350 Portland

On August 25th, 2026, candidates for City Council Districts 3 and 4 got on the water alongside willamette river keeper and candidates for Portland City Council Districts 3 and 4 to learn about the overwhelming danger of toxic and flammable fuels stored in aging tanks along the Willamette River. On this tour candidates learned the need for a significant CEI hub drawdown and better governmental regulation. Check out photos below!

The post Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub Paddling Tour appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Happy late summer! Let’s jump into this month’s newsletter with two wins to celebrate.

The ballot initiative that was attempting to give 25% of the Portland Clean Energy Fund to the police failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot (1PDX2026)! Along with the Friends of PCEF coalition, we’ve been organizing for almost a year to do everything we can to keep this off the ballot. Despite spending over a whopping $1.36 million, the police union failed to gather enough community support to hire more armed police by siphoning resources away from PCEF. The effort to gather signatures prompted nearly 100 complaints about improper and misleading practices, but even with these underhanded techniques, Portlanders recognized the importance of our unique fund for climate justice. PCEF funds come through a 1% tax on Portland’s largest corporations — taxing the rich and putting the funds toward those most impacted by climate change — and we can all celebrate that it’s going to stay that way! Learn more here.

Last Thursday, August 13th, 350PDX’s Puppets for Climate Justice showed up with groups in the Oregon Data Center Defiance Coalition to rally against HR 655, which would transfer 150 acres of Mount Hood National Forest land to The Dalles, to expand their municipal water reservoir to feed the growing Google Data Center complex. In a win for Mount Hood watershed, Senator Ron Wyden issued a statement opposing the bill!

We thank Senator Wyden and all those who wrote, called, and advocated publicly to protect this watershed. However, action is still needed! Senator Jeff Merkley and Governor Tina Kotek have not yet stated their opposition to this bill, so voice your concern to them both! Senator Merkley: (503) 326-3386 / contact form, and Governor Kotek: (503) 378-4582 / contact form.

Upcoming Events:

August 27: Show Up for the Multnomah County Climate Justice Plan
This plan is proposed for board adoption next Thursday morning. Join us at this important virtual meeting. The agenda will be posted 8/21. Wear red, show up virtually, and send a letter of support. Let’s make sure we outnumber any opposition! See the Take Action page for more info.

August 29: Bike to the Jade Night Market 
Join 350PDX and Friends of PCEF to learn about the climate investments that are revitalizing 82nd Ave. Learn more and RSVP.

September 8: Stop Data Centers! Rally & Lobby Day in Salem
The rapid build out of data centers without proper regulation is having a massive impact on our communities, energy supply and prices, water resources, farmland, and natural ecosystems. Enough is enough: we demand a 3-year moratorium on data centers now. Join us in Salem for a rally and lobby day in support of a statewide 3-year moratorium on data centers.

September 11: Economic Opportunities Analysis Tour
Portland is developing its economic plan for the next 20 years. Join 350PDX, Coalition of Communities of Color, and other partner organizations to learn about industrial areas, environmental and climate impacts, river health, and labor concerns on this tour. Learn more and RSVP. 

September 13: Chasing Chimeras Film Screening
The Tomorrow Theater (3530 SE Division St.) is screening local filmmaker Barbara Bernstein’s film Chasing Chimeras: The Lure of Deceptive Climate Solutions at 7 PM on Sunday, Sept 13. Learn why “renewable” fuels are not the answer. A panel discussion will follow the film. Get your tickets here.

75 Days Until the Election! Half of Portland’s City Council members are up for election this fall (that’s six seats!). 350PDX is working hard to bring climate justice priorities into the election conversation for all candidates and to make sure all Portland voters are ready and informed to vote. Save the dates for our big Climate Justice Candidate Forums this October — you won’t want to miss this opportunity to see candidates on a stage together discussing our City’s biggest climate issues. These events will be moderated by The Mercury reporters, Jeremiah Hayden and Taylor Griggs.

• District 4: Monday, October 5, 6 PM at First Unitarian Portland (1211 SW Main St.) – RSVP
• District 3: Thursday, October 8, 6 PM at The Porch (6725 SE Kelly St.) – RSVP

Welcome Maeve

This month, 350PDX welcomes Maeve Fellerhoff as our Community Engagement and Program Support Coordinator. Maeve is serving at 350PDX as a member of Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest. As a Jesuit Volunteer, she will be serving the Portland community for a year starting in August. Read more about Maeve here!

