3 results for tag: rural oregon


Climate Change and Agriculture: How are they connected and what’s to be done?

What is climate change and how does it work? We’ve all heard the phrase “climate change,” but what does that phrase mean? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines climate change as “a long-term (decades to centuries) change in any of a number of environmental conditions for a given place and time—such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, cloudiness, wind, and air circulation patterns.” So any shift in weather patterns lasting for a prolonged period of time can be called climate change. Today most people who say “climate change” are referring to the steady well-documented increases in Earth’s temperature ...

Road-trips, Representatives and Adventures in Eastern Oregon

Summer is road-trip time, and recently, OEC staff Karen Lewotsky (Water Policy and Rural Partnerships Director) and Morgan Gratz-Weiser (Legislative Director) headed southeast across Oregon to Crane, with stops along the way in Tumalo and Prineville. Why Crane? The gathering in Crane was organized by leading legislators and partner organizations Verde, Willamette Partnership and others, to celebrate recent state investment in water and water infrastructure. The celebration kicked off with a virtual Zoom event the preceding week, and culminated with a tour of Harney basin groundwater resources, on-farm water use-efficiency practices and a BBQ ...

The Healthy Climate Bill: Just the Facts

The Problem In 2007 the Oregon Legislature enacted ambitious climate pollution reduction goals to protect our clean air, safeguard our shellfish and tourism industries, and reduce Oregon’s contribution to climate change, drought, and severe weather. But Oregon is not on track to meet these goals. To reduce climate pollution to 75% below 1990 levels by 2050, Oregon needs an enforceable, economy-wide climate policy. Only a comprehensive policy that leads to a safe, affordable clean energy future will protect those hardest hit by the effects of climate change—our rural areas and industries, low-income communities, and communities of color. ...