35 results for tag: clean air


A note from the Emerging Leaders Board on “The Time is Now: Renew Oregon”

We’re not just an advisory board of entrepreneurs, strategists and community leaders lending our expertise to support of OEC’s mission. We’re also professionals, parents, aunts and uncles, daughters and sons. We’re Oregonians who were born in this beautiful state and people who moved here because we love this state so much. To safeguard our future, we must act on climate now. That’s why we created this video, narrated by best-selling author of “Wild”, Cheryl Strayed, to call for climate action. We care about climate change for so many reasons, but particularly because we're the first generation to experience the effects of climate ...

A Clean Future Starts Here

Every day in Oregon, polluters dump waste into our air and water at no cost to their bottom line. If they are going to use the resources we all share - our air, our livable climate and plentiful water, the Oregon Environmental Council thinks these polluters should at least pay the true cost. We already see the damaging effects of climate change posing a risk to our natural areas and Oregon industries like shellfish, agriculture, and snow-based tourism. Asthma rates are increasing as air pollution stagnates in the hot air and our most vulnerable populations are at risk. Delaying action to address the root causes of climate change just compounds ...

When The Biggest Polluters Lead on Climate, Others Will Follow

"What about China?" is a common refrain when Oregonians talk about tackling climate change. "If not them, why us?" It's time for the question to change. The United States and China–the world’s top two emitters of climate pollution–are taking the reigns on a unique opportunity to lead on climate. Last November, the US and China made a joint announcement on climate change targets. This set the stage for President Obama to submit US targets in international climate negotiations. The President outlined how the US plans to cut climate pollution to 26-28% below its 2005 levels by 2025 by freezing construction of new coal-fired power plants, ...

The Clean Green Lobby Machine painted the Capitol green on Tuesday!

What happens when a piece of coal and a wind farmer play tug-of-war? At the feet of the Capitol’s tall granite walls, solar panels and wind turbines challenged Big Coal to a game of tug-o-war. One hundred and eighty clean energy advocates stood on the Capitol’s steps, wearing green and yellow t-shirts or dressed as wind turbine operators. The sun was shining, chants rang in the air and, in the end, clean energy won the battle—sending Big Coal to its dusty grave! This good-natured scene followed an inspiring address from Treasurer Ted Wheeler on Oregon’s sustainable investments at this week’s Lobby Day for the Environment: The Clean ...

It’s Time to Renew Oregon

There is no bigger fight than the one we’re waging for the future of the climate. We already feel the effects of extreme storms, drought and record-breaking wildfires. We’re the last generation that can do anything to reverse it. Passionate Oregonians are fighting this battle right now. The opposition is powerful and entrenched: Huge oil and coal corporations who put profits ahead of people. Only a concentrated campaign, built to a massive scale, with all of us rallying together can overcome their opposition. That's why, at OEC, we're so excited to announce that Renew Oregon launches today! It will be the most powerful coalition ever ...

Stronger Together: The 2015 carbon-busting agenda

To get a handle on climate disruption, we need everyone’s participation and we need to tackle carbon pollution from every source. OEC is promoting and supporting state policies that: Make our homes and other buildings more efficient Make our cars and trucks more efficient Transition Oregon away from dirty energy, like coal and oil, toward clean, renewable energy sources Provide people with more transportation options Hold big polluters accountable for the true cost of their carbon pollution Early in the 2015 legislative session, OEC worked with partners to lift the sunset on the Oregon Clean Fuels Program. SB 324 requires oil ...

Stronger Together: Equity in the Oregon Legislature

A few years ago, several groups got together to examine how state legislative proposals address issues of racial equity. They shone a light on laws that could have significant negative impacts on communities of color and recommended laws that could address racial disparities. To begin holding lawmakers accountable, they published the first Racial Equity Report Card in 2011. The report card, which is published every long session, evaluates each state legislator’s commitment to advancing opportunity and addressing disparities affecting Oregonians of color. Read about the most recent report card here. OEC is participating in meetings about this ...

It’s Almost Spring! Legislative Update from OEC

The 2015 legislative session is off to a great start! Below is a special update on how OEC's legislative agenda is progressing.  Speaking of the Capitol, we hope you’ll join us and more than 40 other environmental organizations for Oregon League of Conservation Voter’s lobby day. It’s happening on March 24. Click here to learn more and RSVP. CLIMATE PROTECTION Clean Fuels Program—SB 324 Victory! After the bill passed both chambers, Governor Brown signed SB 324 into law on March 12, lifting the sunset on Oregon's Clean Fuels Program! This is a great early victory for the environmental and business communities. Over the next ten years, ...

Local Energy Challenge Motivates for a Cooler Oregon

What if communities across the country banded together, in the spirit of friendly competition, to raise the bar on energy efficiency? Such a move would help create a cooler Oregon (both in the literal and proverbial sense), as we work to do our part to slow global warming, and help Oregon embrace long-term livability practices. It is with in spirit that the Georgetown University Energy Prize came about. A multi-year, $5 million prize challenge, the Georgetown University Energy Prize asks communities to develop sustainable energy-saving innovations in collaboration with local governments and utilities, working together to reduce local energy ...

Press Release: Clean Fuels Program Drives On

The bill to lift the sunset on the Clean Fuels Program, SB 324, was approved by the Oregon Senate today by a vote of 17-13. The program is key for Oregon to meet its climate goals and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels by 10% over ten years.