On October 8 last year, concluding a meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Incheon, South Korea, an interim report was issued with the dire warning that humanity had 12 years to undertake a radical transition away from burning fossil fuels. Here is a summary of the report from IPCC. Here is an article from Science Daily that is easier to digest than the official summary. If the 12 year challenge is not met, we would significantly increase the risks to our biosphere. Those of us who care and are concerned about such predictions are up to the challenge.
One of our longstanding concerns at WHUUF is environmental justice. As the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session gets underway on January 22, a bill will be introduced to put a price on greenhouse gas pollution in Oregon. The Social Justice Team at WHUUF is asking for your help in passing this important bill.
We ask that you contact your senator and representative expressing your support for passage of the bill. A number or name has not yet been assigned to the bill, but you can call it the Clean Energy Jobs bill.
We ask that you also attend climate lobby day on February 6 in Salem to express your interest. If you click on the link you will see “RSVP Here.” The web page that appears also provides information on carpooling. If you can’t make the full day, attempt to join the noon rally on the Capitol steps. Organizers would like to get a thousand people attending the rally. A thousand of us will be a record and almost doubled from last year. We’ll get the attention of the legislators inside the Capitol.
Oregon has several policies in place to help reduce climate pollution, including standards for clean transportation fuels, targets for renewable energy sources and a phase-out of coal powered electricity, but it lacks comprehensive, economy-wide goals and programs. Critically, it lacks enforceable, science-based targets to steadily reduce climate pollution over time. The well vetted 2019 bill will help us smooth the way into the transition needed to achieve a fossil-free future as the IPCC report demands. Oregon’s overall contributions are small but symbolic in this age of anti intellectualism at high leadership levels.
Here’s what we ask you to do:
Step 1. Get contact information for your senator and representative. Go to this web page and note mailing addresses or email addresses if you prefer this approach.
Step 2. Prepare your message realizing that your influence is increased with statements that are personal and unique. A simple statement would be “I (we) write to ask you to support the Clean Energy Jobs bill in the 2019 session It is an effective piece of legislation benefiting all Oregonians. Your affirmative vote represents my (our) interest(s).” A more complex statement would be “I want the strongest possible bill with a declining cap, interim targets and no industry giveaways. I want a revenue stream that provides a just and equitable transition for low income people, rural communities, and tribes.” It helps to include a personal statement such as “I (we) want a safe and secure world for our grandchildren.”
Step 3. Provide your signature, printed name and address, so the legislator can verify that you are a constituent. Lastly, congratulate yourself for taking an important action for the benefit of all Oregonians and Mother Earth.
Don Merrick, Member
WHUUF Social Justice Team