Policy Matters: Solutions for a Plastic Pollution Free U.S.
2023-09-19 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
Plastic pollution is an urgent threat to the climate, human health, communities, the environment, and wildlife. With industries set to triple their plastic production by 2060, public support for policies to reduce plastic pollution is growing across the world. From implementing bag bans and fees on single-use plastics, to rules that strengthen regulations on industrial polluters, communities and policymakers are using many strategies to address the growing plastic pollution crisis.

A Sense of Place Webinar Series: Indigenous Perspectives of Earth, Water and Sky, featuring Elizabeth Azzuz
2023-09-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Elizabeth Azzuz, Secretary of Cultural Fire Management Council, will discuss her work using Traditional Native Karuk methods of prescribed burning to protect forests, heal degraded ecosystems, and reestablish forest-grown food, medicine, and products.
Register here!

The Outdoorist Oath Workshop
2023-10-24 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
The Outdoorist Oath workshop is an up to two-hour, ZERO-BS, interactive experience that teaches a model to approach allyship for planet, inclusion, and adventure. During the workshop, you’ll reflect and create a unique action plan to help you take action, unlearn, learn and be in community with other aligned outdoorists, culminating in the opportunity to take The Outdoorist Oath with everyone. www.outdooristoath.org
REGISTER HERE!

OLCV Virtual Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Jeff Merkley
2023-10-26 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Senator Jeff Merkley has been a champion of our conservation and environmental values in D.C., voicing our support for strong safeguards for the environment, pollinators, and public lands. During OLCV’s Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Merkley, we’ll celebrate his leadership and learn about the latest news on a broad range of environmental issues, including addressing climate change, benefits for Oregon powered by climate investments of the IRA, plastic reduction, and his work to support pollinator recovery.
RSVP and join us for an afternoon with the senator discussing all things environment and conservation!
WHEN: Thursday, October 26th, 2023 from 12 – 1:15PM
WHERE: Zoom – RSVP below!
RSVP HERE

Deschutes County 2040 -Opportunity For Input
2023-11-09 17:30 - 19:00 | Zoom
Opportunity For Input:
Continued Public Hearing on November 9, 2023
The Deschutes County Planning Commission held a public hearing to gather testimony on the Deschutes County 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update document on Thursday, October 26 at 5:30 pm. The Commission voted to continue both the oral and written portions of the hearing to their next meeting on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 5:30 pm.
Interested parties can provide testimony in-person at the Barnes and Sawyer Rooms, Deschutes County Service Center, 1300 NW Wall Street, Bend, OR 97701 or virtually via zoom. Want to provide written comments? Send to Nicole.Mardell@deschutes.org by 4 pm on November 9.
Click Attend Virtually – New Link for Nov. 9 Meeting
The draft Deschutes County 2040 Comprehensive Plan document was released for public review in late August. Over the course of 16 months, planning staff have engaged community members and technical experts on key issues facing the County. The resulting plan provides a policy framework for decision making on land use and planning related matters in the rural County for the next twenty years. The plan applies to private land in Deschutes County outside of urban growth boundaries.

Making Energy Work Quarterly Webinar: Unpacking Federal Funding Bottlenecks for Rural Energy in Oregon
2023-11-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Online Event
Making Energy Work Quarterly Webinar: Unpacking Federal Funding Bottlenecks for Rural Energy in Oregon
November 29th, 11am – 12pm
REGISTER HERE
For our fourth quarterly webinar of the year, the Making Energy Work for Rural Oregon coalition will host a lively discussion on the federal funding landscape, and how communities are (or are not) accessing these historic investments.
We will be joined by Emma Wendt, Place-Based Strategy Lead with the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE), who will share updates from U.S. DOE and guidance for rural communities on accessing federal dollars. She will also dive into DOE’s newly-released Federal Energy Funding for Rural And Remote Areas Guide.
Also joining us is Nick Burnett, Energy Policy Manager with Sustainable Northwest, who will highlight barriers and near-term opportunities to advance clean energy development in rural communities across Oregon.
This interactive webinar will give local energy leaders an opportunity to share community successes and lessons learned as well as ask questions to federal agency staff.
Special thanks to Energy Trust of Oregon for making these quarterly calls possible.
Please register for the event below. We hope you can join us!
REGISTER HERE
Questions about this event?
Contact Faith Yorba: fyorba@sustainablenorthwest.org.
Learn more about the Making Energy Work coalition and sign-up for the MEW newsletter to receive monthly updates on rural energy-related events, funding opportunities, news, resources, and more.

