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 Green Lobby Machine. Organized together with the Oregon Conservation Network and several partner organizations, the day was a grand success. In fact, Treasurer Wheeler said it was the largest turnout for any lobby he had ever seen!
OEC volunteers joined hundreds of other Oregonians, visiting their legislators to discuss smart policies that protect the state we all love. Youth, elders and all ages in between came together in Salem to talk with lawmakers about transitioning to a clean energy economy, supporting Oregon’s transportation system and protecting our communities from toxic chemicals.
But don’t take our word for it. Hear from OEC’s incredible volunteers!
“I was surprised by how much state legislators actually care about hearing from their constituents. It was both empowering and also underscored the need to diversify the voices that legislators hear to more accurately represent the communities in their districts…. you don’t have to be an expert, lawmakers respond best to personal connections, and even lawmakers who you believe intend to represent you the way you wish need positive feedback and possibly additional tips. You may know something they don’t know that will help them make a better decision, so don’t shy away from sharing!” —Orly Stampfer, first-time advocate
“It is easy, especially at my age (67) to become cynical with the process, but patience and persistence are required if change is to be achieved. I was energized by the event yesterday and am recommitted to, yet again, engaging in the often frustrating sausage making process of creating progressive legislative policy, especially when it comes to the seminal issue of our times — climate change.” –David Michael Smith, seasoned advocate
“It was really fun meeting and learning from people who are just as passionate about environmental issues as I am…. Our state legislators are very receptive to hearing from you. Make your voice heard. They are there to represent you.” —Frank Yuen, new to advocacy
When asked, will you reach out to your legislators about environmental issues again? The answer was a resounding YES!
Join Orly, David and Frank in speaking up for Oregon’s environment and sign up for our action alerts today.
Special thanks to: Oregon Conservation Network, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Beyond Toxics, Bicycle Transportation Alliance and all the volunteers who worked so hard to pull this event off. OEC was honored to play a small part.
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