Grassroots action for a stable climate

Everyone needs clean air, clean water, and a stable climate to survive and thrive. You might think that our constitutional rights to life and liberty include the right to a clean and healthy environment.  Unfortunately, case law has made it clear that if it’s not expressly stated in law, there’s no guarantee it will be recognized. OCERA is advocating language in the Oregon Constitution to enforce these fundamental rights. Learn more and then join the fight!

A long-fought battle has drawn to a close, as Reworld Marion Incinerator in Brooks has announced its closure. The 38-year-old municipal waste incinerator not only burns county garbage, but also trucks in industrial and medical waste from around the Western U.S. and even Canada. In fact, the incinerator is the country’s fourth largest medical waste incinerator by volume due to a loophole in our law.

Sen. Deb Patterson, who has long pushed for its closure, said, “It was unclear what toxins were being emitted through incineration at this particular facility. Reworld’s planned shuttering of all their West Coast incinerators provides our community with an opportunity to find a more affordable, less toxic way to dispose of waste.”

Thank you, Sen. Patterson, Beyond Toxics, 350 Salem activist Jim Scheppke and others who have fought the good fight!

350 Salem’s own radio program, The Elephant in the Room, features host Tom Ellis interviewing biology Professor David Craig about the symbiotic relationship between Oregon white oaks and birds. It turns out those ancient white oaks host hundreds of species, and can also withstand climate change more readily than most tree species. LISTEN

Nearly ten years ago, the Juliana 21 brought a first-of-its-kind, youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit against the U.S. government, asserting the government’s continued investment in fossil fuels, despite knowledge it would create the climate crisis, violates their fundamental rights.

Since then, Juliana v. United States has inspired winning human rights climate cases globally. In the United States, it has faced more government opposition than any case in history where the U.S. government is a defendant. 

The climate crisis is the single greatest threat to our children’s health. Learn more about Our Children’s Trust and how you can help!

“Fifty years from now people will likely look back on this era through the lens of having seen catastrophic climate changes that we cannot even imagine. Our legacy will depend on the level of moral courage we display in this difficult challenge.”

350 Salem OR Co-coordinator Phil Carver

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