The Environmental Center

Bend City Council 2020: What's At Stake? CLIMATE
2020-09-08 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
In December 2019, the City Council adopted the Community Climate Action Plan. It’s Vision: “Neighbors businesses, and community leaders working together to preserve our natural environment while promoting economic opportunity and resilience for current and future generations.”
Join for this important discussion about how our future City Councilors can turn this vision into reality.

Optimizing Crisis to Address Climate Change
2020-09-15
Crisis management became front and center for Arlene Burns when an oil train derailed in Mosier, Oregon. Arlene will discuss how she transformed a major incident into a positive future for her tiny town of Mosier, caught in the cross hairs of fossil fuel infrastructure development. These same lessons of creative problem solving apply to the climate crisis, where action is long overdue. Arlene discusses her philosophy of bringing people together to collaborate on solutions to rural issues through a lens of resilience and regeneration, an essential link to solving our climate crisis.
Conference Overview by Eileen Kiely, 350Deschutes Board Member, Candidate Senate District 27
Diane Hodiak, Executive Director, 350Deschutes
Plenary Arlene Burns, Mayor of Moser, Candidate, Senate District 59

Climate Change: Why we Need an Everything Strategy
2020-09-28
Why we need an Everything Strategy: Oregon Climate Plan Benefits . ENROADS Policy Tool as a tool for education and engagement.

Build Your Business with Sustainability: Examples small to large
2020-09-30
Why businesses need Sustainability
Individual and Corporate level of Responsibility
Moderator: Gillian Ockner
DR CB Bhattacharya, Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, world renowned expert on sustainability and author of Small Actions, Big Difference, discusses how companies listed in his book have increased firm value by using intangible assets like reputation, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.
Small Businesses: Positively Impacting the Environment and Promoting Equity for ALL.
Key elements of the presentation include:
– Why small business efforts make a difference in the bigger corporate world
– Why small businesses committed to equity and sustainability are profitable
– What are small businesses doing to move the dial towards these goals (with examples from certified Benefit Corporations for Good”)
– What are the steps to join the small business movement dedicated to the triple bottom line.

Beneficial Electrification. Rocky Mountain Institute’s research and analyses
2020-10-01
Why electrify? Health, comfort, cost, and climate. Sneha and Leah will share findings from Rocky Mountain Institute’s research and analyses demonstrating building electrification benefits. They will also share why efficiency and load flexibility are important. A menu of recommendations for cities and states will be discussed. This will include case studies, such as incentive programs, utility pilots, and/or code changes for inspiring new deployments. A session for everyone, including builders and homeowners.
Leah Louis Prescott, Rocky Mountain Institute
Sneha Ayyagari, Rocky Mountain Institute
Electric Induction Cooking: Whats New and Waiting to be Discovered?
Rachelle Boucher, “The Appliance Whisperer”,Executive Chef, Electric Kitchen Expert, “Kitchens to Life”

Oregon Climate Action Plan Town Hall
2020-10-01
Make Your Voice Heard!
We need your help protecting the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP) from the fossil fuel industry! In two weeks, join Oregon League of Conservation Voters for a virtual town hall hosted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and speak up in support of a strong climate action plan! Sign up here!
After Governor Brown signed the Oregon Climate Action Plan last March, state agencies have begun making plans to implement it and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This is great—except, some of these plans are not strong enough, and polluting industries are trying to weaken them even further. The fossil fuel industry will stop at nothing to save themselves, even if it means destroying our planet and putting our communities at risk.
That’s where we come in. This is a climate crisis—a climate emergency, and we’re seeing the effects firsthand during this intense wildfire season. We have no time to waste! We need to make sure that the Oregon Climate Action Plan is as strong as possible for future generations. Please join one of the Department of Environmental Quality’s virtual town halls and drown out the voices of big polluters!
Using the form below, RSVP to (virtually!) You can attend whichever of the town halls works best for you!
Here are the dates:
Thursday, Oct. 1, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

#SteensWeek
2020-10-03 - 2020-10-09
ONDA is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Oregon’s first desert wilderness with #SteensWeek, a series of online events and activations starting on October 3 and running through October 9.