We are Hiring

Applications are open for a Development Manager at 350PDX. We are looking for a visionary, self-directed fundraising professional who will assess, strengthen, and drive 350PDX’s contributed income strategy. This position is part-time and open until filled.Click here to learn more and apply.

Book Club

The 350PDX Book Club meets every month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30PM. Every other month is in person and the others are virtual.

Reach out to books@350PDX.org with any questions or to join our list, and please RSVP so we can inform you of any meeting changes.

Join us on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:30PM for our next nonfiction in-person meeting. We’ll discuss Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Gardenby Camile D. Dungy, in which the poet and scholar recounts her seven-year odyssey to diversify her garden to reflect her heritage, expanding how we talk about the natural world and the environment.  RSVP at books@350PDX.org.

Save the date for our other upcoming discussions:

• Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30PM (Google Meet) — Book to be selected in October

Art Team

Next Art Build: Sunday, September 13 from 1–4 PM at our workshop space (3639 N Mississippi Ave). We’ll come together to make posters and puppets for upcoming actions. This is a great way to plug into the 350PDX community!

To join the Arts Team at these upcoming events, contact Donna for more information: murph1949@aol.com

• August 23, Oregon Wild Rabble Rouser arts training

• August 29, Saturday, PCEF Tour, we need puppeteers!

Forest Defense Team

The 5th Annual Lents to Laurelhurst Urban Shade Equity Pedalpalooza Ride was a success! We had over 120 Action Night participants and 100 riders! It was great coming together as a community.

Photo: Irene Tejaratchi Hess

Click here to view a new 6-min shade equity film by Irene Hess and sign up to join the Forest Defense Team.

Increase Natural Carbon Storage in State Forests
Oregon’s forests are a significant net carbon sink. That’s one of the many reasons we love them. In good news, the Oregon Climate Action Commission wants to increase natural carbon storage  in natural and working lands. Use this toolkit to both send a thank you email to the OCAC for their updated goals, and to email ODF to urge them to follow these guidelines effective immediately.

Energy Justice Team

Members of our Energy Justice Team volunteered with Community Energy Project in August, helping replace a roof on a home that’s being updated through the PCEF-funded Energy Friendly Homes program! We enjoyed building community, and learning about this important work that helps affordably reduce emissions for low-income Portlanders.

We meet every second and fourth Tuesday, alternating between in person and virtual. Contact Cherice (cherice@350pdx.org) and/or Dineen (dineen@350pdx.org) to join.

Milwaukie Advocates for Climate Justice

Do you live in Milwaukie and want to take action for climate justice with your neighbors? Milwaukie Advocates for Climate (MAC) is a Neighborhood Team of 350PDX, and you can sign up to join here. Right now, the team is getting ready to table at the Milwaukie Sustainability Fair on September 19.

Washington County Team

The 350PDX Washington County Team cohosted the successful second annual Westside Sustainable Living Fair on July 18 at the Hillsboro Saturday Farmers Market. Market attendance was estimated at about 4,000 attendees, and the PGE EV Ride & Drive was well-attended and successful as well.

We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our (mostly) monthly online meetings (6:30 PM on the second Tuesday of the month). For the link, join us here or contact us at 350washco@gmail.com.

Southwest Team

The 350PDX Southwest Neighborhood Team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency. Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in August every Friday from 4–5 PM at SW Garden Home & SW Oleson Rd. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. Our monthly meetings happen on the third Monday of the month. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Before closing our newsletter, a few reminders:

• Check out our Take Action page, which we update regularly. It includes actions that may not be in our newsletter.
• Join the 350PDX community Slack channel! This is a great way to stay connected on an ongoing basis. Contact to info@350pdx.org and we can add you.
•  350PDX is still searching for a wonderful, new home. Please reach out to info@350PDX.org if you have ideas for a space where we can have meetings, our arts team can create show-stopping puppets, and more!

 

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter. We hope to see you soon!

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Jessica, Maeve, and Noelle

The post 2026 August Newsletter! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.