Today, people across the country are taking action with the People vs Fossil Fuels (PvFF) Coalition to honor Indigenous activist Joye Braun’s legacy and demand that President Biden declare a climate emergency.

Joye Braun, or Wanbli Wiyan Ka’win (Eagle Feather Woman), was a National Pipelines Organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network and put up the very first camp at Standing Rock, where she fought tirelessly to protect our water and land. Joye was a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Nation, a leader in the national People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, and was an incredible activist, leader, and person. We are honoring her on Jan 20th, her birthday, which is also the anniversary of the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline.

This past Tuesday, PvFF hosted a rally honoring Joye and in preparation for the day of action. We are proud to be a member of PvFF, a frontline-led coalition of over 1,200 groups – including 350PDX – uniting tens of thousands of people across the country around a common vision for a just, resilient future.

If you missed it, check out this recording of the People vs. Fossil Fuels rally:

Ready to get involved? We have some actions you can take at home!

Action #1: Call Oregon U.S Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley

We must call on our political leaders to declare a climate emergency, limit fossil fuel exports and investments abroad, and invest in renewable energy at home. This would be a critical step towards ending the climate crisis. Our Senators have the power to urge Biden directly to declare a climate emergency and combat the climate crisis with the urgency we need.

Use this script to make a phone call or send them an email: 

“Hi, my name is ____ and I live in _____. I am urging Senator (Merkley/Wyden) to advocate for our climate, health, and wellbeing by encouraging President Biden to declare a climate emergency to limit fossil fuel exports and investments abroad and invest in renewable energy at home. (Consider adding additional talking points, see here).

Contact info for those phone calls & emails:Senator Wyden:

(503) 326-7525, https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/email-ronSenator Merkley: (503) 326-3386, https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact

Action #2: Contact the White House We can use our voices to keep the pressure on the President Biden

Use this script to contact the White House:

 “Hi, my name is ____ and I live in _____. I am calling on President Biden to declare a climate emergency to limit fossil fuel exports and investments abroad and invest in renewable energy at home. (Consider adding additional talking points, see here).”

Contact info for the White House:White House:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Thank you for all you do for climate justice!

In solidarity,

Eloise Navarro, 350PDX National Fossil Fuels Organizer