What we’ve been up to

We had a great time! at the Chapter Potluck in Washington Park. So good a time in fact that we forgot to gather in front of our banner for a group photo 🫠 

A big Thank You to everyone who’s already taken action to help improve the Transportation Bill. If you haven’t written yet, your representatives need to hear from you. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in Oregon, and we need a package that reduces pollution and improves public health and safety, not one that’s a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry. 

And three cheers for Kelly Jensvold— our social media lead— for organizing meetings with Sen. Wyden, Sen. Merkley, and US Rep. Salinas. We met with their staff to convey Climate Reality Project’s support for the clean energy and community benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act which this year’s US budget reconciliation bill threatens to eliminate. Yes, Wyden, Merkley, and Salinas have already committed to vote no on this package which cuts clean energy, community benefits, medicaid, and many other important programs. But as a friend in an allied organization said: Though we may lose the battle this year, in the long run all legislators need to have evidence of what their constituents care about.

Help Improve Oregon’s Transportation Package

Ranking members of the Transportation Committee met behind closed doors and came up with a proposal that looks to be not only tbd on safe streets and public transit, but would replace the Climate Protection Program with a “cap and pave” plan that would use the revenue from emissions credits to build bigger highways— adding pollution instead of accelerating zero-emissions transportation and climate justice. We don’t think that’s ok. You can find your state rep and senator and write to them directly, or personalize Move Oregon Forward’s easy form. We encourage adding a sentence like:

Learn and Advocate: Multnomah County Climate Justice

Multnomah County is accepting public comment on their Climate Justice Draft Plan through June 29. The video above will walk you through the key points in the plan, the breathtaking amount of community collaboration that went into creating the draft, and how your comments can be used to improve the final plan.

Multnomah County will also voting on adopting its 2026 budget on June 12. The Office of Sustainability which is charged with finalizing the climate justice plan and continuing to implement existing climate plans is on the chopping block— you can still submit written comments on your budget priorities. It is a tight budget year, but I personally will be speaking up for maintaining the budget and staff of this life-and-future-saving office.

In Person: Rally, Volunteer Fair, and March

The Building Resilience Coalition invites us to join a rally for Rental and community heat pump programs that lower bills and protect people from extreme weather; Community-based renewable energy and resilience projects for Tribes and rural communities; Climate-smart land management that supports farmers, ranchers, and working forests; One-stop-shop resources to help families afford clean, efficient home upgrades. Fight with us on June 5 for a climate future that protects all communities. Please wear Blue.

Chapter Leaders Helena and Amanda will be tabling for Climate Reality Project Portland at this fair. Come by the Beaverton City Library between 10 am and 2 pm to chat with us, and tell your Beaverton-area friends this is happening! 12375 SW Fifth St. 97005

Join us to at noon on Flag Day, June 14,

at Battleship Oregon Memorial in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, or in one of the many other rallies and marches scheduled around Oregon. Find your local event here. Protecting democracy is one of Climate Reality Projects pillars and essential to equitable climate action. Climate Reality Project Portland Chapter is a non-partisan organization and supporting this event because it is an explicitly nonviolent call to use our 1st amendment rights to free speech and call to protect our democracy.

Climate Education Committee 

During the month of May, the climate education committee finished up the 24-25 school year of collaboration with the SAGE Vision 2030 Team showcasing climate solutions to middle school students.  Climate Reality Project members put in over 60 volunteer hours in May in anticipation of the Parkrose Middle School Fair for over 600 students, as well as a few classroom presentations and work with eco-clubs.  Join the education committee: Email Lynn at [email protected] 

Climate Friendly Foods Committee 

Climate friendly foods committee lead Lynne Haroun is back from vacation and had a planning call with the chair of the City of Florence Environmental Management Advisory Committee in advance of her June 11th presentation for their meeting on food waste reduction. The presentation will summarize the newly released Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report “Reducing Food Impacts, A Strategic Plan for Oregon” and identify ways in which the City could work with the public to reach DEQ’s goal of a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2030. The plan identifies three major focus areas— sustainable food production, sustainable food consumption and sustainable food waste management— and steps that the DEQ plans to take over the next 10 years to reduce the environmental impact of our food system.
Join the climate friendly foods committee: Email [email protected]

Climate Legislative Committee 

The legislative committee met with staff members of Senators Wyden and Merkley in early May, and has been collaborating with groups like Move Oregon Forward and the Building Resilience Coalition to support clean energy, climate justice, and natural climate solutions in the transportation package and other bills. The Oregon legislative session ends in a few weeks, so it’s all hands on deck. Join the legislative committee:   Email Amanda and Helena at [email protected] 

We have a Linktree!

Have limited time but want to keep up with quick actions and events in between newsletters? Bookmark our Linktree page: https://linktr.ee/climaterealitypdx

Share Your Climate Story or Event

So many of us are working with multiple groups in different neighborhoods! If you’d like to share what you’re doing for climate action and climate justice, we’d love to highlight it in an upcoming newsletter! Email to [email protected] for inclusion.