While summer lingers in the air, we can feel the gentle tug of autumn. 350PDX has been in quite a state of transition–making it through our financial crisis and reimagining the ways we should go forward. It is such an exciting time, and the change of season feels appropriate.

We have so much to be grateful for, especially our community and amazing volunteers. You rallied around us and helped save 350PDX with your time, donations, art, advice, and words of support. Thank you. At our next Action Night, we want to show our appreciation and share our vision for a new, more inspiring and impactful 350PDX. Save the date: September 18, and look for an email with more info soon!

Also, we hope to see you at Sun Day, September 21, a national day of action that will celebrate the sun power revolution and bring us together to stand up to people and policies aiming to stop the clean energy transition. Sun Day PDX is one of 215 events happening nationwide! There will be speakers from Ecotrust, Oregon State Senate, Union of Concerned Scientists and more, a parade/march across the Hawthorne Bridge, and a “Sun Ball” from Making Earth Cool! More info here! And please see our Arts Team section below, they need folks to help with our magical puppets!

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

The 350PDX Fossil Fuel Resistance Team spent the summer learning together about different campaigns we can focus on, and we’re excited to have made decisions and rolled up our sleeves to get to work! These campaigns include: Transitioning the CEI (Critical Energy Infrastructure) Hub, Make Polluters Pay, and Fighting the Energy Impacts of Data Centers & AI. If any of these topics interest you, now’s a great time to join the team!

We’re also getting ready and excited for the 25th Rumble on the River Community Forum on Thursday, September 25th and would love for you to join us.

Rumble on the River 25 – What Can We Do About The CEI Hub?
Come learn about what’s behind and ahead with the on-going CEI Hub Policy Project and celebrate the 25th in our series of Rumble on the River community forums.

Thursday, September 25th at 1241 Lloyd Center
5:00pm The Unpresidented Brass Band performance
5:30pm Rumble Co-Sponsor Tabling & 25th Rumble Celebration
6:30pm Rumble Community Forum
More info here!

We also invite you to join us at two upcoming film screenings for the documentary Chasing Chimeras: The Lure of Deceptive Climate Solutions, happening at Cinema 21 on Wednesday, September 24 at 7 PM and at St Johns Twin Cinemas on Wednesday, October 15 at 7 PM.

JOIN THE FFR TEAM: Our next meeting is on Zoom on Tuesday, September 9 at 5:30pm. Please reach out to Team Lead Ben Platt for the Zoom link: benplatt59@gmail.com. After that, our next meeting is in-person at the 350PDX office on Tuesday, September 23.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense team is continuing our work on two major campaigns: (1) increasing the tree canopy in Portland, focusing on shade equity (2) pushing for climate-smart management of the state forests through preserving legacy forest on state lands and lengthening logging rotations on plantation forests on state lands.

In the shade equity campaign we are encouraging the city to approve a strong Urban Forest Plan. The Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee will review a draft plan on September 11th. 

In the state forest campaign, we are working to raise awareness about the upcoming timber sale of a legacy forest near Astoria. If this sale, known as Middle Big Noise, goes through, 100 acres of mature, diverse forest in the Clatsop State Forest will be clear cut. We think it should be preserved for carbon storage, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat. This fall, the team is planning a hike in the Middle Big Noise area and would love to have you join us!

We are also asking Governor Kotek to appoint a new state forester who will consider climate change and ecological management as top priorities. The governor will nominate the new state forester, a position that is currently empty.

GET CONNECTED: Join the Forest Defense Team meetings on the first and third Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 pm.  Contact volunteer team leads Felice Kelly (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler Gilmore (tyler@350pdx.org) to get involved.

Arts Team

Throughout July and August and into September, the 350PDXArts Team is turning the “World on Fire” truck into a huge float for Sun Day, September 21. The float showcases Portland’s natural resources and the many successful renewable strategies humans use for energy.

To do that, we work at the 350PDX workshop (3639 N Mississippi) 4 days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, from 1:00-4:00pm. We’ll continue to do so until the float is finished or until September 21, whichever comes first. Some puppets also need finishing: the dragonfly and the powerful new Mourning Mothers puppets showing grief for the changes in our world since fossil fuels. We also need a small army of puppeteers for the Sun Day rally and parade.

Please join us! Let Donna know if you can help: murph1949@aol.com. No experience necessary!

350 Washington County Team

We presented our first Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro on August 9. Six months of planning in partnership with the City of Hillsboro and local allies came to beautiful fruition! Attendance numbers were near 500, there were more than 40 exhibitors, and lots of electric vehicles to check out. Oregon’s climate activist and 2025 Kid Governor Rosie Lanenga spoke to attendees and tried out e-bikes and scooters.

