Category: News

While our policy makers engage in CLIMATE TALKS in Paris, Oregonians will engage in CLIMATE ACTION in Portland. Oregon is threatened by two massive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export projects that would radically increase the amount of fossil fuel that is trafficked through the state. 

These projects would entail tremendous localized impacts such as clear cutting and bay dredging; however, the greatest threat is to our climate. The project in S. Oregon would require a new power plant that would become the largest carbon emitter in the state! Another fact: 5-10% of this natural gas leaks during extraction (fracking) and transportation (pipelines), and since leaked gas traps 86 times more heat than CO2, it’s obvious that exporting gas across the globe is not a viable climate solution!

What can Portland do about this climate disaster? A candidate for Portland Mayor, Ted Wheeler, currently sits on the State Land Board which oversees a crucial element in the LNG permitting process. Join us as we make it clear to Wheeler that in order to be elected in this city, he must be a climate leader and take a stand against LNG exports!

Join us!
Huge Artistic Display of the LNG Life Cycle
Friday December 11

10:30AM Sheraton Hotel 
8235 NE Airport Way, Portland

12:00PM Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, Portland

Contact Bonnie McKinlay: (503) 705-1943

For more info on LNG:
www.nolngexports.org

The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) is currently reviewing multiple applications for the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline.  The applications include requests for easements to build the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline through Coos Bay.  Because the State of Oregon owns the submerged lands in the pipeline route, either the Department of State Lands or the State Land Board can deny the Pacific Connector Pipeline.  The State Land Board is comprised of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins, and Treasurer Ted Wheeler.

On Tuesday, December 8^th, activists will attend the State Land Board meeting in Salem to send a message to Oregon’s top elected officials about why Oregon should reject LNG.  Assemble at 9am outside the Land Board meeting, gather at 9:30 AM for a brief media event.

Carpooling from Portland to Salem: 503-705-1943. Please contact by 9PM on Dec 6.

When: Tuesday, December 8th, 9:30 AM                                                                                                      Where: Oregon Dept of State Lands, 775 Summer St NE. Salem, OR

WEAR RED!

This map shows the proposed route of the Pacific Connector Pipeline Through Coos Bay’s Haynes Inlet. Pacific Connector seeks an easement through state-owned submerged lands for the pipeline from Oregon Department of State Lands. 

The Land Board will not be taking public comment about LNG, which is not on the agenda.  However, we will send a message with our presence that the State of Oregon should use all of its authority – including its proprietary rights – to protect Oregon from destructive LNG projects.  Our attendance will also support local oyster growers and private landowners who will be traveling from Coos Bay to convey their concerns to the media and the Department of State Lands. 

We already know that the Jordan Cove LNG terminal would be the biggest greenhouse gas polluter in Oregon, so it clearly conflicts with the best use of state resources. For this reason, Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) should reject all of the permits and easements for the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline. Furthermore, the Pacific Connector and the terminal would harm salmon habitat, condemn the private property of Oregon families, degrade water quality, and damage oyster beds located very close to the proposed Jordan Cove Terminal and pipeline.  As a result, the project does not protect existing uses in the area, and DSL and the State Land Board should reject the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline.

Together, we can persuade the State of Oregon to stand up for Oregonians against the largest, most destructive, and greenhouse gas-intensive fossil fuel proposal in Oregon.

Emmalynn Garrett — October 2, 2015 —  Hey Portland! On Wednesday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Pacific Connector Pipeline and Jordan Cove energy project ignoring requests of elected officials and community members to reassess the impacts of this project.

Federal data shows that if the Jordan Cove facility were to go online, it would be the largest single source of carbon pollution in the state of Oregon in 2020 when the Boardman coal facility shuts down.

When the project was an import pipeline and a similar statement was issued by FERC in 2010, then Governor Ted Kulongoski publicly vowed to go to court to stop the federal government from moving forward with the proposal and that proposal did not proceed.  This time around, Governor Kate Brown has yet to take a public stance on this project. Oregon elected officials, especially Democrats like Gov. Kate Brown, look to the politically active metropolitan Willamette Valley communities for cues on environmental policies and priorities.

While FERC continues it’s blatant rubberstamping of destructive pipelines projects across the country and Oregon’s elected officials refuse to take a stand, resistance to this project is growing in southern Oregon.  In the last week alone, southern Oregon has seen corporate office shutdowns in Medford and rallies of several hundred people in the Coos Bay area– the wrap up of a protest hike along 315 miles of pipeline route.  And yet, at the time I’m writing this, to my knowledge no Portland news source has covered any of the major actions happening in southern Oregon.

Southern Oregon might seem far away from metropolitan Portland geographically, economically, politically and culturally, as a person who has lived in both places, I can say it often is.  But in our current state system, rural Southern Oregon is economically and politically influenced by the much larger population in urban Portland.  In an era of climate change, we cannot ignore devastating projects of this nature happening anywhere but especially those that we, as residents of urban Portland, have immense power to help stop.

Portland’s vibrant and active activist community can make or break this fight if we  join Southern Oregonians in holding the thin green line against fossil fuel destruction and export in our region.

Here are several easy things you can do this week:
 
PRESSURE THE NEWS MEDIA

*Write a letter to the editor*
We want to put a lot of media pressure on the Governor and make sure the public knows about how the state can take action to stop LNG and how a previous governor challenged FERC on LNG. This is especially important for folks in the Portland area targeting Portland newsources. More information on writing a letter to the editor here.

*Donate to and share the Indiegogo Campaign to fund an Oregonian ad*

The statewide coalition against LNG is crowdsourcing a full page ad to get the word out about Gov. Kate Brown’s ability to stop this project.  Please donate if you can and share across social media channels.

PRESSURE GOVERNOR BROWN

*Call the Governor on Monday Oct. 5th at 503-378-4582 and Spread the Word*
We need to keep the pressure on the Governor and make it clear the action we expect her to take in the face of FERC’s grossly inadequate review.  It only takes a few minutes to join in to weigh in on the importance of a LNG export-free Oregon.  More information and talking points here and join and share on Facebook here.

*Light up Social Media with No LNG!*
Even if you’re not much for social media in your personal life, let’s make it a part of your organizing life! We need to saturate Gov Brown’s twitter and facebook feeds with pictures of us rallying and being awesome! You can get messaging suggestions and pics to send the Governor here.

Check back here and with Southern Oregon Rising Tide for the latest updates and plans for resistance!