actions you can take to slow global warming
Support Standing Rock Sioux Opposition to Dakota Pipeline
The Standing Rock Sioux are opposing the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline that cuts across the Missouri River and threatens the water supply of homes and farmland. The pipeline will carry the same Bakken crude that we are fighting at the Tesoro Savage terminal in Vancouver.
- Click here to help the protesters by can donating at the UUA Faithify site.
A group of Portland climate activists refitted a school bus as a mobile clinic and drove it to the protest site.
The Standing Rock Sioux are opposing the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline that cuts across the Missouri River and threatens the water supply of homes and farmland. The pipeline will carry the same Bakken crude that we are fighting at the Tesoro Savage terminal in Vancouver.
- Click here to help the protesters by can donating at the UUA Faithify site.
A group of Portland climate activists refitted a school bus as a mobile clinic and drove it to the protest site.
Above: Native American artist Cat Whipple paints one side of the "bunk bus". Her statement is below.
My Relatives at Standing Rock,
Many good people from Portland, Oregon spent hundreds of volunteer hours turning this school
bus into a warming station for the cold winter ahead, and a medic station for those needing
medical care. And hundreds more answered the call for donations to purchase and refurbish the
bus. Donations were also used to buy medical supplies, make electrical updates, install solar panels
and cell phone charging stations, and of course, provide gas money to get the Bunk Bus to you
half way across our beautiful Turtle Island.
The artwork on this bus was created by several Native artists from the Portland area, and is being
sent to you from your Portland allies (both Native and non-Native) as a sign of solidarity and sup-
port. Thank you all for taking a strong stand in defense of the sacred water and Mother Earth.
We will continue to support you from the west coast in whatever way we can.
Philámayaye
Cat Whipple (Standing Rock Lakota)
My Relatives at Standing Rock,
Many good people from Portland, Oregon spent hundreds of volunteer hours turning this school
bus into a warming station for the cold winter ahead, and a medic station for those needing
medical care. And hundreds more answered the call for donations to purchase and refurbish the
bus. Donations were also used to buy medical supplies, make electrical updates, install solar panels
and cell phone charging stations, and of course, provide gas money to get the Bunk Bus to you
half way across our beautiful Turtle Island.
The artwork on this bus was created by several Native artists from the Portland area, and is being
sent to you from your Portland allies (both Native and non-Native) as a sign of solidarity and sup-
port. Thank you all for taking a strong stand in defense of the sacred water and Mother Earth.
We will continue to support you from the west coast in whatever way we can.
Philámayaye
Cat Whipple (Standing Rock Lakota)
Other Statements by Artists who Painted the Bunk Bus:
Artist Statement Shawn Hudson (kwinhagak/Warm Springs)
Northwest Coast Ocean Artwork
I feel that I should give you a little bit of some background information about myself. I am 41
years old and was born and raised in Portland Oregon. My mother comes from a small village
Quinhagak (kwinhagak) which is located near Bristol bay area of Alaska, and my father is half
Warmsprings and half Italian.
The image of the right side of the bus reflects the Northwest and the native people of the Pacific
Northwest in general. Water is sacred and is life giving. My people live and survive off of the
sacred salmon which runs through the rivers that our village sits next to, and so many other tribes
of the northwest depend on these sacred fish.
The forest also reflects the Northwest and the beauty of our part of the country. I wanted people
to be able to, at a glance, identify that it is coming from the Pacific Northwest. There is a lot of
symbolism in this image. We as people have a sacred connection to the trees, and there is also a
deep connection we have with the sacred water of life.
We are living in times of great change; in a time that some people believe is dark and we are
unsure of our future as a species. I want to believe that this bus is something great, a light shining
as a testament of how people of different colors, beliefs, and from vastly different walks of life,
can come together for a single cause, a unified belief. To defend our sacred water or bring help
to those who are defending our precious water of life. I hope that this bus will shine bright, that
it will bring color and hope to even just one person who is up there making a stand against this
Goliath.
