Welcome to our monthly newsletter, where we highlight some of the amazing work our volunteer teams have been up to. Read on to learn about our teams’ accomplishments, how you can join a team, and more opportunities to take action.

But first, a reminder to join us this Sunday (June 11), at 11am at Cathedral Park for Paddle Zenith Out of Portland: A Land & Water Rally to End the Era of Fossil Fuels! Together, we will demand Portland City Council rescinds their approval of Zenith’s dangerous oil trains and turn up the heat on President Biden, calling on him to use his executive powers to declare a climate emergency. Learn more and RSVP here! (please RSVP so we have an accurate count for lunch). We will have boats available for folks on a first-come, first serve basis, but if you have your own to bring that is extremely helpful! You won’t want to miss this huge event!

TEAM UPDATES

Want to get involved but not sure where to start? Fill out the Volunteer Form

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

Our team is busy fighting Zenith Energy and GTN XPress, advocating for a Fossil Free Multnomah County and educating on the dangers of methane gas, fighting for clean and healthy buildings across Oregon, supporting frontline-led fossil fuel fights nationwide, and preparing for an exciting summer of action on the Willamette River. Now is a great time to join us! Contact Eloise and Dineen to learn more about the team and to plug in. Eloise@350pdx.org and Dineen@350pdx.org.

We need your support in the fight against the GTN Xpress, a proposal by TC Energy to expand a gas pipeline through Idaho, Washington, and Oregon by adding an additional 150 million cubic feet of gas per day and a new compressor station in Eastern Oregon. This expansion project is the opposite of what our region needs, and is very dangerous for those living near the pipeline. With groups across the Northwest, we’ve been collectively fighting to stop GTN XPress, and now federal regulators may be making a decision as soon as this month. Washington Governor Inslee, and Oregon Senators’ Wyden and Merkley have joined the growing list of public opposition to GTN XPress. But where’s Oregon Governor Kotek? On the campaign trail, she promised to stop this project. It’s time for Governor Kotek to stand up against GTN XPress before a possible key federal decision this month. Join us in writing to the governor about this important issue, then send the action page to 5 of your friends to increase your impact.

Also, do you live in the blast zone of Zenith’s oil trainsUse this map to find out. If you do, call and write to the City of Portland and share that you live in the blast zone and are concerned for your safety. If you’re interested in getting more involved and becoming a local leader in your neighborhood (we’ll support you through this!) reach out to dineen@350pdx.org to learn more. We’ll be working with folks to host house parties and information sessions in impacted neighborhoods in the blast zone so we can all together learn more about this issue and how to get involved.

GET CONNECTED:  Our next meeting is on Tuesday, June 13th at 5:30 pm in-person at a team member’s backyard in NE Portland. All are welcome – for the address, please email dineen@350pdx.orgAfter that, our next meeting is on Tuesday, June 27th at 5:30 pm and it’s virtual. 

Join us at the next Rumble on the River Community Forum!

Wednesday, June 28 at the Central Lutheran Church (1820 NE 21st Ave) – Focused on Forest Park and the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. 

The focus of the eighth (!) Rumble on the River community forum series will be the proximity of the CEI Hub to Forest Park, the urban canopy, shade equity, climate resilience and the forest-climate connection. 350PDX’s own Brenna Bell will be presenting and moderating the panel. More information here.

Rumble On The River community forums bring together expert voices to explain the risks of having 90% of Oregon’s fuel stored within city limits. The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub, a 6-mile stretch of aging tank farms, including Zenith Energy’s oil facility, stands on a seismic liquefaction zone in the Lower Willamette. This has the potential for a Deepwater Horizon level spill right on Portland’s riverfront.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense Team continues to work on our two main campaigns: improving shade equity in Portland and shifting forest management throughout the state towards long-term carbon sequestration and storage. In the past month, team members were involved in two major events forwarding our campaigns:

1) Shade Equity Strategy Session

On May 22nd, the Forest Defense team hosted a strategy session where 40+ people, including city staff, arborists, neighborhood tree team reps, and non-profit advocates came together to discuss the challenges and opportunities to grow and sustain our urban forest. It was an awesome time of connecting and sharing, and we look forward to turning those ideas into action.

2) Testifying to the Board of Forestry

On June 7th, several members of the team joined forest lovers from across the state at the Board of Forestry meeting in Sisters to testify in support of a strong Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for western Oregon State Forests.

GET CONNECTED: Our next meeting will be June 19 at 6PM. Please contact Brenna (brenna@350pdx.org), Felice (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler (tyler@350pdx.org) for details about the meeting.

Join us at our East Portland Community Resilience Ride, organized by the Forest Defense Team and the East Portland Resilience Coalition

  • Who: Anyone interested! We’ll be biking at about a 10-12mph pace, please come prepared!
  • What: ~10mile bike ride through East Portland, highlighting the strengths and challenges in urban shade equity, including some brief actions you can take at the end to directly influence the problems
  • When: Thursday, 6/29 6pm-7:30pm
  • Where: Start and end at Halsey HydroPark (NE Halsey St &, NE 148th Ave, Portland, OR 97230)
  • Why: Because all Portland neighborhoods deserve equal access to the incredible resource of trees and shade!

City/County Watchdog Team

The City/County Watchdog team works to make sure we have local policies rooted in environmental justice and climate action. For instance, we have been working hard to make sure the City of Portland adopts strong environmental and climate action through its City Charter reforms.

