This action from Extinction Rebellion PDX. Two years ago Portland City Council declared a Climate Emergency, but has little concrete to show yet in terms of actual reductions or policies to reduce carbon emissions. Extinction Rebellion PDX and others are building towards an action in the late afternoon on April 6th to demand that Portland Business Alliance stop attacking the Portland Clean Energy Fund and other climate initiatives and that the City enact a plan for annual concrete steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions 10% yearly given the dire nature of the most recent International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. This action will take place in conjunction with the global Scientists’ Rebellion and we are calling on local scientists and caring citizens to both join us and speak out, so please help us spread the word! The April 6th action will begin with a short rally outside the Portland Business Alliance office (121 SW 4th ) followed by a march to City Hall(1221 SW 4th Ave). The April 6th action is in conjunction with organizing testimony to the City on their budget priorities for the next two years in terms of climate resiliency and emissions reductions. If you’d like to testify and would appreciate talking points, please write info@xrpdx.org.
Background info: Portland Business Alliance attacked the Portland Clean Energy Fund(PCEF) in a self-interested power grab attempt to discredit the important work being done by the PCEF coalition calling for a ludicrous freezing and reallocation of the funds in opposition to the framework set up by a voters’ initiative that was passed by large margins of Portland citizens. The Coalition of Communities of Color issued an important refutation and is asking that community members write letters of support for PCEF to the Oregonian who has been overly focussing on the Business Alliance attacks. Behind the scenes, Portland Business Alliance and other powerful business leaders have worked to keep the Portland Clean Air Protection Act from making it to a City Council vote—first weakening it last fall and then pushing back against even the weakened “polluter pays” version. All these pressures likely played a part in the resignation of climate advocate Andrea Durbin from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability right after the Portland Business Alliance attacks—a loss for our community. Ironically, Portland Business Alliance continues with policies to harass and sweep homeless members of our community who are the most vulnerable to the affects of climate chaos like the heat dome last summer.
Now, more than ever, it is important for those who care about mitigating climate chaos to stand up to these business bullies as well as to make it clear in the upcoming budget hearings that we expect the City to develop strong policies for BOTH reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate resiliency efforts. If budgets are indicators, the city does not seem to be proposing sufficient resources towards the former in particular and their response to their own Climate Emergency Declaration seems more talk than substantive action.