2023 Energy Resilience Planning for Local Governments Workshop
2023-12-08 09:30 - 12:30 | Online Event
Sustainable Northwest and Energy Trust of Oregon are hosting a 2023 Energy Resilience Planning for Local Governments Workshop. This workshop will connect city and county staff with funding, resources, and organizations to help with the planning and implementation necessary to make your community more energy-resilient and prepared for future disasters.
Date: Friday, Dec. 8th, 2023
Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm (Virtual on Zoom)
Who should attend? Oregon city, county, and/or special district staff as well as community-based organizations that support emergency management, economic development, planning, hazard mitigation planning, sustainability, or energy conservation are encouraged to attend.
What will be covered? This workshop will share information about funding for energy resilience planning and project development, connect attendees to technical assistance providers, and identify next steps to integrate resilience planning into existing planning processes, particularly for capacity and resource-strapped communities.

Register Here!

Plastic-Free Resolutions: Protecting Your Health in 2024
2024-01-18 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
With a new year comes new resolutions for protecting and improving the health of our bodies, families, communities, and the planet that we all call home. One healthy resolution to consider is to reduce or eliminate plastic from your life. But with plastic used for everything from making clothing to carrying food and drinks, this can seem like a daunting task.
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition on January 18 for their first webinar of the new year: Plastic-Free Resolutions: Protecting Your Health in 2024. During this event, they will offer tangible, common sense ways to reduce the amount of plastic you use in your daily life. They’ll discuss why it’s important to avoid plastics, provide you with DIY and low- and no-cost solutions, and highlight helpful products you may turn to when you need an extra hand.
Panelists for this inspiring conversation include Queer Brown Vegan Isaias Hernandez; Zero Waste Farmer Manju Kumar; and Co-Owner & Co-Founder of Life Without Plastic Jay Sinha. The conversation will be moderated by MADE SAFE Founder Amy Ziff.

Dive into the Hive: Explore the World of High Desert Bees
2024-01-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
January 23, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Online, Free
Discover Oregon’s high desert bees in a captivating online presentation by Lincoln Best where he’ll explore their diversity, habitats and crucial ecological roles. Register here.
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We are pleased to announce Oregon Natural Desert Association’s 2024 High Desert Speaker Series! The Speaker Series fosters a deeper understanding of ecology, encourages well-informed exploration of the high desert and promotes collaborative cross-cultural practices that conserve southeastern Oregon. These events will take you into the world of high desert bees, on a journey through the Owyhee Canyonlands, deeper into ecocultural indigenous restoration efforts and toward discovering the geologic treasures of Oregon’s desert.

Join us at these engaging events online, in Bend and in Portland and dive into the wonders of the high desert. Registration is open for all events, so mark your calendar, tell a friend and view the full lineup.

Webinar: Appliance Standards Update - Impacts on Gas Prices and Electrification
2024-01-25 09:00 - 10:00 | Zoom
Appliance efficiency standards aren’t something most of us think about very often, but they have helped to reduce our energy consumption and our energy bills enormously since standards first took effect in the 1970’s. Heat pumps have made significant energy saving improvements in that time, but energy efficiency standards for gas furnaces and water heaters have hardly changed in over 30 years. The Department of Energy is poised to update standards on these two home appliances and the new efficiency requirements could dramatically accelerate the use of heat pumps nationally.
New water heater standards could make heat pump water heaters the dominant water heating technology by the end of the decade (up from 2% today). The proposed new gas furnace standards would mean that replacing an old low efficiency furnace with a new high efficiency gas furnace would typically require costly venting upgrades. Switching to a heat pump would avoid those added costs and therefore make heat pumps an even more attractive option for millions of homes with aging gas furnaces.
These increased efficiency standards combined with the continuing phase out of fossil gas combustion through city and state electrification mandates and air quality regulations, are expected to increase fossil gas prices over the coming years. As more homes are electrified and leave the gas system, a new study from ACEEE that we will discuss in this webinar finds that average gas utility costs per customer can increase between 21% and 129%.
Join Electrify Now and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative as we explore these two important and interrelated topics of federal appliance standards and gas price increases.
REGISTER HERE

A Journey Through the Owyhee Canyonlands
2024-02-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
February 8, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Online, Free
Embark on a journey with ONDA board and staff through Oregon’s awe-inspiring Owyhee Canyonlands. They’ll highlight this region’s natural landscapes, cultural significance, wildlife habitats and ONDA’s conservation efforts. Register here.