There were tons of fun activities for the whole family and free ice cream treats as well. Door prizes included a STIHL electric lawn trimmer, a two burner induction cooktop, pool parties, and more.  The event was a huge success.

Our summer potluck on August 24 was well-attended and we got to have a chat session with special guest Senator Janeen Sollman (district 15).

Our next online meeting will take place at 6:30pm on Tuesday, September 9. For the link, join us here. Our general activities include: tracking government at multiple levels around climate and environment, connecting with the Beaverton and the Tigard Climate Action teams, stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro, and more! We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month).

SW Team

Welcome to the Southwest Neighborhood Team, which includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in September, every Friday from 4:00-5:00pm at SW Multnomah & SW 35th Avenue. We reach hundreds of commuters with our climate action signs in a highly visible location. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. We have extra signs to share!

Join our upcoming outreach event. We will be promoting our Climate Action Now yard signs at the Hillsdale Farmers Market from 8:30am to 1:oopm. on Sunday, October 5. To sign up for a 2-hour shift please contact Pat at patk5@msn.com.

GET CONNECTED: Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, September 15th, from 6:30-7:30pm. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

_________________

350PDX is  excited to welcome the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to the 350PDX Workshop! DSA shares many of our commitments to justice, community power, and art as a tool for liberation. We’re proud to build partnership and solidarity while also stewarding our space and resources wisely. Welcome to the workshop—we’re glad you’re here!

As we make the space more welcoming, we’re on the lookout for a few things to help warm up the vibe—barstools to increase our seating options, and especially floor lamps or string lights (because fluorescent lights are not friends with coziness)! If you’ve got any of these items to spare, we’d love to hear from you.

With so much gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica

Welcome to our July newsletter! Before we share exciting campaign updates and sizzling summer events, we want to express our gratitude for the incredible support and generosity from our community over the past several weeks. We’ve now passed the halfway mark of our goal, and testimonials from volunteers and donors are coming in daily, all expressing what 350PDX means to them and why we all need to step up to support. (Check them out here – it’s an inspiring read!)

We’re starting the first day of the month with an exciting announcement: two committed 350PDX supporters have joined up to create a $35,000 matching fund because they believe in our work and in you. Starting today and for the next 10 days, all donations to 350PDX will be doubled, up to $35,000!

DONATE TO 350PDX

Upcoming Events

Summer’s in full swing and July is a busy month! Stay up to date on all the ways to get involved with 350PDX on our calendar. Here’s some big events we’re especially excited about:

Wednesday, July 16 – Rabble Rouser: a Training in Joyful Resistance and Collective Action (feat. Pattie Gonia)! Our 350PDX Arts Team will be hosting a Puppet Workshop as part of this event, along with many other useful trainings in grassroots organizing, lobbying, mutual aid, and more. Dinner is included, too! If you want to attend and help table for 350PDX, you can get in for free. Reach out to dineen@350pdx.org for more info!

Thursday, July 17 – 350PDX July Action Night & Pedalpalooza Ride! Join us for a two-part Action Night that you won’t want to miss! We will be focusing on bringing joy, curiosity, and thoughtful attention to our urban canopy and its inequities which fall along lines of historical racism and income disparities.

6:00 pm Urban Shade Equity Pedalpalooza Ride  – Meet at Lents Park (SE Corner Lents Park near SE Steele St & SE 92nd Ave) We will ride by the newly constructed Trees In the Curb Zone Pilot Project and experience the differences in shade canopy as we make our way to Laurelhurst Park. Kids welcome, though they should be able to keep up with a pace that’s casual for adults. It’s a one-way (not a loop) ride ending at Laurelhurst Park.

7:30 pm Action Night – Laurelhurst Park – Picnic Spot A (Near SE Oak St & SE 35th Ave) We will meet up with the riders for refreshments, speakers, and information from partner organizations. We’ll take some time to celebrate recent shade equity wins and take action to support a more equitable urban forest. There will also be a very exciting SILENT AUCTION raising funds for 350PDX with prizes from local businesses (SymbiOp, Clever Cycles, Oaks Park, Alder Creek Kayaks, and more). 

RSVP (not necessary but helpful for planning).

Come to both the bike ride and Action Night, or just Action Night!

TEAM NEWS

Forest Defense Team

Shade Equity:

The forest defense team is hosting the 4th annual Urban Shade Equity Pedalpalooza Ride! See info above!

Starting this month, City Council will be reviewing the Portland Urban Forest Plan – which is critical for protecting, preserving, restoring, and expanding the urban forest in an equitable and sustainable way. Stay tuned for if/how we will get involved.

State Forests:

Our state forests are primarily managed as production forests. To shed light on what this state forest management actually looks like beneath the canopy, our team is going to be following the “Middle Big Noise” timber sale. The coast range is very productive and efficient in carbon fixing, which is important for ecology, habitat, and water quality, but also for offsetting global climate change. As we track this sale, we will be heading out to the land, bringing awareness, and demonstrating what State Forest management means on the ground.

