Fossil Fuels Are Weapons Of Mass Destruction!

Upwards of 10,000 people gathered in downtown Portland yesterday, to protest for peace and justice in US international policy. The point the protesters were making was clear: the United States should bring soldiers home from the Middle East, and end a war that was initiated to provide out country with easy access to oil. Our president and members of Congress are trying to play on our fears, convincing the public that nuclear weapons in developing countries are the greatest threat to US security, and that military force will be an effective way to counter the threat. In reality, the real weapons of mass destruction are being discharged right here in the United States; coal plants, oil refineries, and natural gas terminals are threatening to make our planet unlivable through global warming. Wouldn't it be ironic if, while pursuing a losing strategy to rid other countries of nuclear weapons, our own nation set off a destabilization of the climate just as devastating as nuclear war? Let's make sure this doesn't happen.

VISIT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING IN OUR CITIES!

OCCSN wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Portland activists who made Oregonian headlines this week. Let's get the US military presence out of the Middle East, and focus efforts on curbing global warming at home.

Our Greenest City Gets Greener

The Oregonian reported today that the Portland City Council is expected to pass a resolution that will set a goal for reducing the city's consumption of oil and natural gas by 50% by the year 2030. It is an ambitious goal, but a highly admirable one.

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Portland's city commissioners say the move is made necessary by the threat of global warming, and a rise in the price of oil that is expected to accompany a worldwide oil shortage. We are draining our last reserves of fossil fuels, and the planet has already been severely affected by our burning of oil, natural gas, and coal. Cities across the country are going to have to adjust accordingly. Portland was already the most environmentally responsible city in Oregon, and this new step makes its commitment even clearer. When that ever-lasting supply of fossil energy turns out to have a limit after all, Portlanders will sail through the crisis more easily than most.

Wouldn't it be great if all Oregon's cities were as progressive as Portland? VISIT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD, AND TELL SALEM AND MEDFORD TO TAKE ACTION!

The Scope on Hillsboro

The city government of Hillsboro, Oregon's fifth largest city, has been talking for months about forming a detailed plan to reduce greenhouse emissions. When the discussions started, Oregon had six Cool Cities that had signed onto the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Now two more cities - Beaverton and Gresham - have signed on, and Hillsboro is still talking. What is going to happen in this city?

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Although things are not exactly happening fast in Hillsboro, the good news is that the city government is serious about developing some kind of action plan - eventually. Many cities that have signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement have signed on readily enough, but still have no concrete plan to follow through with their lofty goals. Hillsboro doesn't want to do that. "We can't sign onto an agreement without having some idea how we're going to follow through," said city councilor Joe Keizur, at the February 27th meeting of Hillsboro's Transportation Committee. "That's bad policy."

Hillsboro officials are inviting staff from ICLEI - the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives - to make a presentation to the Transportation Committee in March, and make suggestions about how the city might get started on a plan to reduce emissions. Members of the Transportation Committee also hope to speak with staff from the city government of Eugene - which has signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement - about the implications of signing the Agreement for Hillsboro. There is a lot hinging on the Transportation Committee's activities in March, and what recommendation the three city counciors on the committee - Ed Dennis, Aron Carleson, and Joe Keizur - decide to make to the mayor. Hillsboro has been slow in jumping on board this movement. However, if things continue to move in the right direction, the city could come away with one of the best greenhouse emission-reduction plans in the state of Oregon. This is a crucial time.

EMAIL HILLSBORO'S CITY COUNCIL AT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD!

Putting the Heat on Salem and Medford

On February 20th, 2007, the Oregon Cities Climate Solutions Network sent a letter to Janet Taylor, mayor of Salem, and to Gary Wheeler, mayor of Medford. These are two of the largest cities in Oregon that have not yet committed to developing a comprehensive plan to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions throughout the city; OCCSN asked that they join major cities such as Portland, Eugene, and Gresham, which have already made that commitment. It is important that all the larger cities in the state contribute to the effort to combat global warming at the local level, so the success of the Salem/Medford campaign is essential. Signatures collected on the petitions sponsored by OCCSN, which ask the mayors of these two cities to take action, will help to back up the letters that were sent on the 20th.

VISIT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD AND SIGN THE PETITIONS

We need to get as many signatures as possible on those two petitions, so that Salem and Medford will have no choice but to listen to our request. The movement to make Oregon a leader in renewable energy and anti-global warming technology is well on its way, with action taking place at both state and local levels. However, there are still major cities that have not committed to joining in this effort, and that needs to change. Please sign the petitions, if you have not done so already, and urge others to sign them as well.

A Unique Chance to Make Change

All over this nation, local governments have become an essential part of the movement to stop global warming. Unfortunately, higher levels of government have often been lagging behind. This web site normally deals with Oregon issues, but right now we have a unique chance to help our fellow activists in Texas. The Texas state government plans to allow the utility company TXU to build eleven new giant coal plants that would release 78 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. It is imperative that this project be stopped, and luckily, hundreds of people are working to make sure that plans for the coal plants are discarded. In a shining example of how local government officials can contribute to climate solutions, a coalition of Texas mayors has formed in opposition to the coal plant project - this is just the sort of thing we want to encourage in Oregon, and all over the country! Help these brave mayors out by signing a petition, sponsored by the Rainforest Action Network, which urges major banks to refuse to fund the TXU coal plants.

SIGN THE PETITION!

VISIT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION!

Hillsboro: to Sign or Not to Sign?

Hillsboro, Oregon's fifth largest city, is working on a plan to reduce its greenhouse emissions. Several important details remain unresolved, for instance, should the city sign onto the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and join approximately 400 other local governments in the US that have signed onto this document? The Mayors Climate Protection Agreement was drafted in 2005, by mayors who resolved to reduce global warming pollution in their cities by 7% below 1990 levels by the year 2012. Since then, hundreds of cities have signed on, but some cities have interpreted the Agreement differently.

CLICK HERE TO ASK OTHER OREGON CITIES TO FIND GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS

The goal of bringing emissions "7% below 1990 levels by 2012" is unrealistic for cities like Hillsboro, whose population has more than doubled in the last seventeen years. However, cities unable to meet that specific goal can develop their own target, and still sign the Agreement to show their general support for curbing global warming. The hundreds of cities that have signed the document send a powerful message: they show that global warming is an issue important to city governments. By signing the Agreement a city commits to reducing emissions in whatever way it can, but putting the mayor's signature on the document also confirms that the city is part of a nation-wide movement that confronts one of the most important issues ever taken on by local governments. So should Hillsboro sign the Agreement? What do you think?

Get involved in Oregon Cities Climate Solutions Network petitioning and campaigns - visit the OCCSN Action Dashboard

Gresham Takes Action!

Gresham, Oregon's fourth largest city has just signed onto the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, thereby committing itself to reducing overall greenhouse emissions. It remains to be seen whether or not the city will truly follow through with its loft goal, but the fact that it has signed onto the Agreement is cause to celebrate. So far, the city is using methane power for a co-generator in its wastewater treatment plan, and the City Hall uses a biodiesel blend in operations vehicles.

Seven other Oregon cities have signed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement; while this is not the only way for a city to state its commitment to greenhouse gas reduction, it is probably the most common way. Of Oregon's seven largest cities, five have now signed the Mayors Agreement. One of the others - Hillsboro - is working on formulating a plan to reduce emissions, though it has not yet publicly stated its goal. Only two of the state's seven largest cities - Salem and Medford - have so far taken no action at all. VISIT THE OCCSN ACTION DASHBOARD TO TELL SALEM AND MEDFORD TO TAKE ACTION!