Last week was a whirlwind for climate action, so let’s take a moment to recap, celebrate the collective power we’ve built as a movement, and talk about where we go next.

Celebrating the Climate Resilience Package!

The Oregon legislative session wrapped up last week with some key wins, including the passage of the Climate Resilience Package dedicating $90 million to climate action. The package compiled many of the bills the climate justice movement rallied behind over the last few months, including the REBuilding Bills (for more resilient, efficient buildings), the Community Green Infrastructure Act (aka the TREES Act), the Community Resilience Hubs, and Natural Climate Solutions.

This win came after a six-week walkout from Republican legislators, the longest walkout in Oregon’s history. We are still reflecting on how we can organize beyond this session to prevent similar walkouts in the future and demand all our legislators stand by our community health and safety.

But for now, let’s celebrate all of us — the climate and social justice movement here in Oregon — who took action by the hundreds during this session. It’s only because of people leveraging their power that we are able to win climate action at the state level, and that we are able to show up for each other’s health and safety regardless if our representatives join us or not.

Wrapping up a week of action for forests and climate

Last week, we also joined actions for forests and climate throughout the Pacific Northwest. The week of action marked the second anniversary of the deadly 2021 Heat Dome, with folks calling on decision-makers to increase carbon sequestration and storage by improving forest management practices, advance equitable access to shade trees, and protect local forests so they can protect us, in turn.

Some highlights from the week of action:

Monday, June 26 — folks hung banners up and down the I-5 corridor, reaching thousands of drivers on their morning commute with the message that forest defense is climate defense. At the same time, members of the PNW Forest Climate Alliance delivered a letter to the Biden Administration demanding greater protections for forests on federal land.

Here in Portland, the 350PDX Forest Defense team joined the coordinated action by holding banners on the NE Skidmore overpass. Photo by Alex Budd.

Tuesday, June 27 — dozens of activists with the Lorax Coalition occupied the Washington Department of Natural Resources headquarters building in Olympia. They demanded Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz halt clearcutting of legacy forests on state lands. It’s time for DNR to listen to communities, not the corporate polluters destroying our lands and waters.

Wednesday, June 28 — we helped host the 8th community forum in the Rumble on the River series, this time focusing on the intersections between Forest Park and the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, the urban canopy, shade equity, climate resilience and the forest-climate connection.

Thursday, June 29 — we hosted a Shade Equity Pedalpalooza ride with Thrive East PDX and the Parkrose & Argay Community Coalition. We talked about the movement for shade equity, and how we can be working together across the city to ensure everyone has access to shade and other important resources.

We also learned from about the fight against the proposed Prologis Distribution Center (a freight warehouse) at NE 122nd and Sandy. In close proximity to apartments and Parkrose High School, Prologis would increase air pollution, add heavy truck traffic, and endanger pedestrians on an already busy street. Head to parkrose-argay.org to learn more and take action.

And we’re just getting started! You can keep taking action for the forests and climate all summer long.

Sign the Stop Zenith Pledge of Resistance to join a summer of action to stop fossil fuels on the Willamette River!

For years, community members across the city have been opposing Zenith Energy’s dangerous oil-by-rail operations. Together we’ve rallied, called, wrote, built a garden on the tracks, held a 60-hour vigil at the facility, educated our neighbors about the problem, sued the company, wrote songs, lobbied our elected officials, and so much more. Despite this ongoing organizing, Portland City Council turned its back on the people of Portland when it approved Zenith’s request to continue transporting crude oil through our community. Enough is enough. We say no to 5 more years of dangerous and explosive oil trains in our communities.

We are so grateful to everyone in this movement who keeps taking action, calling for the just, resilient future we all deserve. Now let’s keep building our collective power to win that future, and to keep showing up for each other in the years ahead.

In gratitude,

The 350PDX Staff (Anissa, Brenna, Chris, Dineen, Eloise, Julia, & Kiera)