350PDX Weekly Update – #StopLine3 and #StopTarSands everywhere! – June 9 2021

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Hi everyone,

Over the weekend over two thousand people gathered in Anishinaabe territory in northern Minnesota for the Treaty People Gathering in protest of the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline.

The police were unyielding, with a dangerously low flying helicopter showering water protectors with dust and debris, and police using something painfully familiar to protestors in Portland, a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, to drive protesters away with noise. Over 200 water protectors were arrested, with many chaining themselves to pipeline construction equipment hoping to delay this project which would lock Minnesota – and the nation – into decades of continued burning of the dirtiest fossil fuel in the world. Line 3 would also be built across some of Minnesota’s most pristine waters, permeable soils, and wild rice lakes. This route violates treaty rights, crossing over 1855 Treaty land where Indigenous people have the right to hunt, fish, and gather.

It’s hard to believe that in 2021 people are still needing to put their bodies on the line to protect water, treaty rights, and the climate. But the reality is, without maintaining and escalating this pressure on President Biden, this pipeline will be flowing by the end of this year.

Here’s what you can do: Sign the petition telling Biden to Stop Line 3. Call the White House. Donate to the Bail Fund. Go to Minnesota to join the new camps and actions emerging – info on this Facebook page. Follow these groups for ongoing actions and requests – Honor the Earth, Giniw Collective, Indigenous Environmental Network.

Recent breaking news from today shows the power we have in stopping projects like Line 3. Just a couple of hours ago, TC Energy announced it was officially terminating the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This is a HUGE victory. Years of Indigenous-led resistance against this destructive pipeline to protect water, land, and our climate has outright won. This announcement is another example of how grassroots organizing works. In the words of Dallas Goldtooth from the Indigenous Environmental Network, “We took on a multi-billion dollar corporation and we WON!” Together, our movements have stopped Keystone XL. Together we can stop tar sands oil everywhere: from Line 3 to Zenith Energy here in Portland.

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No Tar Sands Here, No Tar Sands Anywhere. City of Portland: it’s time to Stop Zenith!

Here in Portland we have our own tar sands oil fight, with Zenith Energy bringing in tar sands by rail and exporting on ships from their facility in NW Portland. Ever since Zenith Energy began operating in our City over 3 years ago, the amount of dangerous oil trains in our community has quadrupled. 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 signing this petition to the City Council, calling each member of City Council, and sharing this petition with 5 of your friends and family right now. 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.

In addition to signing the digital petition, we’ll also be hitting the streets this month at every farmers market and event in town to get even more signatures to the City to show the overwhelming need to #StopZenithOil! Miss talking to people in person? You can join us in canvassing at a variety of events this weekend and this month by signing up for a shift here. We’ll get you set up with all the materials you need. Help us make this the summer we stop Zenith!

Here’s your 350PDX weekly update.

Actions

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

  • Can you call your legislator this week to help pass the Clean Energy for All & Healthy Homes bills?

    Your urgent help is needed to move the Clean Energy for All bill (HB2021) and the Healthy Homes bill (HB2842) out of the Ways and Means Committee. We’re so close to the finish line, and we need your help to pass the next two bills in the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity campaign! If your legislator serves on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, please give them a call this week and then let us know you called by logging your call here:

    Senator Kathleen Taylor (Milwaukie) 503-986-1721
    Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (NW Portland, Beaverton) 503-986-1717
    Senator Lew Frederick (N and NE Portland) 503-986-1722
    Representative Tawna Sanchez (N and NE Portland) 503-986-1443
    Representative Rob Nosse (SE Portland) 503-986-1442

    Here’s the full list of members of the Joint Committee for Ways and Means if you don’t see your legislator above, or if you’re not sure. If you don’t know who your legislator is, you can look them up here. (If your legislator does not sit on the Joint Committee for Ways and Means, it’s OK to call them, and the best timing will probably be next week or the following week.)

    You will likely get an answering machine, but you may speak with a member of your legislator’s staff. It is fine to call after-hours. Important: After calling, please help us track how many calls are made by logging your call here. Example script:

    Hi Senator______ / Representative ______ my name is _______ and I live in _________.  I’m calling to urge you to vote yes for the Clean Energy for All bill, HB2021, and for the Healthy Homes bill, HB2842.  I care about these bills because …..
    – A transition to 100% clean energy is important to me
    – I believe communities hit hardest by climate and environmental injustice must benefit from the transition to clean energy
    – It’s time to move away from polluting energy sources
    Thank you for your hard work this session!

    The Clean Energy for All bill (HB2021) and the Healthy Homes bill (HB2842), and the Energy Affordability bill (HB2475, which already passed the House and Senate!) are part of the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity, a campaign led by frontline climate and environmental justice groups across Oregon. Our goal is to reduce energy bills, support home upgrades that help keep families healthy, and create good jobs in clean energy projects across Oregon.

  • Wanted: Social Media Volunteers

    We need help with our social media! We’ve just had a wonderful intern Annie complete her internship building our social media systems so it’s a well-oiled (vegetable oil, not tar sands oil) machine. Until our newly hired Communications Manager comes on in the next couple of months we’re looking for a few volunteers to help out. The role would involved checking the social@350pdx.org email address where all our teams send their social media toolkits and requests to, and scheduling posts based on that. The role can be temporary (4-6 weeks) or longer term, and if we get a few volunteers we can split it so you each have just a couple days a week where you help out. Interested? Let chris@350pdx.org know! We’d be SUPER grateful for any help 🙂

  • Wanted: Help with Trainings

    We want to put on more trainings, like the Volunteer Orientation, Climate Justice 101, Winning a Campaign 101, Centering Frontline Leadership 101, etc. But we need help! Trainings take up a lot of time and energy, and Chris could use some support in developing, delivering, advertising, and everything else that goes into trainings. These trainings might be virtual, but increasingly we’re thinking about doing some summer trainings in the park or backyard. Interested in helping out? Let chris@350pdx.org know! You don’t need to be an expert in the content, we can learn that together. Looking for teachers / trainers / good public speakers / curriculum designers / researchers or anyone with a passion for creating a learning environment.

Updates

  • Got any office space ideas?

    Earlier in the pandemic we moved out of our office at the Central Lutheran Church and went fully remote. Partly that was to save money on a space we couldn’t use, but it was also because long term we were going to outgrow the space. Now with things gradually starting to open up we’re starting to think about where a new office space might be, and we need ideas! Know any spots that might be good? Please let chris@350pdx.org know!

    Needs: Office space for 5-15 desks with access to one or more large rooms for bigger meetings (ranging from 10 – 100 people). Ideally we could share an office with another movement nonprofit (we have one or two in mind who are also seeking office space) so there would be room for them too. Location: hoping for fairly central eastside but open to other locations. Must be accessible by transit, and space itself must be accessible (entryways, stairs, bathrooms, etc.) Kitchen, printer/scanner access.

  • Watch: 350PDX June General Meeting on Abolition

    We were joined by Lee Helfend of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon who gave a great interactive walk-through of abolition. You can find Lee’s slides here.

Opportunities​​​​

Thank you all for the work that you do, stay safe, we’re all in this together,
Chris, Chuck, Dineen, Gaby, Indi – the 350PDX staff

350PDX Weekly Update – One year on – May 26 2021 Volunteer Update from the Treaty People Gathering to #StopLine3