Protecting Forest Park:

PGE has appealed the city council’s decision, which prevented them from clearcutting almost five acres of Forest Park for new energy transmission lines. Crag Law Center is supporting 3 environmental groups defending the city’s decision, and will present their case to the Land Use Board of Appeals.

Industrial Biomass: 

Two big wins in the industrial biomass industry:

First, the various proposals from Mike Less to sell off public lands have been struck down. If this went forward, it would have cleared the way for Drax and other climate villains to turn our forests into wood pellets to be shipped overseas. Second, our allies fighting biomass plants in California have defeated Golden State Natural Resources — which proposed to build two industrial-scale wood pellet plants and a storage and export terminal in Northern California. Read the press release here.

GET CONNECTED: Join the Forest Defense Team meetings on the first and third Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 pm.  Contact volunteer team leads Felice Kelly (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler Gilmore (tyler@350pdx.org) to get involved.

Climate Policy Team

State legislative session concludes.

Oregon’s legislative session finished up with a flurry of activity late Friday night, passing several of our priority bills. Concerningly, the session did not result in large-scale progress on climate justice priorities, and it ended without the approval of a transportation package that’s needed to fund the Oregon Department of Transportation for the next 8 years.

That said, several of the bills we advocated for did pass, and none of the bills we opposed moved forward. Bills that passed included HB 2081 (requires the Treasury to analyze and manage climate risk in our state’s PERS investments), as well as several bills related to a more efficient electrical grid and to utilities oversight and affordability. Farmworker disaster relief received a bit of funding as well. Read more about the results for our priority bills here.

Though this was a difficult budget year amidst a challenging political situation at the federal level, we are disappointed our lawmakers chose to delay necessary actions to transition to a more sustainable social and economic system. Putting off climate justice today will only become more costly tomorrow. Thank you for working together as a community to speak up about these important topics!

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

June was a successful month! We finished the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) comment period and submitted thousands of comments against Zenith’s Air Contaminant Discharge Permit. In the final days of the comment period we personally delivered 3,095 handwritten comments to the DEQ! Now we await DEQ’s decision. 

We also co-hosted a fantastic Rumble on the River at Green Anchors, along the banks of the Willamette. It was the 24th Rumble community forum in our series, with over 100 people in attendance! Thank you so much for joining us.

GET CONNECTED: The Fossil Fuel Resistance Team meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm, rotating between meeting in-person and virtually on Zoom. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, July 8 at 5:30pm and is virtual. It’s a great time to jump in! Please RSVP to dineen@350pdx.org for the Zoom link. New to the team? Our team leads can also meet with you 1:1 before our meeting for an orientation, if you’d like! Just reach out to dineen@350pdx.org

Community Development

The 350PDX Book Club meets Wednesday, July 2nd, for our virtual meeting from 6:30-8:00pm. Our July book choice is We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo. If you’ve read the book, or just want to join for an enriching conversation about climate justice and resistance movements in the Global south, feel free to attend!

We’ll meet in person on August 6th at the 350PDX office to discuss The Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang.

More info about both meetings and RSVPs can be found on the 350PDX Book Club page.

Volunteer Spotlight

Lizy Johnson

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter, and for being part of the 350PDX community. Before we close our July newsletter, we’d like to remind you of our matching fund. A $50 donation now becomes $100 to power climate justice organizing when we need it most. We know it’s a tough time for many — and that’s why this opportunity is so powerful. Your gifts now go twice as far, starting today and until July 10. 

With so much gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, Katie

Check us out on XRAY FM’s The Commons.

Did you know we are now on Bluesky? Please follow for news, events, action alerts, and more!

Earth Month brought so many joyful moments—from an  Earth Day parade to a huge win for Forest Park to a powerful exhibit by PNCA students showcasing outstanding Stop Zenith art. We are deeply grateful for these experiences.

We are also aware that we’re living in a time that is incomprehensibly difficult for so many, and we find ourselves discussing how to balance that awareness with daily life. On May 15, we’ll gather for Action Night. As part of our story-sharing activities, we’ll reflect on how we’re processing the current moment, hear how stories can supercharge our action, and share ways to help others and our planet. Join us!

Upcoming Events

Public hearing for Zenith’s application for a new air quality permit, Monday, May 12 at 6:00 pm at University of Portland. More info below in our Fossil Fuel Team update!

350PDX Action Night: Stories, Actions and Belonging, May 15, 6:00pm, at 350PDX. Let’s share about how we first gave thought to climate change and decided to do something. Let’s discuss the urgency of now–what’s going on federally is huge and overwhelming. How can we can make a tangible impact in our local city government and within our neighborhoods? These are just some of the questions we’ll reflect upon. Join us!

“Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action, May 19. Join 350PDX and partner organizations who will be advocating to keep Oregon free of new nuclear power plants. Check out our Climate Policy Team update below for RSVP & info!

City Council Climate Chats: Our next chat will be in District 3 with Councilor Angelita Morillo! RSVP here for this event on May 22 at 5:30pm.

Team News

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

Next week is a huge moment for our team and our entire local movement to Stop Zenith. Monday, May 12 at 6:00pm is the only in-person public hearing that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be holding during this current comment period on Zenith’s application for a new air quality permit. We need to do everything we can to make sure this permit is DENIED, and one clear way we can do this is by filling the Buckley Center Auditorium at the University of Portland to show DEQ the force of our amazing movement. RSVP here! Wear red. We’ll have pizza , a brief rally, and a chance to sign up to testify. The hearing begins at 6:30pm and goes until 9:00pm. DEQ will have a station for people to sign-up to provide a 2-minute testimony. For help with writing your testimony, refer to these great talking points from our friends at Columbia Riverkeeper. (You’re also more than welcome to join us, wear red, and be in the audience cheering others on as they testify!)

If you can’t make it next Monday but still want to make your voice heard, there will be another option! DEQ is holding a virtual-only public hearing on Thursday, May 15 at 6:00pm. RSVP for the virtual May 15 session here. You can also use this easy online form to send in an official public comment about this permit HERE.

Our team in the news: Catch us on the air on KBOO’s Locus Focus! Last week, our Campaign Director Dineen Crowe was in conversation with Samantha Hernandez from Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility for “Zenith Energy’s Tortured Tale in Portland.”

Join the team: Our next meeting is on Tuesday, May 13, 5:30pm on Zoom. We will debrief and recap the public hearing happening the evening before and plan what’s next. After that, we meet again on Tuesday, May 27, 5:30pm in person at 350PDX, 3639 Mississippi Ave. We’d love for you to join us! Reach out to dineen@350pdx.org to get plugged in.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense Team has been active this month on the city, state, and national levels! Team members rallied to stop PGE from clear-cutting 5 acres of Forest Park. (Thanks to the Arts Team for the awesome tree puppets that made the front page of the Oregonian!) Portland City Council voted 12-0 to take the first steps to block this project! The final vote is scheduled for May, so write your city councilors and urge them to protect Forest Park.

We have also been active in the state legislative session, opposing a bill that threatens to increase logging in state forestland at the expense of clean water and carbon sequestration. We urge you to reach out to your state legislators and ask them to oppose HB3103, which would increase logging in state forests in the coast range.

Finally we’re joining in the national campaign to oppose Trump administration efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act by reducing protections on valuable habitat. Comment on that proposal here.

Get Connected: Join the Forest Defense Team meetings on the first and third Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 pm.  Contact volunteer team leads Felice Kelly (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler Gilmore (tyler@350pdx.org) to get involved.

Climate Policy Team

Thank you to our 2024–2025 climate policy and media assistants!

This year, Reed College and University of Portland have had a partnership with us where we get to host work study students, and students get job experience and opportunities to use what they’re learning in school. This year, we’ve been joined by the following climate policy assistants: Andy Laurila (finance), Charlie Welling (divestment), Emma Niemela (buildings), Max Hanley (transportation), Natalie Severson (city), Santiago Nolasco Galicia (energy), and Sima Fasihi (CEI hub). Alex Silva joined us as a climate communications and media assistant. We want to take this opportunity to recognize what these folks are adding to the climate justice movement. They’ve helped us track bills, serve on coalitions, plan lobby days, draft public testimony, pull off events, document events, and much more. Thank you all for the amazing work you’ve done this year!

City Council Climate Chats: 

Thank you to Councilors Avalos, Green, Dunphy, Kanal, Novick, and Pirtle-Guiney for meeting with us so far! We’ve partnered with Oregon League of Conservation Voters to host City Council Climate Chats with constituents and city council members. By having a dozen or so constituents gathered with councilors, we’ve been able to cover a lot of questions as well as dive more deeply into issues we care about, hear councilors’ perspectives, and share our community’s concerns and hopes.

RSVP here for our next chat: District 3 with Councilor Angelita Morillo! If you are a D3 constituent and can’t make it, fill out the form and we’ll let you know about future events in your district.

If you’re not a D3 constituent, you can fill out the following forms and we’ll let you know about future events happening in District 1, District 2, or District 4. (Not sure what Portland District you live in? Here’s a map!)

“Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action May 19

Join 350PDX and partner organizations who will be advocating to keep Oregon free of new nuclear power plants, particularly until there is a plan to deal safely with the waste. The “Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action will have both in-person and virtual options, so you can go to Salem for the full day, or sign up to attend a virtual meeting with your legislators.

