6 results for author: Joel Schoening


Breathe Easier: Cleaner Fuels and Cleaner Air for Oregonians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: Joel Schoening, joels@oeconline.org (503) 349-3254 Breathe Easier: Cleaner Fuels and Cleaner Air for Oregonians State Adopts Nation’s Strongest Standards for Clean Fuels Salem, OR - Today, Oregon set a new nation-leading standard that will protect our air from fossil fuel tailpipe pollution and accelerate the transition to cleaner fuel options, like electricity and renewable biofuels. Extending and strengthening the State’s Clean Fuels Standard will improve public health, guard Oreognians against future oil price spikes, and multiply the opportunities for job creation and economic ...

NW Natural Wants to Raise Rates (Again). This is What You Need to Know.

NW Natural, a utility company that sells fossil “natural” gas (e.g. methane), wants to raise prices for Oregon customers for a second year in a row. What they are planning to do with the money is, quite frankly, jaw-dropping, which is why OEC and a group of environmental and community-based organizations, represented by the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School and Earthjustice, are pushing back as formal intervenors in an ongoing public “rate case” proceeding. To get to the bottom of it, I sat down with Nora Apter, OEC’s Climate Program Director, to learn more about what NW Natural is doing and why their customers–or ...

Final Oregon OSHA rules make protections from heat and smoke permanent 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 10, 2022 Contacts: Leslie Kochan, Climate Jobs, kochanleslie@gmail.com, (503) 236-4157 Kate Suisman, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, kate@nwjp.org, (503) 765-7105 Jamie Pang, Oregon Environmental Council, JamieP@OECOnline.org, (971) 353-7963 Nargess Shadbeh, Oregon Law Center, nshadbeh@oregonlawcenter.org, (503) 473-8328 Patti Verduzco, PCUN, pattiverduzco@pcun.org, (503) 754-5547   Oregon OSHA raises the bar for worker protections from climate extremes, though advocates note loopholes. Final rules make protections from heat and smoke permanent  SALEM, OR – After a year and a half of rulemaking, ...

EVs Are Not Just for Urban Commuters

The transition from gas to electric vehicles is now well underway. From electric cars, trucks, and busses, to e-bikes, e-scooters, and personal wheeled devices of all kinds, there are more and more electric options for getting around town. This transition is exciting to see because it’s essential to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and battling climate change.  But what if “town” isn’t where you’re trying to get around? There are more electric vehicle (EV) models introduced all the time, but many people still have questions about whether an EV makes sense for the everyday needs of Oregon’s rural and agricultural communities which ...

Heat Pumps: They Heat. They Cool. They burn no fossil fuel.

Heat Pumps are a relatively new way to heat and cool indoor spaces. There’s a variety of different models that can work for apartments, offices, and for single-family homes. Three of our staff sat down for a conversation about the options for single-family homes.* OEC’s Deputy Director of Philanthropy, Teke Dillender is considering a heat pump for her home. Joel Schoening, OEC Director of Communications is about to have a heat pump installed and Sara Wright, OEC’s Transportation Program Director, already has a heat pump. Here’s our chat.    Teke Dillender (TD): So, why did you start looking into heat pumps, and what was it that ...

A Warm Welcome and a Fond Farewell

In the spirit of spring renewal, we have some exciting announcements about changes to the OEC Team in communications, operations and development.  First, we wish a deep, and very fond farewell to Karen Roberti, Operations and Events Manager for OEC for the last 12 and a half years. Karen’s was the first smile friends, family, and partners saw when they visited our office. She pulled off Herculean feats arranging events that showcased our work and collaborations. She did a million and one things behind the scenes that contributed to our successes and made our work better every day simply by being her smart, warm, hilarious self. Karen’s wit, ...