Climate Action Week — October 5th to October 11th
2020-10-05 - 2020-10-11
The countdown has begun, and there are only 48 days to go until election day. Time is running out for us to take action and make sure that we elect climate champions in 2020!
That’s why Oregon League of Conservation Voters is kicking things off with Climate Action Week. Help get climate candidates elected by participating in a week of climate-themed phone banks, text banks, and social media actions! Sign up here for Climate Action Week!
Climate Action Week — October 5th to October 11th

Mon 10/5: Climate Action Week kickoff day!
Tue 10/6: Phone Bank: Eileen Kiely for Senate District 27
Wed 10/7: Phone Bank: Courtney Neron for House District 26
Thu 10/8:

Phone Bank Option 1: Phil Chang for Deschutes County Commissioner
Phone Bank Option 2: Nafisa Fai for Washington County Commissioner
Phone Bank Option 3: Joel Iboa for Lane County Commissioner

Sat 10/10:

Phone Bank Option 1: Deb Patterson for Senate District 10
Phone Bank Option 2: Anna Williams for House District 52

Sun 10/11:

Phone Bank Option 1: Paul Evans for House District 20
Phone Bank Option 2: Debbie Boothe-Schmidt for House District 32
Phone Bank Option 3: Jason Kropf for House District 54

Oregon Climate Action Plan Town Hall
2020-10-08
Make Your Voice Heard!
We need your help protecting the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP) from the fossil fuel industry! In two weeks, join Oregon League of Conservation Voters for a virtual town hall hosted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and speak up in support of a strong climate action plan! Sign up here!
After Governor Brown signed the Oregon Climate Action Plan last March, state agencies have begun making plans to implement it and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This is great—except, some of these plans are not strong enough, and polluting industries are trying to weaken them even further. The fossil fuel industry will stop at nothing to save themselves, even if it means destroying our planet and putting our communities at risk.
That’s where we come in. This is a climate crisis—a climate emergency, and we’re seeing the effects firsthand during this intense wildfire season. We have no time to waste! We need to make sure that the Oregon Climate Action Plan is as strong as possible for future generations. Please join one of the Department of Environmental Quality’s virtual town halls and drown out the voices of big polluters!
Using the form below, RSVP to (virtually!) You can attend whichever of the town halls works best for you!
Here are the dates:
Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Nuclear Conflict–The Growing Threat and a Call to Action
2020-10-12
Hear a live talk from Dr. Ira Helfand, a two-time Nobel Peace Laureate (in 1985 on behalf of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and in 2017 on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons).
Former Defense Secretary William Perry says that we are closer to nuclear war than we were during the Cold War. The scientific and medical community predict that even a very limited nuclear war that involves less than 1% of the world’s nuclear arsenals would cause enough climate disruption to trigger a global famine, putting 2 billion people at risk of starvation. There is growing international movement to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons through the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. “Back from the Brink,” a US organization, works to bring about fundamental change in U.S. nuclear policy and encourage the effort for a verifiable, enforceable, timebound agreement to dismantle the remaining 14,000 nuclear weapons around the world.

Oregon Climate Action Plan Town Hall
2020-10-14
Make Your Voice Heard!
We need your help protecting the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP) from the fossil fuel industry! In two weeks, join Oregon League of Conservation Voters for a virtual town hall hosted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and speak up in support of a strong climate action plan! Sign up here!
After Governor Brown signed the Oregon Climate Action Plan last March, state agencies have begun making plans to implement it and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This is great—except, some of these plans are not strong enough, and polluting industries are trying to weaken them even further. The fossil fuel industry will stop at nothing to save themselves, even if it means destroying our planet and putting our communities at risk.
That’s where we come in. This is a climate crisis—a climate emergency, and we’re seeing the effects firsthand during this intense wildfire season. We have no time to waste! We need to make sure that the Oregon Climate Action Plan is as strong as possible for future generations. Please join one of the Department of Environmental Quality’s virtual town halls and drown out the voices of big polluters!