Thirteen pro-nuclear bills were introduced this session, but only two are still active: HB 2038 and HB 2410. These bills divert funding from energy efficiency, renewable energy, and storage technologies that are safer, less expensive, and faster to deploy.

RSVP now for the Day of Action on Monday, May 19. For those who can make it to Salem, you will connect with fellow advocates over coffee, followed by a brief lobby training session to help you feel confident and prepared. Then, we’ll head to the Capitol together for scheduled meetings with your legislators. For those joining virtually, a training will be provided, along with talking points for your meetings with legislators. After you register, you will receive more information about food, carpools, legislator meetings, and everything else you need to know to advocate about this important issue.

If you’re not able to attend the Day of Action, you can let your legislators know you care about this by sending this email, urging them to oppose HB 2038 and 2410.

Climate Justice Lobby Day a Success!

We held our first joint Climate Justice Lobby Day with 350 Eugene on April 29! It was fun to get to advocate with another 350 group, share some statewide priorities, and connect with our friends in Eugene. 350PDX met with nineteen legislators from the Portland area, sharing our priorities for this legislative session. Though there are many important matters before the legislature, our encouragement helps remind them to remain vigilant on the climate crisis. Together, we can build a more climate friendly transportation system, reduce building emissions, address climate risk in our public employee retirement portfolio, and increase energy affordability across the state.

Community Development

Our 350PDX Book Club’s book for June is Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World by Zahra Biaban. We will meet on June 4, from 6:30-8:00pm at the 350PDX office, with potluck-style snacks and drinks.

Did you know the 350PDX Book Club is now meeting every month? We alternate between virtual and in-person meetings the first Wednesday of each month! Sign up here to get on the mailing list, check our website for updates on meeting times and book selections, and reach out to books@350pdx.org with any questions!

The Arts Team

350PDX’s Arts Team is finishing a busy month of parades, artbuilds, and fun. A couple of weeks ago, we marched through SE Portland in the Earth Parade.

This Saturday, May 10, we will bring our climate justice puppets to the St John’s Parade. There’s still time to volunteer to be a puppeteer for Saturday! We also need people with vehicles to load up a few puppets that morning from 350PDX (3639 Mississippi Ave) and take them to N Lombard, then bring them back again. Can you help? Please let Donna (murph1949@aol.com) know.

Important: there is no artbuild this month (May). We’re all worn out, plus it’s Mother’s Day–a holiday also know as Mother’s Peace Day established by Julia Ward Howe, and we can celebrate that!

Our next Artbuild is June 8, 1:00-4:00pm, 3639 N Mississippi. We’ll finish puppets, begin puppets, and do a deep clean and reorganization of our art space. If you can join in the fun, please let Donna know. We’d love to see you there.

350 Washington County Team

Our next online meeting will take place at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 13. For the link, reach out to debbygactivism@gmail.com.

We’ll share information on Washington County campaigns, as well as policy work we’ve been accomplishing in this busy legislative session. We’re taking on a big new project to put on an Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro in August; lots of planning is happening in partnership with the City of Hillsboro and with local allies.

Our general activities include: connecting with the Beaverton and the Tigard Climate Action teams, stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro, and more! We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month).

SW Neighborhood Team

Our team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in May, every Friday from 4:00-5:00pm at SW Capitol  Highway & SW Sunset. We reach hundreds of commuters with our climate action signs in a highly visible location. Street parking is available, or reach us via bus or bike, we have extra signs to share!

Our outreach efforts extend beyond the street corner. We will be tabling at SW Sunday Parkways on May 18 and distributing Climate Action Now yard signs. To volunteer with us at SW Sunday Parkways, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com

GET CONNECTED: Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, May 19th, from 6:30-8:00pm. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter, and for being part of the 350PDX community.

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, Katie

Check us out on XRAY FM’s The Commons.

Did you know we are now on Bluesky? Please follow for news, events, action alerts, and more!

On March 4th, 350PDX’s beautiful puppets made their first public appearance at the Mississippi Avenue Mardi Gras! 350PDX’s arts team, an all-volunteer powerhouse that creates puppets, banners, and other works of art, did a spectacular job! Many of these “animal icons of the Pacific NW” puppets were created last fall in a workshop with master puppeteer Donovan Zimmerman of Paperhand Puppet Project. We are so grateful to art team leads Donna Murphy, Dannika Sullivan, and Lauren Sullivan, as well as to all the volunteers who built the puppets and helped them fly, walk, and jump along Mississippi Ave! Photos & video here!

Upcoming Events

• Rumble on the River: The False Promise of “Renewable” Fuels/March Action Night, Thursday, March 20. Doors open 5:30pm for tabling, panel starts at 6:30 pm, Havurah Shalom, 825 NW 18th Ave.

