25 results for tag: clean energy


REPORT: Oregon Faces Climate Threats; We Are Committed to Solutions

The Oregon Climate Change Research Institute just released their third Oregon Climate Assessment Report, and the results are foreboding. Off the top, it clearly states the problem: “burning fossil fuels to run our factories, heat our homes and drive our cars produces heat-trapping gasses that unequivocally warm the planet.” The report presents compelling evidence as to how our state is already experiencing the effects of climate change, and the various threats that lie ahead. Key takeaways: A majority of Oregonians are concerned about climate change: Two-thirds (67%) of Oregonians believe that climate change is happening (Howe et al., 2015). ...

Bend Sports Shop Goes Electric

We love ourselves a good clean energy story - especially local ones that show how making the switch can save money and make lives better! Here's a great example from Pine Mountain Sports in Bend, Oregon. They recently purchased an electric car as their new shop vehicle, making skiing trips to Mt. Bachelor more affordable, and taking their commitment to environmental stewardship to a whole new level. Check out the reasons they went electric, and why this is an easy switch you can make too: "In August of 2016, Pine Mountain Sports bought a 100% electric car as our new shop vehicle. It’s not a Tesla. It’s a Nissan Leaf. It goes 80 miles on an ...

Making Oregon a Clean Energy Leader: Renew Oregon

It's an exciting time for those who care about cleaner energy and healthier communities. In 2016 OEC took major initiative to make Oregon a leader in transitioning from dirty, polluting energy to a clean energy economy: we helped found Renew Oregon. Renew Oregon is the most powerful coalition ever assembled in our state to fight for climate protection. Thanks to the continued support of our members, we are helping steer the Renew Oregon campaign to climate victory, starting with the passage of the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Act, a first-of-its-kind law to transition off of polluting coal-fired power while simultaneously DOUBLING the ...

Paul Hawken’s Project Drawdown: Mathematics Springs Eternal

Guest Blog Post, David Michael Smith, SAGE Hope doesn’t usually equate with the empiricism of mathematics, but I left a recent lecture by Paul Hawken with a renewed optimism about the future of planet earth after hearing his explanation of Project Drawdown’s “new math” approach to climate change. Hawken, a well-known entrepreneur, author and environmentalist, has been at the leading edge of climate change research for decades. His appearance in Portland, as a Visiting SAGE, was part of a series of speakers brought to town by Senior Advocates for Generational Equity (SAGE), an organization dedicated to leaving earth a better place for ...

5 Things to Love About Oregon’s Solar Future

We know that the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Bill is great news for Oregon. It’s a historic measure that transitions our state’s electricity grid off of coal-fired power, replacing that power with clean, renewable energy. The bill has placed a major spotlight on Oregon, highlighting just how meaningful climate progress can be achieved. Our state may be small in size, but as the first state to ever take legislative action to go coal-free, we’ve proven just how mighty Oregon can be. What you may not know about the Coal Transition Bill is that it contains several hidden gems working in tandem to put Oregon on a path toward having one ...

The hidden gem of the Coal Transition Bill

If you’ve been following local, national or even global environmental news lately, you’ve read about Oregon’s pioneering bill to transition off of coal-fired power and replace that power with renewable energy. It’s the first time a state has ever taken legislative action to go coal-free, and will make our state home to the fifth most aggressive renewable portfolio standard in the country. But what you may not know about the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Bill is that it’s also a big win for electric vehicles. In addition to requiring that our state’s two largest utilities transition off of coal-fired power, the law also require...

Phone bank for volunteers to join the clean energy movement: Oct. 8

Did you know that Oregon sources about one-third of its energy from coal-fueled power plants? It doesn't have to be this way! You can help. Next Thursday, we'll be meeting over pizza here at OEC for a phone bank party. Why? There is an exciting ballot measure petition about to be launched! The initiative will call for Oregon to get away from dirty coal, embrace clean, renewable energy, and cut carbon pollution. Why are we calling people? We need your help growing our base of active volunteers to join us in making sure this initiative gets on the ballot. That's our call to action: volunteer. To review: coal=gross, clean energy=beautiful, volunt...

The collective consciousness shift: your monthly dose of climate goodness

It's that time again. Time to put away our newly-altered Atlas to reflect shrinking ice sheets and turn away from the barrage of stories on drought and wildfires, stories that seem to point to a rapidly changing world. Yet while climate change is certainly a big deal, it's also true that in the media if it bleeds, it leads. Hence we see the repeated publication of the shocking, the tragic and the scary. That's why we've created a special forum here to, at least on a monthly basis, document the positive when it comes to climate change. The good is there; the movement is building. We just have to dig a little deeper than the headlines to find proof of ...

Statement on President Obama’s Clean Power Plan

President Obama got to the heart of the issue when he stated: “climate change is not a problem for another generation.” We must act now. At Oregon Environmental Council, we work collaboratively with individuals, businesses, health providers and elected officials to advance innovative, collaborative solutions to Oregon’s most pressing environmental challenges. Climate pollution threatens our economy, our health, our natural resources, and harms our way of life. Dangerous climate pollution is currently pumped into Oregon’s air and water, and President Obama’s Clean Power Plan helps correct that. The plan sets the first-ever carbon pollution ...

400 Oregon Businesses Call for Climate Action

350 is a significant number when it comes to climate. In the words of Dr. James Hansen, one of the most respected climatologists in the world,  "CO2 will need to be reduced from [current levels] to at most 350 ppm to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed." The current level at which we're pumping CO2 into the atmosphere is not feasible if we are to sustain a healthy and stable climate. And right now the ratio of carbon dioxide molecules to all other molecules in the atmosphere is 403 ppm, well above Dr. Hansen's benchmark of 350 ppm. What does this mean exactly? It signifies we're releasing too much carbon—m...