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We are pleased to announce Oregon Natural Desert Association’s 2024 High Desert Speaker Series! The Speaker Series fosters a deeper understanding of ecology, encourages well-informed exploration of the high desert and promotes collaborative cross-cultural practices that conserve southeastern Oregon. These events will take you into the world of high desert bees, on a journey through the Owyhee Canyonlands, deeper into ecocultural indigenous restoration efforts and toward discovering the geologic treasures of Oregon’s desert.

Join us at these engaging events online, in Bend and in Portland and dive into the wonders of the high desert. Registration is open for all events, so mark your calendar, tell a friend and view the full lineup.

Upgrading your Water Heater for efficiency, savings and pollution reduction
2024-03-04 17:15 - 18:00 | Online Event
Upgrading your Water Heater for efficiency, savings and pollution reduction
Join us for an exciting online event where local experts will share their knowledge on options for upgrading your home water heater for maximum efficiency, cost savings, and pollution reduction. Learn about the latest ultra-efficient heat pump water heater technology, the performance and benefits, and the pricing, rebates and incentives available to help you save while you upgrade your home energy equipment. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from our local experts in home energy efficiency at GreenSavers.
Thanks to The Environmental Center and GreenSavers for co-hosting this event with us!
REGISTER HERE

Bye Lawn, High Desert! How Turf Rebates Can Help
2024-03-09 09:00 - 10:15, 2024-03-12 18:00 - 19:15, 2024-03-20 18:00 - 19:15 | Online Event
Are you looking to update your landscape and save water? The City of Bend Water Conservation program is offering a Turf Removal Rebate to convert thirsty lawns into low water use landscapes. The result is a gorgeous High Desert landscape that provides a colorful, biodiverse, pollinator-friendly, and waterwise alternative to traditional lawns!
In this webinar, hosted by the City of Bend, Oregon you will learn how to:

Plan and Prepare for your Lawn Conversion
Remove Turf Without the Use of Chemicals
Use Highly Efficient Irrigation
Successfully Apply for the Turf Removal Rebate

Hosting Native Bees Webinar
2024-03-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Online Event
Sponsored by OSU’s 10 minute university, this free webinar will help you understand native bees and host them in your garden. Register here!

Webcast: Geology and Natural History of the John Day River Basin
2024-04-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Online Event
The geology of the John Day basin is complex and records a rich history of changing environments including deep oceans, subtropical rainforests, temperate forests, and sagebrush steppes. Volcanic and tectonic activity in the region not only built the land that we see today, but also helps us to know the age of the rocks that the land is built from. The John Day River and its tributaries, both current and ancestral, have helped to expose many of these rocks and to even deposit some of them, allowing us to learn and explore these stories. The John Day River basin is critical to our understanding of the past of the region which is preserved through a variety of public and private land.
Join us on April 3rd at 6pm as we welcome Nicholas Famoso, Paleontology Program Manager for the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, to take us on a journey through the geologic and natural history of the John Day River basin.
We will be raffling off a copy of Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide and a “Wild: The Oregon Way” t-shirt. Tickets are $5 and are an optional purchase below. Raffle tickets not only help us continue these Wednesday presentations but also support our work safeguarding Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters.
REGISTER HERE

