14 results for author: Robin Rumancik

Extreme Heat, Rising Bills, and the Case for Electrification

A longtime friend texted me this past weekend. “News said there’s a heatwave in Portland. I checked the weather app and it just seems like ‘normal’ Texas temperatures.” He lives on the east coast and has never visited Oregon. This is my second summer in Portland since I moved here from Austin. “So many ppl up here don’t have AC!” I replied. “Like 25% of Oregon vs 2% of Texas.” He sent back a single emoji: 🥵. If there’s no relief, extreme heat can be unbearable—even deadly. And weather disasters like these that were considered ‘once-in-a-century’ are now just a few years (sometimes weeks) apart. To stop climate ...

ACT! Fund a STRONG Climate Justice Budget for Oregon

Lawmakers are finalizing the state budget for the next two years. Now is the time to speak up for a strong Climate Justice Budget that protects the environment, uplifts communities, lowers energy bills, and creates clean energy jobs across the state. Use the form below to email your state legislators and urge them to invest in proven programs that deliver for Oregonians. **Please Note: We recommend you send a separate email to your Senator AND Representative. Due to a system limitation, when you select both legislators' at once, your email is sent to both parties with the uneditable salutation "Dear Senators / Representatives." Your browser does ...

Tell Lawmakers to Fund a Transportation Package For ALL Oregonians

Oregon is about to make some big transportation decisions that will affect us for decades. Unfortunately, lawmakers are starting from a framework that falls dramatically short on what we need. We need fair funding, accountability, and more robust investments in safety, transit, and pollution reduction. Tell your legislators that the stakes are too high to settle for less. **Please Note: We recommend you send a separate email to your Senator AND Representative. Due to a system limitation, when you select both legislators' at once, your email is sent to both parties with the uneditable salutation "Dear Senators / Representatives." Your browser ...

BREAKING: Polluters Push Oregon Backward on Clean Air, Public Health, and Climate Action

Today, Oregon’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule was delayed by two years. Predictably, oil and gas interests orchestrated a multi-state campaign to derail similar policies in other states. Their successful attacks now include Oregon’s ACT rules. Oregon communities are already suffering from the devastating impacts of diesel pollution. This pollution contains 40 cancer-causing compounds, contributes to 176 premature deaths annually, and costs our state $2 billion in health impacts each year. In fact, 19 of Oregon’s 36 counties have diesel pollution high enough to increase your lifetime risk for cancer. OEC and our partner organizations ...

Pass Senate Bill 88: Get Junk Fees Out of Utility Bills

Oregonians are struggling with skyrocketing utility bills. At the same time, the state’s largest utilities have raised rates by almost 50% in just four years while making profits, and passing unnecessary costs on to consumers. Our utility bills are covering their costs for expensive lawyers, lobbyists, marketing, and industry association fees. Your browser does not support iframes. Please visit https://oeconline.good.do/2025LegSession/DRAFT-SB88JunkInRates/    if(!window.jQuery){document.write('');}

Make Earth Month Count in 2025

Earth Day and OEC were formed just a year apart (1970 and 1969, respectively), and our collective missions have always been parallel. OEC's work has proven that strong, lasting environmental protections are possible when we work together. From the nation’s first Bottle Bill to the Clean Fuels Program (which has cut 10M tons of carbon emissions – and counting – from our atmosphere). Just as our movement has progressed, so has Earth Day. It evolved into Earth Month, and the celebration of all that’s beautiful about our planet continues to serve as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to protect the place we love.  As ...

What is “Ways and Means,” Anyway?

Making laws is complicated – and that can be a good thing. Good public policy – which OEC has championed from the beginning – requires thinking through how a program will be carried out as well as what resources will be needed to make it successful. That’s why it’s a long, multi-step process requiring collaboration and thorough review from start to finish. (Read more about how ideas become law here). At times during this process, public input is critical for a bill to become law. For bills that need funding, that time is now. We’ve made it easy for you to take action below. What is Ways & Means  |  How to Take Action  | ...

A Climate Solution You Can Live In: Q&A on Building Resilience

Sometimes big-impact solutions to the climate crisis can feel beyond our control – other times they’re right within reach, like upgrading our homes and buildings. This Q&A with Brad Reed, Director of Building Resilience, highlights how we can transform our homes and communities into climate-resilient havens. From heat pumps to insulation, Brad explains how basic upgrades can protect our health and our communities, while also saving money on utility bills.This year, Building Resilience is working alongside OEC to pass legislation to give more Oregonians access to energy efficiency upgrades. National trends show more and more people are ...

The Clean Grid Explained: Key Terms for Understanding How Electricity Moves in Oregon

Clean energy is the backbone for reaching our climate goals and helping to cut climate pollution in buildings, transportation, and industry. In the upcoming 2025 legislative session, OEC will collaborate with partners to keep moving forward on our clean energy goals. As climate-fueled disasters like wildfires, scorching heat, and drought in our own backyard become increasingly hard to ignore, it’s more important than ever that we accelerate our progress. Enter: The electricity grid. You’ve probably heard the term – though you’re not alone if you don’t know what it really means. Broadly speaking, the grid is the entire ...

Oregon’s Climate Protection Program is Restored!

Oregon just scored a major environmental victory! In a unanimous vote, the Environmental Quality Commission (ECQ) adopted the newly revised Climate Protection Program, reinstating the landmark policy at a time when climate action is critical. This marks the most significant climate action taken in the wake of the federal election.  Now, Oregon’s most influential climate policy is back on the books thanks to the thoughtful work of Governor Kotek's office and the Department of Environmental Quality staff. It couldn’t have been done without collective dedication and grit. Thousands of Oregonians, including OEC members and action takers, stood up ...