Just as it seemed that we were making real climate progress, the fossil fuel industry is sidetracking elected officials, regulators, and business leaders with a rash of climate solution diversions. In the face of Zenith Energy’s plans to make Portland the West Coast center for so-called “renewable” diesel and “sustainable” aviation fuel, the panel will examine: how renewable diesel is fraught with all kinds of problems and dangers, and may have a higher carbon footprint than petroleum-based fuels. Additionally, they will discuss how renewable natural gas actually comes from methane produced by tortured animals in factory farms.

Note: This Community Forum is happening in place of our usual 350PDX Action Night. We’re shakin’ things up! Join us at a different location on the other side of the river for an evening of education and community to learn more about false solutions. More info here. No need to RSVP, just show up!

• Film Screening: How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Monday, March 24, 6:30 pm, Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St.

With the climate crisis at a dangerous point of no return, a group of environmental activists come up with a daring plan to make their voices heard and disrupt an oil pipeline.

Join us at the Clinton Street Theater for a must-see screening of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, the 2022 thriller-drama based on the book by Andreas Malm. Film run time is 104 minutes, and will be followed by a brief discussion. Concessions (popcorn, candy, drinks) will be available for purchase from the theater.

Reserve your tickets today! The event is FREE, but we are taking sliding scale donation tickets online and at the door. Funds raised cover the cost of renting the theater, and any extra funds will support the climate justice work of 350PDX. (No one turned away for lack of funds.)

• Celebrate World Public Health Day by attending the Break Big Biomass Webinar, April 7, 5:00pm.

As the push to log our forests to burn for cheap energy increases, people from across the country are gathering for a webinar to learn more about the false solution of biomass energy and its impact on public health. Register now to attend this important webinar (note – the registration page shows the event only in Eastern Time).  And, if you want to join the 350PDX Forest Defense team person for a watch party, we’ll be gathering at the Climate Justice Workshop (3639 N. Mississippi) to watch together.

Team News

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

We’re Suing the City of Portland!

Last week, we announced that we’re taking the City of Portland to court. 350PDX, together with the Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC), Willamette Riverkeeper, and 18 Portland residents submitted a Notice of Intent to Appeal the City of Portland’s recent approval of a Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) for Zenith Energy, which gave the Texas-based fossil fuel company a green light to expand operations in Portland. We are seeking a ruling from the Land Use Board of Appeals that the LUCS process was flawed because it failed to provide for any public involvement, and an order to remand the decision back to the City for a lawful public process. The City granted a new LUCS on February 3 in spite of the objections of thousands of Portlanders–including many who live near the facility–and only days after Portland City Councilors introduced a resolution calling for an investigation of Zenith and to “pause any administrative actions … related to Zenith pending the results of investigations.”

Check out coverage of this exciting news in The Oregonian, Portland Mercury, (both with quotes from our Campaign Manager, Dineen!) and Street Roots. In case you missed it, check out our Instagram video announcing this news!

Join the Fossil Fuel Resistance Team!

Our team is busy at the City and State levels and we’re welcoming new members. Our next meeting is virtual, next Tuesday March 11 at 5:30 pm. Email dineen@350pdx.org for the Zoom link. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have you join us!

Climate Policy

Oregon Legislative Session

The Oregon legislative session is in full swing! Our 2025 Legislative Priorities page is updated regularly so you can keep track of what’s going on and how to take action on each of our priority bills. Here are a couple of easy actions you can take today:

• Send this one-click email to your legislators, highlighting 350PDX’s climate priorities.

• Sign this petition from our friends at Columbia Riverkeeper to “Keep Oregon Nuclear Free.” 13 bills before the legislature would allow new nuclear power plants without a plan for radioactive waste.

• Support removal of risky, fossil fuel laden private equity investments from the PERS portfolio at the Oregon Treasury by sending this one-click email to legislators about Divest Oregon’s Pause Act (SB 681).

Mark your calendars for lobby days

We’ll be having a 350PDX lobby day on April 29, so if you’d like to join us in Salem, meet with your legislator, and advocate together for stronger climate policies in Oregon, mark your calendar now, and watch for more information and registration.

We’ll also be joining the Move Oregon Forward lobby day on April 17. Individuals and organizations from across the state will be advocating for a transportation package that is safe, climate friendly, affordable, and includes active and public transportation.

Climate coffee chats with city councilors

We’re in the process of setting up “coffee chats” about climate issues with all members of the Portland city council. Would you like to be invited to the conversations in your district? These will be relatively small groups of folks from each district who want to share their climate justice concerns, and hear from city councilors about their climate priorities and plans. Email Cherice Bock (cherice@350pdx.org), and we’ll let you know details soon.