Environmental Justice in Context: The Oregon Wildfires Parts 1 & 2
2020-11-07 - 2020-11-08
Join for a two-day community conversation about the Oregon wildfires from an environmental justice and disaster preparedness perspective.
First day will be a webinar where you will be hearing from community members and organizers who have been supporting communities impacted from across the state due to the wildfires. They will be talking about the impacts the wildfires have had on their communities, their response to the fires through direct, and mutual aid support.
Second day will be a zoom meeting around dicssuons envisioning what our communities need when it comes to being prepared for future crises.

Webinar: Why a Mega-Dairy Moratorium is Needed in Oregon
2021-01-26
Mega-dairies play a major role in driving dairy farmers off the land across the country, including in Oregon. They over-produce and flood the market with cheap milk, while externalizing their environmental and social costs, making it hard for small dairy farmers to compete. Forty years ago, Oregon was home to more than 4,000 dairies, mostly small, family-owned businesses. Now just over 200 remain.
A ‘timeout’ on new and expanding mega-dairies in Oregon is the place to start leveling the playing field.
This 2021 legislative session, alongside the Stand Up to Factory Farms coalition, Senator Michael Dembrow (D-23) and Representative Rob Nosse (D-42) are introducing legislation to enact a mega-dairy moratorium in Oregon and protect our air, water, climate, rural communities, small farmers, and animal welfare from the harms of this destructive industry.
Join FoFF for a conversation on how passing a mega-dairy moratorium in the 2021 legislative session can protect our communities from the harms of mega-dairies and learn what you can do to support this important legislation.

Fire in Pacific Northwest Forests: Past, Present, and Future
2021-03-02
Oregon Fire is a powerful elemental force that is certainly dangerous to people and property across the Pacific Northwest. But does fire actually destroy our forests, or is it a vital ingredient of a healthy ecosystem? And how has the role of fire changed in the face of climate change?
These important questions are the subject of an upcoming free, four-part educational webinar series— “Fire in Pacific Northwest Forests: Past, Present, and Future”—presented by Great Old Broads for Wilderness (“Broads”) and hosted by the Rogue Valley, Cascade Volcanoes, Willamette Valley, and Central Oregon Bitterbrush chapters.
These Zoom-based webinars, featuring expert forest and wildfire scientists and practitioners, will take a closer look at the historical role of fire in the Pacific Northwest’s forested landscapes, and how that role has changed with human management.
The first session: “Fire in the Forest: A Natural Process and Unnatural Changes”— Participants will learn about the natural role that fires play in forested landscapes and ecosystems in the region, and how climate change and human management has altered those roles—from the use of fire by indigenous people to modern systematic fire suppression.
These sessions are free and open to all, but space is limited. Broads kindly asks for a suggested $10 donation to support their continued on-the-ground grassroots advocacy work.
A Spanish-translated video of highlights from each webinar will be available in April. Contact katya@greatoldbroads.org directly for further information.

Fire in Pacific Northwest Forests: Past, Present, and Future
2021-03-09
Oregon Fire is a powerful elemental force that is certainly dangerous to people and property across the Pacific Northwest. But does fire actually destroy our forests, or is it a vital ingredient of a healthy ecosystem? And how has the role of fire changed in the face of climate change?
These important questions are the subject of an upcoming free, four-part educational webinar series— “Fire in Pacific Northwest Forests: Past, Present, and Future”—presented by Great Old Broads for Wilderness (“Broads”) and hosted by the Rogue Valley, Cascade Volcanoes, Willamette Valley, and Central Oregon Bitterbrush chapters.
These Zoom-based webinars, featuring expert forest and wildfire scientists and practitioners, will take a closer look at the historical role of fire in the Pacific Northwest’s forested landscapes, and how that role has changed with human management.
The second session: “When the Smoke Clears: Natural Regeneration and Post-Fire Management in Our Forests”—Participants will explore how fires lead to natural regeneration of forests, how human management after a fire impacts this process, and what implications this has for biodiversity, natural ecosystems, and our climate.
These sessions are free and open to all, but space is limited. Broads kindly asks for a suggested $10 donation to support their continued on-the-ground grassroots advocacy work.
A Spanish-translated video of highlights from each webinar will be available in April. Contact katya@greatoldbroads.org directly for further information.

