Over the summer, the CRP Portland’s legislative committee has been focusing on collaboration for climate solutions and climate justice. We join forces with local and global groups including ZERO coalition, the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice (CCEJ), Third Act Oregon, the Sierra Club, and OCI (Oil Change International) to help move the needle towards a better future.
What did we do this summer?
We helped spread the word for and tabled at an “Evening with Bill McKibben” at the First Unitarian Church in Portland. If you missed Bill’s amazing presentation and Q&A with Oregon youth climate activists, you can watch the recording here!
We signed on to a Climate Action Campaign letter to members of Congress and the Biden administration to safeguard strong clean hydrogen regulations. Without safeguards, hydrogen can become an environmental justice disaster and an energy boondoggle. Hydrogen, though essential for fertilizer production and some industrial purposes, is several times less efficient than direct electrification. So if fossil fuels or clean electricity diverted from other grid needs are used for its production, pollution of all kinds, and energy costs, increase.
We contributed to a letter of concern regarding NWNatural’s hydrogen blending project in SE Portland that was signed by 47 organizations. Read news coverage here and OPB.
We interacted with Senator Wyden’s staff to thank the Senator for his No vote on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Committee Permitting Reform bill, and back him up on continuing to push against its fossil fuel giveaways and sacrifice zones. You can read our letter here.
We are participating in The Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment (OCERA) — an emerging grassroots movement to amend the Oregon Constitution with a people’s right to a healthy environment. Check out member Katherine Brann Fredrick’s OCERA article about why this is important!
In collaboration with CCEJ, we are supporting restoration of the Oregon Climate Protection Program (CPP) with strong Community Climate Investments. In May, we provided comment to the rulemaking advisory committee, and we will add our voices again during the public hearing Aug. 21 and public comment period that runs through Aug. 30.
You can too! Use CCEJ’s form to submit comments, or join our letter writing party Aug. 28!
Join us?
Email us! Our next meeting– 7 pm Wednesday, September 25– will have a focus on the outlook for bills in the 2025 Oregon legislative session.