350PDX Weekly Update – What next? – July 9 2021

Hi everyone,

In the Pacific Northwest we just witnessed the “world’s most extreme heatwave in modern history.” Climate scientists are reporting that “never in the century-plus history of world weather observation have so many all-time heat records fallen by such a large margin.” Hundreds across the region died, including 107 in Oregon, 67 of those in Multnomah County alone, and it supercharged an already intense beginning to the fire season.

The climate crisis is here, and if you’re anything like me then your climate anxiety might be through the roof. 

Through my time as a climate activist I’ve found two potent antidotes to hopelessness – meaningful action, and loving community. 350PDX aims to offer both, and if you’re not already involved, we invite you now. Here’s what you can do.

1. Take action now

See below for some more actions, but this week we’re prioritizing putting pressure on Multnomah County to take action. We lost 67 members of our community in Multnomah County due to the unprecedented heatwave, many of them dying alone and without any access to fans or air conditioning. This devastating tragedy and mass casualty event requires bold policy action in response. The County must take bold and brave action against the fossil fuel industry to stop these deadly heatwaves from becoming commonplace. Join us in demanding that Multnomah County:

– Ban fossil fuels in all new buildings, and fully and equitably electrify the building sector.
– Urge their colleagues at the City of Portland to deny the Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) permit for Zenith Energy and initiate a Tribal consultation process.

Read more and take action here.

2. Rest

This one might sound counterintuitive, but at 350PDX we hold up rest as a revolutionary value against the never-ending cycle of capitalism that we live our lives in. We’ve just been through a shocking year in so many ways, and many of us are totally exhausted. The 350PDX staff certainly need it, and most of us are taking a break for most of July to recharge our batteries. That means we’ll have less events and we will be communicating less over the next month. If you’re feeling energized, feel free to dive into our trainings page where there are a bunch of resources to productively fill your time until we’re back to full capacity.

3. Get more involved

August Volunteer Orientation – Aug 19, 6:00PM – 7:30PM – On Zoom, register here

Become a sustaining donor – Having more monthly donors means we don’t have to hustle constantly to fundraise and stay afloat, so we focus our energy on other things. Most of our active volunteers also give monthly, whether that’s $5 or $50. Will you join them and support 350PDX?

4. Invite others to join

The heatwave was a climate wake up call for a lot of people, and the pandemic has been a wake up call about how our underlying political and economic system is not built to serve us. Do you have people in your life looking at the world and wishing there was something they could do? Ask them to join our mailing list or sign up to volunteer. Forward them this email! Once we’re back to full capacity in August we’ll be doing lots of events for new people to get more involved.

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.

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

  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.

• Sign and send the petition to your local elected officials: Divest our pensions from fossil fuels

  Nearly all public pension funds in the U.S. are invested in fossil fuel companies — and thus using our tax dollars to support the powerful polluters that are causing the climate crisis and violating Indigenous rights.

  Public money shouldn’t be used to fund global destruction.

  Sign and send a letter to your pension fund’s decision makers urging them to divest from fossil fuels. It is time to stop supporting climate chaos with our retirement money!

• Block the 2.9 Billion Dollar Arms Sale to Duterte! Pass the Philippine Human Rights Act Now!

  Part of our solidarity campaign with the International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

  On June 24th, the U.S. State Department approved three new arms sales to the Philippines worth over US $2.9 billion. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the arms sale would include F-16s and various missiles, contracted by major U.S. weapons companies Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing. Read more and sign the letter here.

Updates

• We’re hiring! Full-time Communications Manager

  You may remember we advertised this position as half-time a couple months ago. We’ve decided to wait a few months and hire for this position as a full-time permanent staff position! Want to join our wonderful staff collective. Check out the description here – application deadline Aug 2.

• Watch: Our Health in Wildfire Season

  Check out the webinar we co-sponsored last week on getting prepared for this intense wildfire season.

• The Creative Team is currently looking for folks with the following skills:

  – Anyone who has an induction stove and would be willing to potentially use it in a video (asap)

  – Anyone who has experienced worsening asthma because of gas in their home and is willing to share their story (asap)

  – Dancers who could learn a brief piece of choreography and be filmed (August/September)

  – Musicians who could watch a draft of an extremely short video and create music for it (August/September)

  Email creative@350pdx.org if you’re interested!

350PDX Summer Party – June 30 2021
50 of our core volunteers and staff gathered last week for the first time since the start of the pandemic, just 2 days after the heatwave.
We’ll be doing lots more of this throughout the summer so look out for events!

Opportunities​​​​

• Defund Line 3: Kill the Black Snake Bank WalkMon July 12, 3:00PM, Meet at Sewallcrest Park (SE 31st and SE Stephen)
  March to nearby Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America on Hawthorne

  Major banks ― such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CitiBank and TD Bank ― have loaned billions of dollars to the Canadian fossil fuel corporation Enbridge so it can build the toxic Line 3 tar sands pipeline. Those banks are profiting from Line 3 and the immense cultural, ecological, and climate devastation it causes. There are three major bank loans to Enbridge, worth $5.8 billion, that are due to expire on July 22nd and July 23rd. Banks can legally and easily choose to walk away from Line 3 when those loans expire. Next week, thousands of people across the country will be holding art actions and protests at the branches, offices and headquarters of the banks funding Line 3. Will you join us for an in-person action on Monday?

• Energy Justice Victory Party!Wed July 14, 5:30PM – 6:30PM, Virtual Zoom Event, RSVP here
  Please share the event on Facebook here!
  Spanish and ASL interpretation will be provided.

  From Eastern Oregon to the Coast, communities on the front lines of climate change and environmental injustice have been organizing to create good jobs in clean energy, make energy bills affordable for all, and improve health with upgrades in people’s homes through the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity Campaign – and won!

  History was made together this legislative session, and now it’s time to celebrate! Join the Energy Justice Victory Party to celebrate these hard-earned victories, hear from Legislators and frontline community members from across Oregon who were instrumental in leading us to these victories, enter the raffle to win a prize, and learn what comes next in the fight for energy justice in Oregon.

• KOIN TV Zenith ActionWed July 14, 11:00AM, KOIN TV , 222 SW Columbia St.
  Join for some street theatre outside KOIN TV to ask “Why aren’t you covered the City’s Zenith Energy Decision, and other actions addressing the roots of climate chaos?”  The media has been virtually silent in coverage of our climate actions and these critical City decisions and this is the time to start pressuring them to do better.

• Stories from Treaty People Gathering

  Thurs July 15, 6:30PM – 8:00PM

  Please join Ecofaith Recovery to take a collective next step on our journey toward Climate Justice on Thursday, July 15th from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. on Zoom for Stories from Treaty People Gathering.

  Listen to first-hand accounts from people of faith who accepted the invitation from indigenous and First Nations people to participate in the Treaty People Gathering in Minnesota June 3 – 5. Then we will respond to those stories and listen for ways we may be inspired to act together to halt the expansion of the fossil fuel economy.

  More than 2000 water protectors gathered for Minnesota’s largest-ever mobilization against the Line 3 tar sands pipeline, putting more pressure on the Biden administration to honor the Treaties and stop this toxic project.

  Come hear what happened and what’s next. Learn more and RSVP here to get the Zoom link: http://www.ecofaithrecovery.org/stories-from-treaty-people-gathering/

• 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