I believe that this simple little school bus painted with love and hard work, by people who care,
is playing a part in the Creator’s plan. We do not know what impact we will have by sending this
warming station/first aid station up to North Dakota. All I know is that this project is all that I
can physically do to help. I have been praying, praying and praying and this project came out of
nowhere. I do not even know how I became involved because I don’t know anyone who was
involved in this project. I took this as a blessing from Creator, offering me a way to become
involved.
Buffalo Artwork by Jesus Hernandez (Central American Indigenous Artist)
Four Directions Artwork by Clay Rivers (Native Artist)
Artist Statement Shawn Hudson (kwinhagak/Warm Springs)
Northwest Coast Ocean Artwork
I feel that I should give you a little bit of some background information about myself. I am 41
years old and was born and raised in Portland Oregon. My mother comes from a small village
Quinhagak (kwinhagak) which is located near Bristol bay area of Alaska, and my father is half
Warmsprings and half Italian.
The image of the right side of the bus reflects the Northwest and the native people of the Pacific
Northwest in general. Water is sacred and is life giving. My people live and survive off of the
sacred salmon which runs through the rivers that our village sits next to, and so many other tribes
of the northwest depend on these sacred fish.
The forest also reflects the Northwest and the beauty of our part of the country. I wanted people
to be able to, at a glance, identify that it is coming from the Pacific Northwest. There is a lot of
symbolism in this image. We as people have a sacred connection to the trees, and there is also a
deep connection we have with the sacred water of life.
We are living in times of great change; in a time that some people believe is dark and we are
unsure of our future as a species. I want to believe that this bus is something great, a light shining
as a testament of how people of different colors, beliefs, and from vastly different walks of life,
can come together for a single cause, a unified belief. To defend our sacred water or bring help
to those who are defending our precious water of life. I hope that this bus will shine bright, that
it will bring color and hope to even just one person who is up there making a stand against this
Goliath.
I believe that this simple little school bus painted with love and hard work, by people who care,
is playing a part in the Creator’s plan. We do not know what impact we will have by sending this
warming station/first aid station up to North Dakota. All I know is that this project is all that I
can physically do to help. I have been praying, praying and praying and this project came out of
nowhere. I do not even know how I became involved because I don’t know anyone who was
involved in this project. I took this as a blessing from Creator, offering me a way to become
involved.
Buffalo Artwork by Jesus Hernandez (Central American Indigenous Artist)
Four Directions Artwork by Clay Rivers (Native Artist)
Jordan Cove Action
From Columbia Riverkeepers' Dan Serres:
Fracked Gas Exports,
Jordan Cove Isn’t Dead Yet!
Despite being denied by the federal government in March of 2016, the Jordan Cove LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminal and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline projects seek a new decision to establish a huge export terminal in Coos Bay to ship fracked gas to Asia. This is one of the worst energy ideas in Oregon’s history.
Jordan Cove is the name of the terminal. It would liquefy methane gas into LNG, store LNG, and load ships with LNG — a powerful greenhouse gas pollutant. If built, Jordan Cove LNG would be Oregon’s biggest climate polluter. The terminal needs vast volumes of methane, and it proposes to build the huge Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline — a 232-mile, 36-inch high-pressure line, by condemning Oregonians’ land and cutting a swath through public forests, wilderness and over 400 waterways.
To do this, the Canadian-backed terminal and pipeline companies must obtain permission to use our federal lands and state waterways to export fracked gas.
Federal authorities because the company did not have contracts to sell the gas. Now, the company is asking the feds to reverse its decision. Such a reversal would open the door to the only LNG export terminal on the West Coast. Oregon Governor Kate Brown and our state agencies have the power to reject the proposal. But they’re dragging their feet.
Here’s what you can do:
-Call Governor Brown today at (503) 378-4582. Tell her that Oregon must stop fracked gas exports by denying state land and water quality permits for the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline;
-Stay tuned about what’s happening through nolngexports.org.