Join the Climate Justice Policy Team!

Our regular meeting is the second Wednesday of each month (next meeting is hybrid on 3/12 at 6:30pm, email Cherice). Our state advocacy team meets virtually on the last Wednesday of each month through June, register here.

Forest Defense Team

Comment on the NW Forest Plan! Join Oregon Wild and Great Old Broads for Wilderness on March 11 at 5:30pm at the 350PDX Climate Justice Workshop, 3639 N. Mississippi Ave, to learn more about the proposed amendments to the NW Forest Plan and write comments to the U.S. Forest Service. If you can’t make the workshop – check out this great toolkit from our friends at the Pacific NW Forest Climate Alliance. Comments are due March 17th.

Connect with the Team: We meet every first and third Monday from 6-7:30 pm.  Contact brenna@350pdx.org, tyler@350pdx.org, or felice.kelly@gmail.com for more information.

The Arts Team

350PDX’s Arts Team worked hard last month to create a forest of threatened trees, sculpt an unholy alliance of greedy aging Mr. Monopolies, and finish up the last flourishes on our beautiful soaring blue heron. Many thanks to these wonderful volunteer artists or wannabe artists who prepared puppets for their public debut March 4 at Portland’s Mardi Gras on our home street of N Mississippi. And what a grand evening that turned into: those artists marching with their creations, crowds cheering for climate justice, and arts pushing forward our climate work.

If this sounds exciting, then please come to our next Artbuild, which will NOT be the usual date next Sunday, but instead it will be Sunday, March 16, at 350PDX, 3639 N Mississippi, 1:00-4:00pm. We’ll be preparing for the April Earth Day parade!

Reach out to Donna if you’re interested! Murph1949@aol.com

Community Development

Our 350PDX Book Club’s book for April is The Deluge by Stephen Markley. We will meet on April 2, from 6:30-8:00pm at the 350PDX office, with potluck-style snacks and drinks.

The book club meets the first Wednesday of every month (alternating virtual and in-person) to discuss books about climate justice, science, and resilience. More information about upcoming books + meeting details here. Click here to get on the mailing list, or reach out to books@350pdx.org with any questions!

350 Washington County Team

Our next online meeting will take place online at 6:30pm on Tuesday, March 11. For the link, reach out to debbygactivism@gmail.com. We’ll share information on Washington County campaigns, as well as policy work we’ve been accomplishing in this busy legislative session. We’re taking on a big new project to put on an Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro in August; lots of planning is happening in partnership with the City of Hillsboro and with local allies. Our general activities include: connecting with the Beaverton and the Tigard Climate Action teams, stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro, and more! We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month). Please sign up HERE.

SW Neighborhood Team

The 350PDX Southwest Team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We meet monthly on Zoom to plan for in-person actions, presentations, and discussions in our communities. Sign up on the 350PDX Volunteer Interest Form or reach out to Pat at patk5@msn.com to learn more. Here are some ways to get involved:

(I) Participate in our monthly online planning meetings. Next meeting is Monday, March 17th at 6:30pm.

(2) Sign up to distribute yard signs promoting Climate Action Now! at community events.

(3) Join our weekly street corner demonstrations. We’ll be waving signs at SW Multnomah and SW 35th on Mondays in March at 4:00pm. Join us! We have extra signs to share!

Volunteer Spotlight

Donna Murphy, Arts Team Lead

Donna spent 20 years teaching in under-resourced grade schools. She helped struggling readers, writers, and math learners to learn those skills, exhorting them by saying, “You’re going to be voting in eight short years, you have to know this!”

After retiring and after reading Naomi Klein’s book This Changes Everything, Donna joined the 350PDX arts team. Throughout the past 11 years, Donna has grown with the arts team, and realizes the importance of 3-dimensional art in supporting 350PDX’s mission and in helping to tell a strong climate story. The team also makes 2D art, like posters and banners, and will continue with the large puppets that have brought in new team volunteers, new skills, and deeper understandings of humans and climate justice.

Donna lives in NE Portland with Gardner. Their child, Mannie, an artist and author, lives close by, and their son Joe lives in Brooklyn where he’s a journalist/union organizer. Now that Donna’s retired, she takes wonderful daily naps. She grows veggies in the vegetable garden that once was her useless lawn. Donna values time volunteering for 350PDX as a continuing privilege.

With gratitude,

Brenna, Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, Katie

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2025! This edition is brimming with exciting updates, actions to take, and heartfelt gratitude. Before we dive in, we’d like to share that 350PDX is recruiting new board members. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, as well as individuals with finance experience to help guide our organization’s fiscal health and sustainability. Interested? Please reach out to: Devyn@350pdx.org. More info here.

