350 Portland

Portland is in the middle of what may be one of the most consequential budget processes we’ve seen in recent years — both for protecting our innovative Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) and for guiding how power is exercised in our still-forming city government. We can make a difference for climate justice together when we all speak up in powerful moments like these! Learn more and sign up to testify, or send a written comment.

350PDX staff have been hard at work the last few weeks to inform City Council members about the benefits of PCEF, the importance of Urban Forestry and tree permitting jobs that are carrying out the Equitable Tree Canopy Program, and the need to protect Portland and our rivers from the dangers posed by the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub.

Now it’s time for the community to rise up! Support key budget amendments that help uphold a safe and healthy climate and an economy that benefits us all. While the budget amendment process is still evolving, see below for some of the amendments we will be supporting, and find more information in our talking points document.

4 Ways to Participate

Budget amendments were posted last night, and the opportunity for public comment is on Monday (5/18), which doesn’t give the community very long to weigh in! Use the following tools to learn more about what is being proposed and to make your voice heard. The 350PDX talking points can guide your public testimony.

1. Sign up for verbal testimony, which will be on Monday, May 18, starting at 9:30am. You can testify in person or virtually. Each testifier can speak for 90 seconds. (Use 350PDX talking points.)

2. Written testimony will be received through Wednesday, May 20. (Use 350PDX talking points.)

   • You can submit both written and verbal comments.

3. Send this pre-written email, or modify it with your own words.

4. Forward this message to friends and ask them to take action!

Councilors plan to vote on the budget on Wednesday, so earlier comments are more effective.

Budget Amendments We’re Here For

We appreciate the work and creativity City Councilors have been putting in to try to balance this budget, even though we’re facing a shortfall (partially due to changes to taxes at the federal level). The following budget amendments help prioritize community health and safety, recognizing that this includes climate justice. More information can be found in our talking points or on the Portland website (Attachment H).

• Avalos 1: Return PCEF money to PCEF, which the proposed budget diverts to projects unrelated to climate and clean energy.

• Koyama Lane 2 and Novick 3: Restore funding for PCEF Tree Canopy through planting, care, permitting, and technical support.

• Morillo-Green-Novick 1: Pause Core Services Realignment. Reducing redundancies across departments is a good idea, but needs to be done carefully.

• Green 1: Fund St. John’s Fire Station & Engine 22, the only fire station serving the CEI Hub and Linnton Neighborhood.

• Pirtle-Guiney 5: Save Superfund Surcharge funds for Portland Harbor Superfund Cleanup.

Thank you for leveling up your civic engagement! Please reach out if you have any questions.

The 350PDX Team

The post Call to Action: Protect PCEF & Trees in the Budget appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

In this issue:

May Day / 350PDX needs a new home / May 21 action night: candidate meet & greet! / Support PCEF / Oppose federal bill to give immunity to Big Oil / Forest Defense team news / Arts team news / Volunteer spotlight / Book Club /Join the team & support 350PDX / Washington County team / SW team

Today is May Day! Join 350PDX and over 80 other organizations across Portland in a tremendous day of community power to show our unity.

When billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them. Meet at the South Park Blocks at 12:00pm for a community tabling fair, rally at 1:00pm, and then we march at 3:30pm! Join the “Environmental Contingent” by meeting up at 2:45pm in front of the Portland Art Museum!! Look for the big banner that says “looters and polluters.” Sign up here for May Day event updates.

We’re looking for a new home! Our incredible workshop space in the Rebuilding Center is being sold and we have to be out by June. We’re continuing to search for new space in inner/central Portland (near transit) for office co-working, Action Nights, art builds, and a roost for our puppets and community gatherings. We’re on a nonprofit budget and love sharing space with aligned groups. Have a lead? We’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email or reach out to us at Jessicavaughan@350PDX.org.

May 21: Candidate Meet + Greet

We’re kicking off our 2026 Vote for Climate Justice campaign with an opportunity to meet District 3 and 4 candidates for City Council. At least a dozen candidates will be present. Show up to share how important climate justice issues are to voters!

Enjoy finger food and drinks, get to know candidates, ask about their climate priorities, and communicate your concerns and hopes. We’ll host a brief program where each candidate can share their climate policy ideas.

When: Thursday, May 21, 6:30–8:30pm

Where: First Unitarian, 1211 SW Main St

RSVP (helpful but not required)

Support PCEF, Trees, & a Healthy Climate in the City Budget

Mayor Wilson released a proposed budget last week and City Council is working on amendments.

Good news: thanks in part to your advocacy, the proposed budget includes two new staff members for the Sustainability Office, and does not currently include using PCEF for Moda Center renovations!

