating in a distributed action on August 17th.
Health Professionals, consider wearing clothes that identify you as such, white-coat or scrubs.
Fully vaccinated people are welcome to attend this outdoor event. Please wear a mask and physically distance.
- 350PDX Volunteer OrientationThurs Aug 19, 6:00PM – 7:30PM, Online, register here
A great place to get started with 350PDX – hear what we’re all about, meet some cool people, and start finding your place in the climate justice movement here in Portland!
- New Volunteer Party!Wed Aug 25, 6:30PM – 8:30PM, In-person in a big backyard in NE Portland, RSVP here
New to 350PDX? Want to get more involved with volunteering? Want to hear more about what 350PDX is all about? Just want to hang out with some cool climate people? Then come to our August New Volunteer Party!
We’ll have food, drink, good times, and a bunch of info about all our teams and campaigns. We’ll also have a handful of 350PDX staff and long standing volunteers who you can get to know and ask questions in a relaxed, informal setting.
Avoiding in-person events? Not available at this time? Well we’ll be doing an Virtual New Volunteer Happy Hour a few weeks later – Thurs Sept 9th 6-7pm. Register for that here.
- 350PDX August General MeetingMon Aug 30, 6:00PM – 7:30PM, Online, register here
Join for our next General Meeting, we’ll kick off with the Climate Emotions Check-in that we talked about in the intro to this email, and then dive into a reportback from some folks who went out to Minnesota to the Line 3 protest camps.
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New Volunteer Virtual Happy Hour
Thurs Sept 9, 6:00PM – 7:00PM, Online, register here
New to 350PDX? Want to get more involved with volunteering? Want to hear more about what 350PDX is all about? Just want to hang out with some cool climate people? Then come to our New Volunteer Virtual Happy Hour!
This will be a nice informal relaxing getting-to-know-each-other time where we’ll have the opportunity for you to chat to other new folks, some staff, and some movement mentors who’ve been volunteering for a while. A good place to get to know some faces, make some friends, and get some ideas for your next steps in getting involved with 350PDX.
- Portland Black Lives Matter Protests
Throughout the week @ across the city – details here
Click here for our advice for showing up to protest
Thank you all for the work that you do, stay safe, we’re all in this together,
Chris, Chuck, Dineen, Gaby, Indi, Jana – the 350PDX staff
