May 2025 Updates and Events

Earth Month brought so many joyful moments—from an  Earth Day parade to a huge win for Forest Park to a powerful exhibit by PNCA students showcasing outstanding Stop Zenith art. We are deeply grateful for these experiences.

We are also aware that we’re living in a time that is incomprehensibly difficult for so many, and we find ourselves discussing how to balance that awareness with daily life. On May 15, we’ll gather for Action Night. As part of our story-sharing activities, we’ll reflect on how we’re processing the current moment, hear how stories can supercharge our action, and share ways to help others and our planet. Join us!

Upcoming Events

Public hearing for Zenith’s application for a new air quality permit, Monday, May 12 at 6:00 pm at University of Portland. More info below in our Fossil Fuel Team update!

350PDX Action Night: Stories, Actions and Belonging, May 15, 6:00pm, at 350PDX. Let’s share about how we first gave thought to climate change and decided to do something. Let’s discuss the urgency of now–what’s going on federally is huge and overwhelming. How can we can make a tangible impact in our local city government and within our neighborhoods? These are just some of the questions we’ll reflect upon. Join us!

“Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action, May 19. Join 350PDX and partner organizations who will be advocating to keep Oregon free of new nuclear power plants. Check out our Climate Policy Team update below for RSVP & info!

City Council Climate Chats: Our next chat will be in District 3 with Councilor Angelita Morillo! RSVP here for this event on May 22 at 5:30pm.

Team News

Fossil Fuel Resistance Team

Next week is a huge moment for our team and our entire local movement to Stop Zenith. Monday, May 12 at 6:00pm is the only in-person public hearing that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be holding during this current comment period on Zenith’s application for a new air quality permit. We need to do everything we can to make sure this permit is DENIED, and one clear way we can do this is by filling the Buckley Center Auditorium at the University of Portland to show DEQ the force of our amazing movement. RSVP here! Wear red. We’ll have pizza , a brief rally, and a chance to sign up to testify. The hearing begins at 6:30pm and goes until 9:00pm. DEQ will have a station for people to sign-up to provide a 2-minute testimony. For help with writing your testimony, refer to these great talking points from our friends at Columbia Riverkeeper. (You’re also more than welcome to join us, wear red, and be in the audience cheering others on as they testify!)

If you can’t make it next Monday but still want to make your voice heard, there will be another option! DEQ is holding a virtual-only public hearing on Thursday, May 15 at 6:00pm. RSVP for the virtual May 15 session here. You can also use this easy online form to send in an official public comment about this permit HERE.

Our team in the news: Catch us on the air on KBOO’s Locus Focus! Last week, our Campaign Director Dineen Crowe was in conversation with Samantha Hernandez from Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility for “Zenith Energy’s Tortured Tale in Portland.”

Join the team: Our next meeting is on Tuesday, May 13, 5:30pm on Zoom. We will debrief and recap the public hearing happening the evening before and plan what’s next. After that, we meet again on Tuesday, May 27, 5:30pm in person at 350PDX, 3639 Mississippi Ave. We’d love for you to join us! Reach out to dineen@350pdx.org to get plugged in.

Forest Defense Team

The Forest Defense Team has been active this month on the city, state, and national levels! Team members rallied to stop PGE from clear-cutting 5 acres of Forest Park. (Thanks to the Arts Team for the awesome tree puppets that made the front page of the Oregonian!) Portland City Council voted 12-0 to take the first steps to block this project! The final vote is scheduled for May, so write your city councilors and urge them to protect Forest Park.

We have also been active in the state legislative session, opposing a bill that threatens to increase logging in state forestland at the expense of clean water and carbon sequestration. We urge you to reach out to your state legislators and ask them to oppose HB3103, which would increase logging in state forests in the coast range.

Finally we’re joining in the national campaign to oppose Trump administration efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act by reducing protections on valuable habitat. Comment on that proposal here.

Get Connected: Join the Forest Defense Team meetings on the first and third Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 pm.  Contact volunteer team leads Felice Kelly (felice.kelly@gmail.com) or Tyler Gilmore (tyler@350pdx.org) to get involved.

Climate Policy Team

Thank you to our 2024–2025 climate policy and media assistants!

This year, Reed College and University of Portland have had a partnership with us where we get to host work study students, and students get job experience and opportunities to use what they’re learning in school. This year, we’ve been joined by the following climate policy assistants: Andy Laurila (finance), Charlie Welling (divestment), Emma Niemela (buildings), Max Hanley (transportation), Natalie Severson (city), Santiago Nolasco Galicia (energy), and Sima Fasihi (CEI hub). Alex Silva joined us as a climate communications and media assistant. We want to take this opportunity to recognize what these folks are adding to the climate justice movement. They’ve helped us track bills, serve on coalitions, plan lobby days, draft public testimony, pull off events, document events, and much more. Thank you all for the amazing work you’ve done this year!

