“Transition is inevitable. Justice is not.”- Quinton Sankofa, Movement Generation
Climate disruption isn’t an “environmental” issue in the usual sense. It’s a basic matter of social and economic justice.
The impacts of climate change generally hit first and worst on those who do the least to cause it and are the most vulnerable to the consequences. And the primary cause of climate change–fossil fuel extraction, transportation and combustion–takes a heavy toll on the health and well-being of communities of color, indigenous people, and low-income communities.
So addressing the climate challenge means more than emission reduction, more than simply mitigating environmental impacts of our economic and energy systems. It means rebuilding those systems to deliver sustainable prosperity–economic health that works for a long time and a lot more people.
A clean energy economy can offer that promise. It can produce economic vitality in the present without destroying the future. It can produce shared prosperity, by reducing the concentrated economic power of fossil fuel suppliers, investing in communities, and increasing reliance on abundant local resources.
But this transition won’t be easy or quick. It’s a huge social and economic shift, and that always poses challenges, particularly for those who live closest to the economic margins and those who rely on fossil fuel industries for work. The clean energy transition is about shrinking carbon footprints, but it won’t work unless it’s also about growing:
A growing list of states and territories have adopted carbon pricing policies, enacted more robust low-carbon fuel standards, and committed to a timeline for transitioning to 100% clean electricity, but Oregon is not among them.
President Trump’s EPA wants to nullify states’ ability to set their own standards on tailpipe pollution—an action that would impact not only California but all other states working to address global warming. How can our work make a difference when the federal government is trying to roll back progress that even Ronald Reagan defended decades ago, and that many automakers now want to keep on the books?
The end of Oregon’s 2019 legislative session exposed some of the egregious corporate lobbying in Salem that blocks climate action – sometimes in public, but many times behind the scenes in the halls of the State Capitol. One of those companies is the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Oregon. Yes, the same AAA that you call for a lifeline when your car breaks down – but apparently that lifeline doesn’t extend to the climate emergency we’re currently experiencing.
When it comes to environmental pollution, protection should not depend on complexion.
For the first time in memory—and maybe ever—climate change is a top priority for the Washington Legislature. There are multiple landmark climate policies moving forward; The momentum is strong, and the stakes are high. Here’s an update on our top climate priorities.
Portlanders passed the initiative overwhelmingly, and we want to show City Council that the public is still excited and supports stewarding the measure with care.
Oregon Public Utility Commission recommends changes for the electricity sector to better address climate change and equity
The Northwest coal export battle was a fateful crossroads, and the tyranny of fossil fuels is waning. In its place, we're launching a new clean energy era.
Of course, none of us think of ourselves as climate deniers. But something makes us flinch from bad news, hard conversations, and uncomfortable conclusions.
Opportunities for shared prosperity will abound in a clean energy world.
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As we head into the 2020 session, we’re doing everything we can to ensure the Legislature passes a strong cap and invest policy. We’re also working on a number of other complementary bills to move the ball forward on climate – some of which are also unfinished business from last session.
A growing list of states and territories have adopted carbon pricing policies, enacted more robust low-carbon fuel standards, and committed to a timeline for transitioning to 100% clean electricity, but Oregon is not among them.
President Trump’s EPA wants to nullify states’ ability to set their own standards on tailpipe pollution—an action that would impact not only California but all other states working to address global warming. How can our work make a difference when the federal government is trying to roll back progress that even Ronald Reagan defended decades ago, and that many automakers now want to keep on the books?
The end of Oregon’s 2019 legislative session exposed some of the egregious corporate lobbying in Salem that blocks climate action – sometimes in public, but many times behind the scenes in the halls of the State Capitol. One of those companies is the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Oregon. Yes, the same AAA that you call for a lifeline when your car breaks down – but apparently that lifeline doesn’t extend to the climate emergency we’re currently experiencing.
When it comes to environmental pollution, protection should not depend on complexion.
For the first time in memory—and maybe ever—climate change is a top priority for the Washington Legislature. There are multiple landmark climate policies moving forward; The momentum is strong, and the stakes are high. Here’s an update on our top climate priorities.
Portlanders passed the initiative overwhelmingly, and we want to show City Council that the public is still excited and supports stewarding the measure with care.
Oregon Public Utility Commission recommends changes for the electricity sector to better address climate change and equity
The Northwest coal export battle was a fateful crossroads, and the tyranny of fossil fuels is waning. In its place, we're launching a new clean energy era.