Fracked Gas Exports,
Jordan Cove Isn’t Dead Yet!
Despite being denied by the federal government in March of 2016, the Jordan Cove LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminal and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline projects seek a new decision to establish a huge export terminal in Coos Bay to ship fracked gas to Asia. This is one of the worst energy ideas in Oregon’s history.
Jordan Cove is the name of the terminal. It would liquefy methane gas into LNG, store LNG, and load ships with LNG — a powerful greenhouse gas pollutant. If built, Jordan Cove LNG would be Oregon’s biggest climate polluter. The terminal needs vast volumes of methane, and it proposes to build the huge Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline — a 232-mile, 36-inch high-pressure line, by condemning Oregonians’ land and cutting a swath through public forests, wilderness and over 400 waterways.
To do this, the Canadian-backed terminal and pipeline companies must obtain permission to use our federal lands and state waterways to export fracked gas.
Federal authorities because the company did not have contracts to sell the gas. Now, the company is asking the feds to reverse its decision. Such a reversal would open the door to the only LNG export terminal on the West Coast. Oregon Governor Kate Brown and our state agencies have the power to reject the proposal. But they’re dragging their feet.
Here’s what you can do:
-Call Governor Brown today at (503) 378-4582. Tell her that Oregon must stop fracked gas exports by denying state land and water quality permits for the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline;
-Stay tuned about what’s happening through nolngexports.org.
Portland city council passes resolution against new fossil fuel export facilities
In a landmark victory for climate activists, the Portland, Oregon city council voted to pass a resolution that opposes any new infrastructure that would transport or store fossil fuels within the city or its adjacent waterways.
For additional links: 350PDX.com; Portland Business Journal;
Click here for video coverage.
From: Think Progress.com
The vote, which was unanimous, came Nov, 12, a week after the city council voted to adopt a similar policy opposing any proposed rail projects that would carry crude oil through the city of Portland or Vancouver. Together, the resolutions constitute what environmentalists are calling the strongest city-supported opposition to fossil fuels in the country.
“We seem to be reaching some sort of tipping point where people are waking up and realizing the enormity of the issue,” Adriana Voss-Andreae, director of 350PDX, told ThinkProgress. “That we got a unanimous vote was jaw-dropping. It was an inspiring moment for all of us.”
While Portland cannot, due to interstate commerce laws, unilaterally ban fossil fuels from being shipped via rail, road, or water, it can enact local laws that limit the transportation and storage of fossil fuels within the city itself, especially if those laws are based in environmental or safety concerns.
That’s largely the goal of this resolution — to codify into law things like zoning restrictions or restrictions on materials that would make shipping and transporting fossil fuels through Portland either prohibitively expensive, or too time consuming, for fossil fuel companies.
“Our work is not done yet, but we feel that with this unanimous vote, there is good chance that the codifying language is going to be strong and signal to the fossil fuel industry that Portland is not open for their business,” Voss-Andreae said.
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, Portland is an important port city for the transport of fossil fuels overseas and has been the site of standoffs between environmentalists and fossil fuel companies for years.
In 2014, the Canadian energy company Pembina proposed constructing a propane export terminal in the Port of Portland, which would have received, stored, and shipped some 1.6 million gallons of propane a day. The terminal, which would have cost an estimated $500 million, would have been the single largest private investment project in Portland’s history.
At first, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales appeared to support the project, but faced with a groundswell of local opposition, Hales came out in opposition of the project in May of this year.
To the activists that rallied against the project, the stakes were higher than a single export terminal — it was a stand against a future where increasing fossil fuel infrastructure was the political and economic status quo.
“Here you have this pipeline project that, six months ago, was seen as just a simple economic development project, shipping one more thing through the Port of Portland,” Carl Abbott, an urban studies and planning professor at Portland State University, told the Globe and Mail in May of this year. “Now it has gotten caught up in the fear of energy transportation and the cause of global warming and taking a stand against more fossil fuels.”