Webcast: Inside the (virtual) Oregon Legislative session
2021-03-17
Every other year the Oregon Legislature convenes a “regular session” – meeting for five months to consider thousands of bills on hundreds of topics. The pandemic has turned this year’s “regular” session into anything but a regular affair, with the capital closed and almost all legislative business switched to a remote environment.
The silver lining of this digital legislative session is that it’s actually made some aspects of participating in the legislative process easier for the average Oregonian. If you live in Wallowa County or Central Oregon, you can skip the multi-hour drive to Salem and testify on issues that matter to you from the comfort of your couch. And with numerous bills proposed that either protect or harm Oregon’s forests, wildlife, and waters, we need educated and activated Oregonians to weigh in. But where to start?
Luckily, Oregon Wild staff are ready to give you the full scoop on a slate of bills that impact Oregon’s natural treasures. They’ll cover it all. The good (protecting beavers from trapping). The bad (killing predators). The ugly (OFRI!). And the bizarre (trust us, it’s the Oregon Legislature…there is plenty of bizarre).

OLCV/OCN 2021 Virtual Lobby Day: The Clean Green Virtual Lobby Machine!
2021-03-24
On March 24th, Oregon’s environmental community is going to make a big, virtual splash! It’s a virtual grassroots lobby day with Oregon lawmakers! Can you join us? The OLCV/OCN Lobby Day gives you the chance to meet with your lawmakers and make a lasting impact on them; it gives you the chance to tell your story, and to urge them to make the environment a priority during the legislative session. RSVP below!

#areYOUintheblastzone : 350.org Week of Action
2021-04-01 - 2021-04-09
Join 350Deschutes April 1 – 9, 2021 in a national week of action with the #BuildBackFossilFree coalition to escalate the demand for President Joe Biden to be a real Climate President by stopping all new fossil fuel projects.
What: #areYOUintheblastzone as part of national Build Back Fossil Free week of action. Post images of yourself at your favorite local parks, breweries, businesses, or even at your home to show how much of Bend is within the blast zone. Tag @350deschutes and use the hashtag #areyouintheblastzone
Why: Here in central Oregon, particularly in Bend, we are literally living, working, learning, and playing in a potential devastating train derailment, spill, fire or even explosion. We need to raise awareness that trains carrying fossil gases are putting us all at risk and urge our city council to pass a resolution opposing their unsafe transport through our community.

Past-to-Future: Vanishing Glaciers in the Deschutes Basin
2021-04-01
From fish to farms, from flora to fire hazard, glaciers are crucial to our well-being. And yet…
Oregon’s glaciers are the natural water reservoirs of the high Cascade water towers. Glacier meltwater sustains rivers during the late summer and fall for flora, fauna and irrigation. The glacier melt chills streams for salmon and trout, with the attendant effect of cooling surrounding forests that reduces fire risk and intensity. In short, glaciers are an integral part of Central Oregon ecosystems and economies.
And yet, we do not know how many glaciers remain today in the basin, let alone how many existed a century ago. In this talk, Dr. Anders Carlson will present on the Oregon Glacier Institute’s findings from the first census of glaciers in Oregon since the 1950s. You will hear how these glacier changes are related to regional climate change, concluding the discussion on what the future holds for the remaining glaciers in the Deschutes Basin.
Where: Zoom, coz Covid. Here’s THE LINK