City Council Climate Chats: 

Thank you to Councilors Avalos, Green, Dunphy, Kanal, Novick, and Pirtle-Guiney for meeting with us so far! We’ve partnered with Oregon League of Conservation Voters to host City Council Climate Chats with constituents and city council members. By having a dozen or so constituents gathered with councilors, we’ve been able to cover a lot of questions as well as dive more deeply into issues we care about, hear councilors’ perspectives, and share our community’s concerns and hopes.

RSVP here for our next chat: District 3 with Councilor Angelita Morillo! If you are a D3 constituent and can’t make it, fill out the form and we’ll let you know about future events in your district.

If you’re not a D3 constituent, you can fill out the following forms and we’ll let you know about future events happening in District 1, District 2, or District 4. (Not sure what Portland District you live in? Here’s a map!)

“Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action May 19

Join 350PDX and partner organizations who will be advocating to keep Oregon free of new nuclear power plants, particularly until there is a plan to deal safely with the waste. The “Keep Oregon Nuclear-Free” Day of Action will have both in-person and virtual options, so you can go to Salem for the full day, or sign up to attend a virtual meeting with your legislators.

Thirteen pro-nuclear bills were introduced this session, but only two are still active: HB 2038 and HB 2410. These bills divert funding from energy efficiency, renewable energy, and storage technologies that are safer, less expensive, and faster to deploy.

RSVP now for the Day of Action on Monday, May 19. For those who can make it to Salem, you will connect with fellow advocates over coffee, followed by a brief lobby training session to help you feel confident and prepared. Then, we’ll head to the Capitol together for scheduled meetings with your legislators. For those joining virtually, a training will be provided, along with talking points for your meetings with legislators. After you register, you will receive more information about food, carpools, legislator meetings, and everything else you need to know to advocate about this important issue.

If you’re not able to attend the Day of Action, you can let your legislators know you care about this by sending this email, urging them to oppose HB 2038 and 2410.

Climate Justice Lobby Day a Success!

We held our first joint Climate Justice Lobby Day with 350 Eugene on April 29! It was fun to get to advocate with another 350 group, share some statewide priorities, and connect with our friends in Eugene. 350PDX met with nineteen legislators from the Portland area, sharing our priorities for this legislative session. Though there are many important matters before the legislature, our encouragement helps remind them to remain vigilant on the climate crisis. Together, we can build a more climate friendly transportation system, reduce building emissions, address climate risk in our public employee retirement portfolio, and increase energy affordability across the state.

Community Development

Our 350PDX Book Club’s book for June is Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World by Zahra Biaban. We will meet on June 4, from 6:30-8:00pm at the 350PDX office, with potluck-style snacks and drinks.

Did you know the 350PDX Book Club is now meeting every month? We alternate between virtual and in-person meetings the first Wednesday of each month! Sign up here to get on the mailing list, check our website for updates on meeting times and book selections, and reach out to books@350pdx.org with any questions!

The Arts Team

350PDX’s Arts Team is finishing a busy month of parades, artbuilds, and fun. A couple of weeks ago, we marched through SE Portland in the Earth Parade.

This Saturday, May 10, we will bring our climate justice puppets to the St John’s Parade. There’s still time to volunteer to be a puppeteer for Saturday! We also need people with vehicles to load up a few puppets that morning from 350PDX (3639 Mississippi Ave) and take them to N Lombard, then bring them back again. Can you help? Please let Donna (murph1949@aol.com) know.

Important: there is no artbuild this month (May). We’re all worn out, plus it’s Mother’s Day–a holiday also know as Mother’s Peace Day established by Julia Ward Howe, and we can celebrate that!

Our next Artbuild is June 8, 1:00-4:00pm, 3639 N Mississippi. We’ll finish puppets, begin puppets, and do a deep clean and reorganization of our art space. If you can join in the fun, please let Donna know. We’d love to see you there.

350 Washington County Team

Our next online meeting will take place at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 13. For the link, reach out to debbygactivism@gmail.com.

We’ll share information on Washington County campaigns, as well as policy work we’ve been accomplishing in this busy legislative session. We’re taking on a big new project to put on an Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro in August; lots of planning is happening in partnership with the City of Hillsboro and with local allies.

Our general activities include: connecting with the Beaverton and the Tigard Climate Action teams, stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro, and more! We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month).

SW Neighborhood Team

Our team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in May, every Friday from 4:00-5:00pm at SW Capitol  Highway & SW Sunset. We reach hundreds of commuters with our climate action signs in a highly visible location. Street parking is available, or reach us via bus or bike, we have extra signs to share!

Our outreach efforts extend beyond the street corner. We will be tabling at SW Sunday Parkways on May 18 and distributing Climate Action Now yard signs. To volunteer with us at SW Sunday Parkways, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com

GET CONNECTED: Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, May 19th, from 6:30-8:00pm. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter, and for being part of the 350PDX community.

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, Katie

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