Oregon’s Climate Protection Program (CPP) Is Under Attack

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Click here to read the latest news on the CPP. Editor's note: This article was updated on 7/31/2024 to reflect actions by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Oil and Gas Lawsuit Halts the Climate Protection Program In December of 2022, the oil and gas industry and their allies delivered a devastating blow to climate justice in Oregon.  The Oregon Court of Appeals invalidated Oregon’s landmark Climate Protection Program (CPP) based on a procedural technicality. The program was spearheaded (unsurprisingly) by the oil and gas industries most responsible ...

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Now Hiring – Legislative Director

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Announcing our Legislative Director search! We're looking for someone who is excited about advancing innovative, collaborative and equitable solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges for today and future generations. Come Join us.

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New Staff Q&A: Tatiana Cardoza

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OEC is excited to introduce our Communications and Marketing Script intern, Tatiana Cardoza! From her start in early June, Tatiana is already helping OEC elevate our environmental work. Tatiana recently graduated from Portland State University, where she double majored in Business Marketing and Business Analytics. With this background and expertise, she joined OEC’s Communications team to help us parse data, explore trends and develop strategies to enhance our environmental impact. Her fresh outlook and ability to organize complex information into actually digestible ...

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Now Hiring – Environmental Health Program Director

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We're excited to announce our Environmental Health Director position. We're looking for someone who is excited about increasing environmental health outcomes for people living in Oregon.

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Adapting to Heat: A Texan’s Guide for Oregonians

Hot sunny sky with a few clouds tinted orange-yellow by the sun.
In Texas, our summers were always hot. But not this hot. It was 81° the day I left Austin for Portland in late February of this year – what would have been a normal summer day, but in the midst of winter. Just a few months later, record breaking heat waves have already scorched parts of Oregon, Texas, and the nation. McCaffrey and Eagle Point, OR, are battling wildfires. Last weekend, more than 39 million Americans were under an Excessive Heat Warning. Many homes in western Oregon weren’t built with centralized cooling and efficient heat pumps, and weatherization ...

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Member Q&A: Lesley Atlansky

OEC Member, Lesley Atlansky, standing in the environmental studies book section that she curates at Powells bookstore.
How we choose to fight for the future of our planet is a deeply personal decision. Beyond the obvious actions – giving public comment, reducing our own carbon footprints, or supporting organizations like Oregon Environmental Council – there are any number of other ways to make a difference. You can make art that beautifully portrays the splendor of the natural world, promote literature on climate and environmental issues to your community…  Or, if you’re Lesley Atlansky, you can do both! Lesley is an artist and longtime OEC member based in Portland, OR. She ...

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Join Us This Summer at the Transportation Roadshow!

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State legislators are hosting a 12-stop statewide listening tour this summer on major transportation issues. We need your voice! Our transportation system should be safer, greener, better maintained, and more affordable for all Oregonians. Your testimony during these public hearings will impact how legislators shape the future of our transportation infrastructure! Your participation will also help OEC deliver stronger climate-smart legislation for our state in 2025. Background As things currently stand, Oregon is struggling to raise enough money to fund our transportat...

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PFAS AKA “Forever Chemicals”

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When we first wrote about PFAS in 2020 they were still relatively new in the public consciousness. Today, the full scope of these "forever chemicals" has come frighteningly into focus.

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Greetings from a Recovering Climate Pessimist

sam pape at age 10 standing on a ledge in front of a large blue lake with cloudy blue sky and mountain range in background
Dear fellow friends of Oregon, My name is Sam Pape. Nice to meet you! I’m the new Communications and Marketing Coordinator at OEC. I started in an interim role back in February, and was thrilled to recently accept a permanent, full-time position. In other words: I’m here to stay! I’ve called Oregon my home my whole life. Growing up, I spent my summers camping around the state with family and friends, getting to know the boundless beauty of the beaches, mountains, and sky.  After high school, I skipped out on the traditional college experience to travel the ...

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2024 Legislative Debrief Video

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On May 6, we hosted our 2024 Virtual Legislative Debrief. The conversation featured Oregon Senator Janeen Sollmon. With her insights, we covered a wide range of topics — from last session’s environmental victories (like Right to Repair and Healthy Homes), to big picture conversations about the trajectory of Oregon’s climate future. On the Right to Repair legislation, Senator Sollman spoke in detail on what it took to pass the consumer electronics policy – now the strongest in the nation. She also outlined what the new law does. (Full video below.) “One ...

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