Bad news: the proposal suggests using Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) for things unrelated to climate, equity, and clean energy—such as crime prevention and houseless camp sweeps. The proposal also cuts PCEF-funded jobs that would develop an equitable tree canopy.

Now that we have the proposed budget, it’s time to speak up! Talking points and prewritten email for City Council here!

Oppose federal bill: immunity to big oil companies

After months of fossil fuel industry lobbying, federal legislation was introduced in April to give fossil fuel companies total legal immunity from laws or lawsuits that could hold them accountable for fueling the climate crisis and lying about it. This means we couldn’t pass bills like the Make Polluters Pay legislation, which we worked on this past year. Write your members of Congress today demanding that they reject efforts to shield the fossil fuel industry, and make them accountable for their role in the climate crisis. Learn more here. You can also sign this petition.

Forest Defense Team

Stop by the Forest Defense Team’s latest art installation at Costello’s Cafe and Bakery! Members will be there to connect on Saturday, May 9th at 2PM. 2222 NE Broadway.

Join Forest Defense Team members in writing to keep more than 2 million acres of Oregon’s National Forest lands wild. The Trump Administration is proposing to open ecologically intact areas to road-building and logging. Learn more about the Roadless Rule and submit your own comment here.

Our team meets every other Monday, alternating between in-person and online meetings. Please contact tyler@350pdx.org for more information.

Arts Team Thank you for joining us at Sunnyside Environmental School for the 5th Annual Earth Day Celebration! We had a wonderful, joyous time with you all.
Making its first appearance—and the last puppet to emerge from our already missed wonderful work space—is Crow. Crow strutted through SE Portland, and gave voice to silent animals needing humans to give them more respect. For Crow that means a clean environment, more urban trees, and shade equity. More Earth Day photos and video here! No Artbuild for May! We’re worn out, plus our Second Sunday spot is on the Mothers Day for Peace, named by Julia Ward Howe, so we’ll be home celebrating. We’re all moving soon, and we hope to see more Art Teamsters with more ideas in June, in a workshop yet to be determined! See you then!

Donna, Lauren, Dannika, Allison

 

Volunteer Spotlight Arthi Vijaykumar

Arthi came to 350PDX in 2024, looking to combat their climate anxiety with action. They were a semiconductor engineer and felt that working on corporate sustainability interventions alone could not address the severity of the climate crisis today. They were drawn to the Fossil Fuel Resistance team because they wanted to stand up directly to the corporations that got us all into this mess.

Over the past couple years, Arthi has been active in the Stop Zenith and CEI Hub campaigns. They have also been representing 350PDX in a larger state-level campaign to stop data centers. They appreciate how 350PDX gives volunteer organizers ample opportunities and support to follow their passions. Working with 350PDX has taught them so much about movement building, local policy and the environment, and they are grateful to be able to share this space with like-minded community members.

Outside of 350PDX, Arthi loves doing anything outdoorsy, reading books and cooking vegan food. They will be moving to Vancouver, B.C. in August to pursue a graduate research program in interdisciplinary resource and environmental studies. This career change was undoubtedly spurred by their experience organizing with 350PDX.

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, June 3 at 6:30pm for our next non-fiction in-person meeting. We’ll discuss Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie, a global exploration of the eight remaining species of bears―and the dangers they face. We are still picking a location for this gathering, so be sure to RSVP at books@350PDX.org so we can keep you updated!

Save the date for our other upcoming discussions:

• Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30pm (Google Meet) – Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism by Vanessa Machado De Oliveira

• Wednesday, July 1 at 6:30pm (Google Meet) – Book to be selected in June

• Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30pm (In Person) – Book to be selected soon

Do you like to talk about books and climate justice? We are seeking volunteers to help facilitate! Contact books@350PDX.org to learn more.

Join the team & support 350PDX

Don’t miss out: there’s still time to get one of our coveted “another world is possible” tote bags and win cool prizes by becoming a 350PDX Monthly Donor(or increasing your current monthly donation)! You get a tote bag by setting up (or increasing) a monthly donation of any amount. Monthly, ongoing gifts from members of our community are the most important ways to support our local climate justice work. Please consider joining us by becoming a monthly donor this spring – we are so grateful!

Hungry for another great way to support 350PDX? You’re in luck – your favorite cornmeal crust pizza, Dove Vivi, is partnering with 350PDX again this year. Every Tuesday in May you can dine in or get take out from Dove Vivi and 10% of their proceeds will go towards our work. A true win-win! 

Washington County Team

Our next gathering will be our regular monthly online meetup at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 12. In April we hosted Robin Straughn, Sustainability & Resiliency Manager for the City of Hillsboro. She walked attendees through the recently approved Climate Action Plan for Hillsboro and answered questions. We are partnering with the City of Hillsboro to plan a second Electrification and Sustainability Fair in downtown Hillsboro on Saturday July 18, so please mark your calendars now!

