Climate March Marches Onwards!

A large contingent of Oregonians, many who traveled across the country aboard the climate train, joined 400,000 fellow marchers in New York City for the largest and most diverse climate march in history. Marchers took to the streets across Oregon in alliance with the Peoples’ Climate March in NYC, with over 5,000 marchers in Portland, over a hundred in Bend, hundreds more in Eugene, crowds in Hood River, at the Community Earth Fair and kids’ bike tour in Salem, and the small community of Manzanita came together and drew attention to the pressing need for rapid action to prevent climate catastrophe and to build a more just, healthy, thriving and resilient community and world.

But, frankly, the March was more than just a chance to paint great signs and yell at the top of our lungs. While the march attracted a diversity of new people and communities who had never been to (or helped organize!) a climate rally before, it is clear that we are all ready to act.

The Peoples’ Climate March is not the start of the movement. While it made visible those of us who’ve been aware of climate change for a long time, we are in the middle of the fight for a habitable planet.

Since the march, individuals like you from many groups–including faith, labor and environmental– are excited about next steps. We will be sending out a survey sometime soon to gauge what next steps you are most excited about (look out for it in one of our upcoming emails!). At 350PDX and 350 Oregon, we’re also still working on our campaigns to divest from fossil fuel companies, to stop fossil fuel exports in our region, and to bring climate issues to the political agenda forefront via the Oregon Climate Declaration.

The discussion of what happens next must involve you, too, whether this means reading up on fossil fuel divestment or putting a price on carbon, making your voice heard at a hearing, helping us grow the climate movement by gathering signatures on the Oregon Climate Declaration, attending a meeting, event, or action for the first time, or watching your neighbor’s kids for an evening so they have a chance to attend.

– Maya Jarrad, 350PDX