Our Climate Science Round-Ups are a compilation of recent news about climate science. In this edition, we pull articles from BBC, NPR, and The Seattle Times about hidden warming gasses found in waste, the highest ocean surface temperatures recorded in a century, and the harsh effects of climate change being felt around the world.
**UPDATE: The comment deadlines for both DEQ and US Army Corps have been extended to Aug 20th. Comments must be received by Aug 20th.** Read more
Initially published on July 31, 2018 by Nicholas Caleb on Center for Sustainable Economy
Oregon Supreme Court Declines Review, Leaving in Place Oregon Court of Appeals Ruling in Favor of Portland’s Fossil Fuel Ordinance
July 31, 2018 (Portland, Ore.) — Today, a coalition of public interest groups celebrated news that opponents of Portland’s fossil fuel ordinance have failed in their efforts to overturn the City’s landmark law. In 2016, Portland’s City Council voted unanimously to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure such as oil and gas terminals. Last week, the Oregon Supreme Court declined to review a January 2018 ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals that upheld the Constitutionality of Portland’s Fossil Fuel Terminal Zoning Amendments, dealing another blow to the legal challenges brought by the Portland Business Alliance and the oil industry.
Portland Clean Energy Fund supporters
(PORTLAND, OR) – The Portland City Auditor Elections Division sent news late today that the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PDX 04, the “Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Initiative 2018”) received enough valid Portland voter signatures to qualify for the November 2018 ballot. A sampling of 55,509 submitted signatures revealed 39,755 valid signatures, over 5,000 more than the 34,156 signature threshold for the City of Portland. The announcement means that Portland voters will decide this Fall on funding clean energy projects including housing upgrades, living-wage jobs and job training, and green infrastructure.
“On the day the Trump administration withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, the City of Portland and Multnomah County committed to a goal of meeting 100 percent of community energy needs with renewable power by 2050. … Wheeler and others noted, however, that the heavy lifting would come in implementing the plan.” –The Oregonian, June 1, 2017
One year ago, you made that happen! We have no doubt that the strong push from our community helped our locally-elected officials do the right thing. Now 350PDX, with the community-of-color-led Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) Coalition is working on the “heavy lifting”, and again, we need your support!
We have three interns in the office this summer!! Simran, CJ, and Chris will be supporting our organizing capacity, preparing for the September 8th Rise for Climate Jobs and Justice day of action, and working on our summer fundraising appeal.
They’re all awesome and I hope you will join me in welcoming them to the team.
– Nicole, Community Organizer
Roxie in space
Hello, 350PDX! My name is Anissa (ah-knee-sa), and I am the new Justice-Based Transition and Equity Organizer at 350PDX. I use they/them/their pronouns, and have a small office chihuahua, Roxie, who is a bundle of love and cuddles.
It is with immense gratitude and humility that I accepted this role, and I look forward to meeting everyone as we work together to build an inclusive movement to pursue climate justice and eliminate environmental racism. What does 350PDX mean by these terms? Read more
Our Climate Science Round-Ups are a compilation of recent news about climate science. In this edition, we pull articles from NPR, The Guardian, and The Washington Post about major crops losing nutrients, the devastating lasting effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and global temperatures potentially doubling from predicted models.
Reverend E.D. Mondainé, President of the NAACP Portland Branch and a Chief Petitioner of the Portland Clean Energy Fund
Contact: Damon Motz-Storey 303.913.5634 damon@oregonpsr.org
(PORTLAND, OR) – The broad network of groups backing the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Initiative, known as the “Portland Clean Energy Fund,” held a press conference today outside Portland City Hall to announce they had collected over 60,000 signatures for the initiative in under two months. With support from hundreds of volunteers, the Portland Clean Energy Fund collected 25,000 more signatures than needed to qualify for the November election. The large number of signatures gathered exceeded the campaign’s goals and reflects the strong level of support for the Portland Clean Energy Fund at a time when measures to promote renewable energy are being rolled back at the federal level. Read more
Photo courtesy of Rogue Climate
In my previous post on Jordan Cove, I highlighted the dangerous climate warming effects of this project. However, there are many more reasons to oppose the LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline.
The pipeline would negatively affect many communities that lie in its path. In 2017, Counterpunch wrote an article about a protest against Jordan Cove LNG Project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mandated that four open houses be held for citizens to give their input on this project. These events brought many different stakeholders to speak, including tribal members, ranchers, timber farmers, and environmentalists. I would encourage you to read their testimony. Read more