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

Southwest Neighborhood Team Sign up to volunteer at our kiosk at SW Sunday Parkways on Sunday, May 17. We have two hour shifts during this all day event (11:00am to 4:00pm). Come out and talk with your neighbors, and help distribute our Climate Action Now yard signs. Volunteer sign up here. Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in May, every Friday from 3:00-4:00 pm at SW Garden Home & SW Oleson Rd. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. We have extra signs to share! Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, May 18th, from 6:30-7:30 pm. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Note, in last month’s newsletter, we shared video of our puppets at No Kings. We want to clarify that the giant Trump and Stephen Miller puppets in that video were made by the wonderful Indivisible Oregon Arts Team-Puppet Brigade!

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

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, and Noelle

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

In this issue:

Earth Month / Forest Defense team news / Our new team: Just Transition / Make Polluters Pay town hall / Arts Team news / Book Club / Neighborhood Teams / Some extra cheer!

Happy April – it’s Earth Month! April is a busy month of events, celebrations, opportunities to take action, and regrettably–a lot of corporate greenwashing. (A reminder to call out greenwashing when you see it! Ads from the largest local and global emitters and earth-destroyers, including NW Natural, Zenith, Amazon, and Google are certainly not genuine and deserve public shaming!)

Earth Day started as a protest in 1970 with tens of thousands in the streets demanding clean air and water. Thanks for helping to keep the roots of this holiday alive by joining us in the streets at No Kings last weekend! Read on for many ways you can take action with us this Earth Month, and keep an eye on the 350PDX Calendar. 

 Every day in April: Support 350PDX by ordering the “Third Planet” cocktail   at Radio Room on NE Alberta – a springy beet-infused rum with apple,   ginger, and lemon on the rocks. 50% of the proceeds from each cocktail go   directly to support 350PDX’s climate justice work. How cool is that? We have   more local businesses supporting us this Earth Month, stay tuned for more   announcements about those throughout the month, including chances to win cool prizes.

Portland’s official  Earth Day Celebration is on Saturday, April 25, 11:00am – 3:00pm. Join 350PDX, Making Earth Cool, Sunnyside Environmental School, and SOLVE for the 5th annual vibrant, inclusive, and impactful day to celebrate Earth Day. We will begin with a gathering on the grounds of Sunnyside Environmental School for music, speakers, tabling, action stations, face painting, a costume competition, and lunch, followed by a parade through the Sunnyside neighborhood, featuring the 350PDX giant puppets, marching bands, singing, and dancing. Fill out this form if you’d like to volunteer at the event. You won’t want to miss this!

Forest Defense Team

April 8, 350PDX is co-sponsoring Sierra Club Oregon Chapter’s Public Townhall: The Future of Our Wild Roadless Forests. RSVP here. Join Representative Salinas and several advocacy organizations to learn and celebrate how protecting our forests from new roads supports healthy watersheds, habitat, and many more benefits for generations to come.

March was a big month for increasing youth access to green career opportunities in underserved communities. Seasonal green job opportunities are now posted at Thrive East PDX and we’re circulating a Youth Green Jobs Guide to career counselors at East Portland high schools. Big thanks to 350PDX Forest Defense Team members Carol Pinegar and Ellen Mendoza for volunteering at the March 5 Green Jobs Open House! Over 50 youths had an opportunity to talk with nine employment organizations.

Stop by Costello’s Travel Cafe (2222 NE Broadway) after April 17 to experience the Forest Defense Team’s latest installation of forest photos and prose, creating new pathways for Portlanders to access their personal connection to state forests.

New Team Focused on Just Transition

We’re excited to announce we’re starting something new with our volunteer teams. In April, our current Fossil Fuel Resistance Team and Climate Justice Policy Team will join forces! We’ll meet twice a month, working together on issues that are actively in need of attention, and spend part of the time in small groups to track various issues related to a just and sustainable energy transition.

Our first team meeting will be on Tuesday, April 14, at 6:00pm. We’ll meet at Radio Room (which is running an Earth Month special for us!) at 1101 NE Alberta St.

When: When: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm, alternating between in person and virtual

Topics: CEI Hub, Zenith, data centers, Make Polluters Pay, transportation decarbonization, PCEF, building emissions

Whether you’ve been part of one of these teams in the past or you’re interested in joining for the first time, you are welcome! Email Cherice or Dineen with any questions or to join the team (cherice@350pdx.org, dineen@350pdx.org).

