Hi everyone,

350PDX is one of the over 70 organizations part of the Divest Oregon coalition, which is calling on the Oregon State Treasury to divest from fossil fuels. This past week, the Divest Oregon campaign made national news! We’re thrilled that this important campaign is getting much deserved coverage – with news outlets including The Washington Post, ABC News and US News publishing “Liberal Oregon resists dropping controversial investments.”

The article names that states like New York are beginning to divest from fossil fuels, but Oregon is still dragging its heels. In a recent letter to the State Legislature, the Oregon Investment Council (OIC) claimed they couldn’t divest the Treasury because doing so would be a “personal and political decision” and not within the scope of their responsibilities. But we know that divestment is not just “personal” or “political.” Divestment is about protecting Oregonian’s financial futures – as fossil fuel investments continue to get a below-market return and will soon be stranded assets. Divestment is about protecting our collective future against the Climate Crisis. Divestment is about survival.

As the Divest Oregon campaign grows, we continue to gain allies standing up for Oregon’s future. Gubernatorial Candidate and House Speaker Tina Kotek is now on the record supporting divestment, with her spokesman saying in an email that ”she finds it disappointing that Treasurer Read’s letter seems to affirm his support for the status quo.”

Divest Oregon is working hard to amplify Oregonians voices so the Treasury hears us. You can learn more about the coalition and join their work here!

Take Action!

For quick actions like petitions, check out our Take Action Page. See here for our broader Volunteer Opportunities.

Tell the Oregon DEQ to reject a pollution increase at PGE’s Carty Gas Plant

Portland General Electric (PGE) wants the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to approve a massive increase in air pollution from carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound emissions–both of which have serious health and environmental impacts–in an area that already has frequent air quality advisories and alerts. Will you stand up for public health and our climate and send a comment to the DEQ today?

Tell OPB to Drop NW Natural Sponsorship

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) has been a trusted news source in our community. That’s why it’s so surprising to hear that OPB is running sponsorship ads for NW Natural. When OPB promotes the use of fracked gas through ads that ignore harms to our communities, they lose our trust as listeners. Our public radio should not be promoting the fossil fuel industry. Join us in asking OPB to drop their NW Natural sponsorship.

Write a Public Comment on Portland’s City Charter Review by Dec 9!

The City of Portland is at a turning point. This fall, the City is undergoing a Charter Review process that could transform how we tackle key problems, from the climate crisis to racial injustice. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the City to eliminate deep structural barriers that have prevented Portland from becoming the equitable, collaborative, strategic, and community-driven city it could be.

Now through Dec 9 — the City needs to hear from you. Submit a public comment on the Charter Review process by 8:00am on Thursday, Dec 9th

Join Statewide Divest Oregon Selfie Action

All through November – Join us in telling the @OregonTreasury and @TreasurerRead it’s time to #DivestOregon! They need to see that people from across the state are calling for divestment. Make your voice heard!

Take Action: We Need ODOT to Prioritize Climate, Not Freeway Expansions

ODOT has spent $5 million on communications and PR to rebrand the failed Columbia River Crossing project as the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, but we’re not being fooled. We don’t need a massive freeway expansion. We can pursue common sense alternatives that increase transit options while lowering carbon emissions and creating new jobs. Join us in telling Metro Council to stand up to ODOT and withhold money for this freeway expansion project. Write them a message today!

Updates

Canadian police arrest Indigenous opponents of gas pipeline and 2 journalists covering it

TC Energy is building Coastal Gaslink – a fracked natural gas pipeline from British Columbia to the Pacific Coast – over the unceded territory of the Wet’suwet’en. Indigenous activists have been fighting the pipeline for years, and starting on Nov 18 a group blockaded construction. Roughly 15 people were arrested, and two journalists were detained. Read the full article in DeSmog here.

The Portland public will now be able to testify on all city reports!

Thanks to testimony from Portland-Metro People’s Coalition, Portland Copwatch, and others, the Portland public will now be able to testify on all city reports. This opens a door for our voices to be heard! Read more and retweet the news here. Thanks to everyone who organized to make this happen!

Can younger generations spur corporations to divest from fossil fuels?

On Oct 29, youth activists from Future Coalition, 350 Seattle, and other groups rallied hundreds in Seattle to call for divestment. Divestment campaigns are growing around the country, with young people often at the helm. Read the full Crosscut article here.

More than 400 toxic sites in California are at risk of flooding from sea level rise

“… predominately Black and brown communities … are five times more likely than the general population to live within half a mile of a toxic site that could flood by 2050, according to a new statewide mapping project led by environmental health professors at UC Berkeley and UCLA. All told, the ocean could inundate more than 400 hazardous facilities by the end of the century — exposing nearby residents to dangerous chemicals and polluted water.” – Los Angeles Times. Read the full article here.

Opportunities​​​​

350PDX Volunteer Orientation

Wed Dec 1, 6:00-7:45pm, 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!

Divest Oregon Action at Mt. Tabor Park

Wed Dec 8, 9:30-10:30am, in person – Mt. Tabor Park (gather at the gate located on SE Salmon Street just past SE Taylor Court)

Divest Oregon coalition members are once again rallying together to make our voices heard about the Oregon investment portfolio. The theme this month is: “We Don’t Want Our Retirement $$ to Destroy This Special Place.” All are welcome! Meet at Mt. Tabor Park at 9:30am on Dec 8 – gather at the gate located on SE Salmon Street just past SE Taylor Court. Learn more here.

350PDX December General Meeting

Wed Dec 8, 6:00-7:15pm, online – register here

Join us for this month’s General Meeting which is open to all and is a great place for new and existing volunteers to meet staff and other volunteers, come and hear what the other teams are up to, and to do a deep dive into a topic. In December we’ll hear from our new Forest Climate Manager, Brenna Bell, who will be diving into the climate science and ecology of our forests, and what the 350PDX Forest Defense team is doing about it.

People’s Forest Forum: Unsettling Mt. Hood Ecologies

Wed Dec 9, 6:00-8:30pm, online – register here

Join Bark on Dec 9th from 6:00-8:30pm for six critical, constructive discussions for our fourth annual forum, in collaboration with graduate students in the Racial Ecologies course at the U of O! Discussions topics include “Memory Haunts This Mountain,” “Representing and Naming Mt. Hood,” and “Indigenous and Settler Mapping Practices.” Bark’s mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives and where local communities have a social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation.

Fall Training Series – Skilling Up For Climate Action

Join these free trainings offered for all 350 groups across the country, whether you’re brand new or a longtime activist. Register and you’ll receive slides and recordings afterwards too, even if you can’t make it. More info on all the trainings here.

Portland Black Lives Matter Protests

Throughout the week @ across the city – details here