Team Updates and Upcoming Events

Development & Community Engagement

Happy New Year to our 350PDX community! After a winter’s rest, we as a staff look back on all we accomplished in 2024 and are so thrilled to dive into our work this upcoming year. And this work would not be possible without you. A heartfelt thanks to all who supported our work by donating to our end-of-year campaign, attending the art sale, and sharing a social media post or a good word with friends and family. Together, our community raised over $90,000 to support our climate justice initiatives in community building, arts, climate policy, forest defense, and fossil fuel resistance. We are deeply grateful for all the abundance in our community that will allow us to thrive in 2025!

Next month, the 350PDX Book Club will gather Wednesday, February 5, to discuss Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s What if we Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures. Learn more and sign up here!

Climate Policy

State Advocacy Team during the Legislative Session

We’re beginning a new, short-term team just for the Oregon legislative session: January to June, 2025. Join us for virtual updates on our state policy priorities each month during the legislative session! REGISTER HERE to receive a Zoom link. Meetings will be from 6:30–8:00pm on the last Wednesday of each month. We will also have opportunities to help track bills, make your voice heard, and meet with legislators virtually or in Portland or Salem. The first meeting will be on January 29.

Join Divest Oregon’s Lobby Day

350PDX is a founding member of Divest Oregon. This year, the coalition is supporting SB 681: the Pause Act, with leadership from Senator Golden and Senator Pham. Do you want to attend an in-person lobby day or a virtual meeting with your legislator in the coming months? Sign up now and you’ll receive information about upcoming events and meetings.

Move Oregon Forward: Transportation Coalition, training 1/30

We’re also part of Move Oregon Forward (MOF), a coalition including environmental justice and climate organizations, active and public transportation advocates, and other groups interested in putting together a safe, efficient, and affordable transportation package that will meet our climate goals.

Check out this Report from the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation’s Listening Tour which highlights the priorities identified in over 1,000 public comments to legislators during last summer’s “transportation roadshow”. Nearly 75% of the comments highlighted the need for better public transportation, with other comments emphasizing active transportation, no freeway expansions, and the need to maintain the roads we have before building new ones. Prioritizing safety and taking climate action were the top two values discussed in the comments. If you’re interested in learning more about this coalition and advocating about these topics, mark your calendar for a Letter to the Editor Training organized by the MOF coalition on January 30 at 6:00pm. Register here to receive a Zoom link.

Fossil Fuel Resistance

Photo: Dana Schott

New year, no fear! Thank you to all who joined us for the rally on January 2nd at City Hall – we packed City Hall chambers with so many stop Zenith folks in red that they needed to open an overflow room. Now that’s a powerful way to start off the new year!

We are in a very urgent and fast-paced period in the campaign to Stop Zenith. As a quick refresher, this is due to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s decision one month ago to issue a $372,600 fine to Zenith Energy for violating the terms of their permit, and requiring Zenith to obtain a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) from the City of Portland. Soon after, Zenith submitted a new LUCS application to the City that contains new uses like blending “sustainable aviation fuel” on site. Now the new Mayor and City Council are in a clear position to protect Portland’s residents, our river, and our climate by denying Zenith’s LUCS application – but we have to make sure this happens!

Join us in contacting Mayor Wilson and your 3 City Council members urging them to hold an open public process to evaluate Zenith’s LUCS decision and to deny the LUCS. This messaging guide has all you need to send an email. It’s very crucial that they hear from us right now, so thank you!

Get involved:
Start the year off right by joining the Fossil Fuel Resistance Team and diving deep into this exciting campaign with us! Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 14 at 5:30pm and it’s virtual. (Our meetings take place every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, and rotate between virtual and in-person at the 350PDX office on Mississippi Ave.) To join this meeting and receive the Zoom link, email Dineen: dineen@350pdx.org.

Arts Team

Happy New Year to all. The 350PDX Arts Team is looking forward to a creative year of powerful climate messages to bring to the streets. Can you help? If you’re interested in making and/or handling large climate puppets, let us know! If you can make it to our next Artbuild we’d love to have you there: January 12, 1:00-4:00pm at 350PDX (3639 N Mississippi Ave). RSVP to Donna: murph1949@aol.com

Washington County Team

In December, the Washington County Team gathered in-person to share concerns for the future and envision ways to make a difference during the next few years. We’re thrilled to share that our New Year’s Day hike at Chehalem Ridge Nature Park had the best turnout ever! We were especially delighted to have Senator Sollman join us for the walk. Our next online meeting will take place Tuesday, January 14. We’ll share information on Washington County campaigns, as well as climate policy work for the next legislative session. Our general activities include: connecting with the Beaverton and the Tigard Climate Action teams, stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro, and more! We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month). To receive updates from us, please sign up HERE.

In love and gratitude,

The 350PDX staff –
Brenna, Cherice, Denise, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, Katie