Make Polluters Pay Community Town Hall

Join advocates from the Make Polluters Pay coalition from across the state for a virtual Community Town Hall on April 7 from 6:00–7:15pm. We’ll celebrate the amazing energy of our collective advocacy, reflect on the 2026 legislative session’s failure to pass the Climate Resilience Superfund Act, and look ahead at how we’re building community power to hold big polluters accountable!

WHO: Make Polluters Pay Coalition

WHEN: Tuesday, April 7th from 6:00–7:15pm

WHERE: on Zoom

WHY: To celebrate our action-takers, build community, and continue the work!

Register here

Arts Team

Our March Artbuild, attended by an eager group of climate activists and artists, was one of the highest Artbuild turnouts in years! We screenprinted, repaired puppets, painted a banner, and worked off some of the distress we’ve felt due to recent news. And then, on March 28, a crowd of 50 Arts Team puppeteers marched across the Burnside Bridge for No Kings. At Waterfront Park, we joined our Mourning Mothers puppets’ powerful display of grief over the current state of our world. More photos and video here.

April 12, from 1:00-4:00pm, we’ll have another Artbuild to create the last puppet in our current space (3639 N. Mississippi Ave). Please join us, and please let Donna know if you’ll be there, so we can plan!

And then–help bring our puppets to life at the Earth Day Parade on April 25! The more puppeteers we have, the more puppets that get to march! It’s a fun and important way to make a stand for climate justice. Reach out to Donna Murph1949@aol.com

Donna, Lauren, Dannika, Allison

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, June 3 at 6:30pm for our next non-fiction in-person meeting. We’ll discuss Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie, a global exploration of the eight remaining species of bears―and the dangers they face.

Save the date for our other upcoming meetings:

• Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30pm (Virtual) – Book to be selected in April

• Wednesday, July 1 at 6:30pm (Virtual) – Book to be selected in June

Do you like to talk about books and climate justice? We are seeking volunteers to help facilitate! Contact books@350PDX.org to learn more.

SW Neighborhood Team

The 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 February, every Friday from 3:00-4:00pm. at SW Garden Home & SW Oleson Rd. We gain attention with our climate action signs in a highly visible location. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. We have extra signs to share!

Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, April 20, from 6:30-7:30pm.  We’ll be discussing plans for tabling at Portland Sunday Parkways in May. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Washington County Team

Our next gathering will be our regular monthly online meetup at 6:30pm on Tuesday, April 14. We are excited to host Robin Straughn, Sustainability & Resiliency Manager for the City of Hillsboro. Robin will walk attendees through the recently approved Climate Action Plan for Hillsboro and answer questions.  We continue to converse with the City of Hillsboro regarding a second Electrification and Sustainability Fair in Hillsboro/Washington County in July.

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

Brooklyn Climate Action Team (BCAT)

BCAT brings Brooklyn neighbors together to take on the climate crisis — one hyper-local action at a time.

Averaging 15 neighbors per session, BCAT’s NET Training Study Group builds real momentum. Neighbors gather to work through the program’s training videos and prep for the city’s in-person NET certification. April‘s session filled up quickly, with more neighbors already lined up for the next one.

Go-Bag packing events are returning this spring, tentatively in May. Details on timing and location coming soon — start thinking about what you might need to refresh or build your emergency kit. BCAT is also exploring a volunteer partnership with a local community garden. Are you a resident of the Brooklyn Neighborhood and want to get involved? Reach out at bcat@350pdx.org.

New Milwaukie Neighborhood Team! Join Us!

Do you live in Milwaukie and want to take action for climate justice with your neighbors? There’s a group currently forming a neighborhood team and they’d love to connect with others in Milwaukie who want to help start the team, or who are interested in joining once it’s formed. To get connected, sign up here.

Some Extra Cheer! 

 A federal court struck down President Trump’s attacks against the Endangered Species Act, restoring key values of the bedrock environmental law to the status it held for decades before the first Trump administration attacked the bedrock environmental law. More here!

 350PDX’s Communications Director’s film “Roost 2020 PDX” premieres at The Portland EcoFilm Festival on April 30. What begins as a traditional natural history documentary about Portland’s crow roost becomes a chronicle of a city navigating a year of immense turmoil and unexpected beauty. More info and trailer here.

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

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, and Noelle

 

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

Our beautiful, new crow puppet has fledged – with a little help from her friends! Thanks to all who joined us on Saturday, April 25, to celebrate our wonderful planet. And a zillion thanks to our stellar Arts Team, they create these puppets along with folks from other environmental organizations!

Presented by Making Earth Cool, Sunnyside Environmental School, SOLVE and 350PDX, this free, community-driven event invited people of all ages to come together to celebrate, parade, costume, dance, share environmental awareness and find connection through collective action – all in honor of our only home, Earth.

All photos video: Irene Tejaratchi Hess

The post 2026 Earth Day Parade appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.