There’s just something about a fresh start to the year. 2016 is going to be BIG!

The Oregon legislature meets in February with a promising new bill in the works to enforce our state’s limits on climate pollution and invest the proceeds to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, create good-paying jobs and drive innovation. The Healthy Climate Bill will help Oregonians with energy retrofits for homes and businesses, more renewable energy like solar and wind, and transportation improvements. Additionally, the bill should include provisions for low-income and rural Oregonians, who are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Renew Oregon is part of a large coalition urging action on this bill.

Is it just us, or does 2015 seem like a year when things took a turn toward saving the climate? It’s been a heck of a fight to get here and not every day brought good news, but together we accomplished a lot.

It’s not a moment too soon. This, after all, will be the warmest year on record, one of the worst wildfire seasons and the worst year of drought in Oregon history. #ThanksClimateChange

Our story featuring an Oregon Firefighter went viral!

3 Things We're Thankful For

This week, we spend time with loved ones, eat great food and slow down our busy lives for a few hours to be grateful for what we have and give thanks to those that make it possible.

You’re part of our Renew Oregon family, so we’re letting you know what we’re thankful for. We hope you’ll tell us too.

Introducing Clean Energy, Clean Air Measures in Oregon

While working hard to transition Oregon off of coal-fired electricity and double the state’s commitment to renewable energy, it’s important to stop along the way and recognize the great milestones.

We’re not done collecting signatures yet, but we turned in 4,000 signatures to the state this week! That’s a step closer to allowing voters to choose a coal-free future for Oregon. One step closer to doubling our renewable energy and significantly cutting climate pollution.

Oregon has long been a leader in innovation -- from the bottle bill to the world’s greatest athletic shoes. To continue our leadership it’s time to transition Oregon off dirty, polluting coal power to clean energy, create good paying jobs, protect our health and climate, and make Oregon a leader in renewable energy innovation.

It’s alarming that one-third of the electricity in our state still comes from burning coal -- Pacific Power gets more than two-thirds from coal. Renew Oregon Action Fund has filed ballot measures that will allow Oregonians to be the first in the nation to go coal free by public vote. The transition will be complete by 2030.

The out-of-state oil industry is doing all it can to roll back Oregon’s clean air protections. Big Oil has spent millions of dollars on lobbyists, elections, frivolous lawsuits and proposed ballot measures to weaken or repeal the Clean Fuels Standard.

Oregonians support this standard by about 2 to 1, because it cleans up the air and gives us more choices at the pump. But Big Oil lobbyists are addicted to peddling pollution for profits. Help us #Fight4CleanAir

Remember and Act for Climate and Racial Justice

By: Coalition of Communities of Color

Saturday, August 29th marks ten years since Hurricane Katrina. Its devastation highlights painful histories and issues of racial injustice and inequity in this country—policies, planning and investment that are not entirely unique to New Orleans. 

Katrina also shone a bright light on segregation, disparities in physical and economic mobility, as well as inequitable emergency response and climate policies. And, it showed us how a natural disaster can increase gentrification and displacement.

We know that climate change makes things worse for low-income communities of color, that it exacerbates existing inequities and reinforces systemic racism.  In the case of New Orleans, not only were low-income communities of color the hardest hit, but inequitable planning and investment dramatically changed the demographics of the City.

We were just getting started here at Renew Oregon when the legislature reauthorized the Clean Fuels Standard and Governor Brown signed it into law this year. It’s a great victory for Oregonians who value clean air and more options at the pump. Clean Fuels is just the kind of program that will make Oregon a leader, because it will grow the clean energy economy and reduce pollution. 

By Mayor Charlie Hales, Portland

Pope Francis, speaking in an incredible 500-year-old building at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City, told me and 60 other mayors that addressing climate change is a moral imperative for humanity.

That was a moving experience for city leaders. When the network of C40 cities, working together to fight climate change, gathered for a summit in Johannesburg early last year, we felt we were banging at the door, trying to be heard. This time, the Vatican deliberately focused on us, mayors, to mobilize grassroots action.

We mean business! With a loud and respected voice, the business community in Oregon is speaking up for action to transition to a clean energy economy and lead the way in reducing climate pollution. Businesses make up a big part of our coalition at Renew Oregon and using innovation and investment, we can tackle the biggest challenges we face.

In its second year, the Oregon Business Climate Declaration now has more than 400 businesses signed on. Since the original release – signed by 70 companies last July including Adidas, Waste Management, the Portland Trailblazers, eBay, Moda Health and more – 330 new businesses from Astoria to Hood River, Coos Bay to Bend and Portland to Ashland have signed. Companies in 61 Oregon cities and towns are represented in the new list.

These businesses understand climate change is already affecting our economy and our health and we must do something now to minimize the risk while also maximizing growth, investment and savings from efficiency.