Earlier this summer, Portland again found itself at the center of the debate about fossil fuels, as a Royal Dutch Shell ship attempted to make its way through Portland and up to the Arctic to aid in Shell’s exploratory drilling efforts. The ship was initially stopped by 13 climbers who hung from Portland’s St. John’s Bridge for 38 hours, impeding the ship’s ability to pass.
Eventually, the ship was able to pass through the climbers and leave Portland, but news of the protest spread through social media and national outlets, increasing the visibility of the movement, according to the protesters.
Around the same time as the Shell protest, Hales traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. Then, in September, Portland voted to divest from fossil fuels.
“That whole movement, from Pembina to Shell to divestment, really set the stage for this,” Voss-Andreae said. “This is a very exciting moment for our movement.”
For additional links: 350PDX.com; Portland Business Journal;
Click here for video coverage.
From: Think Progress.com
The vote, which was unanimous, came Nov, 12, a week after the city council voted to adopt a similar policy opposing any proposed rail projects that would carry crude oil through the city of Portland or Vancouver. Together, the resolutions constitute what environmentalists are calling the strongest city-supported opposition to fossil fuels in the country.
“We seem to be reaching some sort of tipping point where people are waking up and realizing the enormity of the issue,” Adriana Voss-Andreae, director of 350PDX, told ThinkProgress. “That we got a unanimous vote was jaw-dropping. It was an inspiring moment for all of us.”
While Portland cannot, due to interstate commerce laws, unilaterally ban fossil fuels from being shipped via rail, road, or water, it can enact local laws that limit the transportation and storage of fossil fuels within the city itself, especially if those laws are based in environmental or safety concerns.
That’s largely the goal of this resolution — to codify into law things like zoning restrictions or restrictions on materials that would make shipping and transporting fossil fuels through Portland either prohibitively expensive, or too time consuming, for fossil fuel companies.
“Our work is not done yet, but we feel that with this unanimous vote, there is good chance that the codifying language is going to be strong and signal to the fossil fuel industry that Portland is not open for their business,” Voss-Andreae said.
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, Portland is an important port city for the transport of fossil fuels overseas and has been the site of standoffs between environmentalists and fossil fuel companies for years.
In 2014, the Canadian energy company Pembina proposed constructing a propane export terminal in the Port of Portland, which would have received, stored, and shipped some 1.6 million gallons of propane a day. The terminal, which would have cost an estimated $500 million, would have been the single largest private investment project in Portland’s history.
At first, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales appeared to support the project, but faced with a groundswell of local opposition, Hales came out in opposition of the project in May of this year.
To the activists that rallied against the project, the stakes were higher than a single export terminal — it was a stand against a future where increasing fossil fuel infrastructure was the political and economic status quo.
“Here you have this pipeline project that, six months ago, was seen as just a simple economic development project, shipping one more thing through the Port of Portland,” Carl Abbott, an urban studies and planning professor at Portland State University, told the Globe and Mail in May of this year. “Now it has gotten caught up in the fear of energy transportation and the cause of global warming and taking a stand against more fossil fuels.”
Earlier this summer, Portland again found itself at the center of the debate about fossil fuels, as a Royal Dutch Shell ship attempted to make its way through Portland and up to the Arctic to aid in Shell’s exploratory drilling efforts. The ship was initially stopped by 13 climbers who hung from Portland’s St. John’s Bridge for 38 hours, impeding the ship’s ability to pass.
Eventually, the ship was able to pass through the climbers and leave Portland, but news of the protest spread through social media and national outlets, increasing the visibility of the movement, according to the protesters.
Around the same time as the Shell protest, Hales traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis. Then, in September, Portland voted to divest from fossil fuels.
“That whole movement, from Pembina to Shell to divestment, really set the stage for this,” Voss-Andreae said. “This is a very exciting moment for our movement.”