Confluence Conversation: A Native Lens on Regenerative Ecosystems
2021-04-14
Since settler colonialism, seasonal flooding along the Columbia has been a threat, a destabilizing force to be mitigated. Native understanding knows that seasonal flooding brings necessary replenishment and resources for sustainable ecosystem health. Join David Lewis and Eric Quaempts for a discussion about Traditional life along the watersheds and how Native knowledge is addressing concerns for healthier watersheds today and moving forward.
This partnered event is the first of a three-part series offered by the Columbia Slough Watershed Council. The series examines the history of the watershed and its management to help inform current developments of a new watershed district with a stronger commitment to improved wildlife habitat, water quality, and the promotion of equity and social justice.
Support for this program comes from the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Multnomah County Drainage District.

Webcast: The Loneliest Polar Bear
2021-04-21
Join author Kale Williams for a presentation on his work writing The Loneliest Polar Bear, exploring how polar bears became the poster children for climate change, how climate change is impacting the people living in the Arctic, and how the fate of polar bears is not theirs alone.

OLCV Virtual Town Hall with Senator Ron Wyden
2021-06-04
Learn about the American Jobs Plan and Senator Wyden’s Clean Energy for America Act.
At the Town Hall Senator Wyden will share how the American Jobs Plan will put millions of people to work by making major investments in infrastructure, while also speeding up our transition to clean energy. Creating family-wage paying jobs and prioritizing environmental justice are at the heart of this historic policy.

OLCV Virtual Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
2021-08-16
Senator Merkley is fighting to help the U.S. build back better post-pandemic by investing in clean energy, jobs, and justice. The Senate will be voting soon on a bipartisan infrastructure proposal that will be a good starting point in addressing the climate crisis. But there’s still more work to do. Another key plan would invest $3.5 trillion in clean energy, taking the U.S. to 100% clean energy by 2035, while also creating good-paying union jobs and directing at least 40% of the benefits to communities most affected by climate change.
Senator Merkley will talk to you about this vision for the future, update us on how things are going in Washington D.C., and answer audience questions.

OLCV's 2021 Annual Celebration for the Environment
2021-09-24
For over 20 years, OLCV’s Celebration for the Environment has brought together OLCV supporters and volunteers, elected officials, environmental leaders, sustainable business leaders, and community advocates to celebrate and support their work.
This year’s virtual event will include appearances from elected officials, exciting auction/raffle items, games, and more. It is free to attend, and proceeds from the auction/raffle and virtual paddle raise support OLCV’s mission to protect Oregon’s natural legacy, elect pro-environment candidates, and hold our elected officials accountable.

Factory Farm Gas Webinar: Oregon Needs Real Climate Solutions
2022-01-20
Experts agree, we must decrease methane emissions now to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Instead of facing the fact that agriculture is the leading source of methane emissions in Oregon, leaders have pushed false solutions, like factory farm gas. Together, we can change that and push for real solutions!

Oceans - Sequestering carbon in the sea
2022-03-17
Learn about the role oceans could play in removing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Meet the Climate Candidates
2022-04-11
Meet OLCV’s top priority candidates for the 2022 May Primary. Hear directly from the candidates about their environmental values and how you can volunteer to help get them elected.
Featured candidates:
Tina Kotek for Governor
Jessica Vega Pederson for Multnomah County Chair
& a few priority legislative candidates

This Is How We Win: Climate Organizing 100 Series
2022-08-31
Join OLCV to learn about climate organizing and how you can join the climate movement!
Join youth-focused workshops hosted by the Oregon League of Conservation Voters this summer. “This Is How We Win: Climate Organizing 100 Series” is an interactive workshop that aims to educate folks on the basics of progressive movement-building, policy advocacy, and grassroots political strategy. RSVP today to get engaged with the battle for our climate.
Wednesday, August 31st from 5:30 – 6:45pm (via Zoom): Winning Elections 101 (what does it take to win an election, and how can you get involved?)