We’ve also been continuing to track the Spring Oregon Legislative Session and support the passing of key climate justice bills, as well as supporting the Portland Clean Energy Fund’s (PCEF) current community input process in which the City is calling on members of the community to support drafting a Climate Investment Plan (CIP). The CIP will help shape its investments around climate justice goals related to PCEF.

GET CONNECTED: Want to get involved? Email Chris (chris@350pdx.org) to join us for our next meeting monthly meeting July 1 from 5:30-7pm.

Arts Team

The Arts Team works hard to bring visuals to 350PDX and other climate justice actions. Last month, we brought posters and drumming to a Stop Zenith rally. We then hosted our monthly art-build at the Making Earth Cool gallery, where we also discussed directions we want to pursue. We reached a unanimous agreement to continue with our work in the third dimension: puppets, drums, and more!

This, Sunday we will be having an art build on site at the Paddle Zenith out of Portland rally, making bird sculptures to accompany our Mother Earth puppet. We’re also making kites kayaks for the Mosquito Fleet to use at the Sunday action and beyond. Finally, we’ve been screenprinting posters to carry at the action, and will be soon making banners for the Forest Defense Team.

GET CONNECTED: Join our mailing list if you’re interested in art or drumming or having fun in support of this important cause. Contact Donna, murph1949@aol.com.

Creative Team

The Creative Team uses storytelling to make the climate justice movement irresistible. This month, we’ve continued working on a messaging workbook to help guide 350PDX’s campaign teams as they design their communications strategies. We’re also continuing to support the Forest Defense Team, Divest Oregon, and the Gas-busters campaign in creating messaging strategies.

We also finished our new Intro to 350PDX zine, which you can check out hereWe’ll soon be launching a new climate fiction zine project, so stay tuned for more info.

GET CONNECTED: Fill out this form to get on our creative roster, or reach out to Julia at julia@350pdx.org to get involved with the team.

SW Team

Welcome to our southwest neighborhood team, which includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland, from PSU to Hillsdale, Multnomah Village, Beaverton and Lake Oswego.

Our outreach program has developed a new presentation in our ‘Save our Planet’ series. We will be confirming the date and time at our June team meeting. The presentation focuses on replacing fossil fuels., including a sequence of video segments and discussions that will cover the replacement of in-home gas stoves and furnaces with induction stoves and heat pumps. It also covers utility upgrades such as updating the energy grid and the installation of solar and wind power generating infrastructure. Our tentative date is June 25th at the Hillsdale Library.

Our team is actively planning outreach at area farmers markets and events. Our new yard sign campaign will be reviewed at our June 12th meeting, and be rolled out in July.

GET CONNECTED: To get involved in our outreach actions, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com. Join our next monthly meeting on Monday, June 12th, 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Zoom.

Washington County Team

This month, we will be:

  • Continuing our local campaign to encourage the Washington County Board of Commissioners to complete drafting and take action on an overdue County Climate Resolution. We will continue to do all possible grassroots work to encourage the Commissioners to take bold action.
  • Supporting efforts to encourage Republican Senators to get back to work
  • Stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro
  • Sign waving events on third Saturdays monthly at NE Cornell and 25th in Hillsboro

GET CONNECTED:   We always welcome newcomers to our regular monthly 6:30pm second Tuesday (online) meetings and at all our events. Our next team meeting is Tuesday, June 13, at 6:30pm (learn more on the 350PDX calendar). We’ll catch up on all recent actions and plan for the future. If you are in Washington County and would like to receive updates from us, please sign up HERE. You can also “like” our Facebook page for updates.

Brooklyn Neighborhood Team

Introducing the Brooklyn Neighborhood Team, our newest team at 350PDX! Our group has two main goals:

1) Plug into and support 350PDX’s systemic campaigns

2) Build community connections, climate resiliency, and mutual aid in the Brooklyn neighborhood

Last month, we joined forces with the Fossil Fuel Resistance team on their Fossil Free Multnomah County campaign, which aims to follow the lead of over a hundred other communities to get gas hookups banned in new residential buildings. As a team, we educated ourselves on the issue and then drafted a resolution for the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association to consider that would encourage developers to build fossil free buildings in our neighborhood. We’re pleased to say that the neighborhood board overwhelmingly voted to adopt our resolution! We can use this victory to demonstrate to Multnomah County Commissioners that they have broad community support to pass a binding ban on gas in new residential buildings throughout the county.

We have also been developing systems of mutual aid, discussing sharing resources, labor, and knowledge, through gardening exchanges and tours to promote gardens that sequester carbon, grow food, hold water, attract pollinators, and more. We are considering how to best open up access to gardening for folks in the neighborhood who don’t have their own gardens, or who are renters whose landlords don’t allow them to make changes to their gardens. Some options include opening up a new community garden in the neighborhood, or connecting folks who want to garden with those with ample unused garden space.

GET CONNECTED:  We formed our team about a year ago, and will use our model to create other neighborhood-based teams throughout Portland. Over the next year, we hope to roll out this model to other neighborhoods, with the long term vision of having hyperlocal teams across the whole metro area. If you’re interested in neighborhood-based organizing where you are, or want to connect with the Brooklyn Neighborhood Team, reach out to 350PDX Volunteer Manager Chris at chris@350pdx.org.

In solidarity,

350PDX Staff
350PDX Board & Team Leads