Go Electric! - The Benefits of Home Electrification (Webinar)
2024-04-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Adopting modern high-efficiency electric appliances in our homes improves indoor air quality, lowers utility bills, provides greater safety and comfort, and more climate resilience. You can greatly lower your home’s carbon emissions by installing efficient electric systems like heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. And thanks to improved technologies and new state and federal incentives, making your home efficient and all-electric is more affordable than ever! In this first episode of Electrify Now’s “Go-Electric!” webinar series, you’ll learn about the many advantages of electrifying your home—all in 30 minutes. We’ll share insights and practical tips, including: Why all-electric homes are much healthier, with better indoor air quality and lower risk of asthma, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning. How to upgrade your home’s heating, cooling and appliances, get year-round comfort and save on your energy bills. How electrification increases the value of your home. Why all-electric homes reduce air pollution in the communities where we live How electric transportation saves money, reduces emissions and is a ton of fun. How each of us has the power to phase out fossil fuels and lower our carbon emissions towards zero by powering our homes with renewable energy.
Hosts: Brian Stewart and Joe Wachunas

REGISTER HERE

Art, Social Justice and the Radical Imaginary with Favianna Rodriguez
2024-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 | Wille Hall, Coats Campus Center, Central Oregon Community College, Bend, 2600 Northwest College Way, Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Join Favianna Rodriguez as she shares her artistic practice and discusses how art can inspire, educate, and help spur the imagination beyond the realms of what politics can do. Rodriguez believes culture change precedes political change, and therefore, we must build vibrant cultural movements that catalyze social justice, inspire new ways of thinking and foster cultural equity. She will show artistic examples that address migrant rights, gender equity and climate justice.

2024 Oregon Legislative Session Debrief
2024-05-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Please join Oregon Environmental Council on Monday, May 6th from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, for a virtual webinar taking a closer look at this year’s state legislative session.
Our guest speaker is state Senator Janeen Sollman, Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee. She played a pivotal role as an environmental champion this session, including passing Oregon’s landmark Right to Repair legislation.
The conversation will be hosted by OEC’s Executive Director, Jana Gastellum and alumni Legislative Director, Thomas Baker. Together, they’ll give an insider’s perspective on how last session’s key environmental wins set the stage for future progress, as well as how the losses will impact Oregonians.
We hope you can join us on Monday, May 6 for this informative discussion on OEC’s work and legislative achievements in the 2024 session.

Greenwashing 2.0: Debunking Recycling Myths
2024-06-05 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
People often ask what really happens to their plastic recycling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter where your discarded plastic is collected, whether at the end of your driveway, at your local recycling center, or in a municipal recycling bin: Most plastic items collected as recycling are not actually “recycled.” Many people are now realizing that plastic is not designed to be recycled—it’s a false solution sold to us by corporations and governments. What’s more, “plastic recycling” drives continued production and pollution of plastics and fossil fuels, and their related injustices.

Climate Protection Program Public Hearing Prep Event
2024-08-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Online Event
Do you want to make a difference for Oregon’s climate AND communities? The Climate Protection Program (CPP) – which requires oil and gas companies to cut their pollution by 90% by 2050, and will provide ~$150 million of investments into Oregon’s communities – needs YOUR help. The CPP is on the path to restoration after being invalidated in Dec of 2023 due to oil & gas industry lawsuits. DEQ is hosting a public hearing on Aug 21 at 4:00 p.m. for Oregonians to chime in with their thoughts about this critical program. The oil & gas industry will stop at nothing to derail the restoration of this program, so it’s vital that DEQ hear a groundswell of support for restoring the CPP’s essential climate and community protections by the end of this year. If you want to testify in support of Oregon’s cornerstone CPP, but just don’t know what to say – this event is the perfect event for you!
Join the Coalition for Climate & Economic Justice at this special PUBLIC HEARING PREP EVENT on Aug 19 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. to; learn more about the CPP, learn how to join the public hearing and craft your testimony, and ask questions of organizers who regularly testify during public hearings like this.
REGISTER HERE

Solarize Deschutes Campaign Online Workshop
2024-09-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Event
If you live in Deschutes County, register now to join us at 12:00 PM, September 4, to learn how you can benefit from installing solar panels and battery storage on your home. This free, one-hour presentation will be held online. You will learn about the Solarize campaign in your community, how solar energy works and how it can be stored with battery storage for backup power. We will talk about limited-time discount pricing, tax credits and Energy Trust cash incentives, including special increased incentives for income-qualified homes. We will also spend time answering your questions.
Solarize Deschutes runs August 15 – October 31. To lock in your Solarize discounts, go to the website and request a custom analysis and bid from a pre-qualified Energy Trust trade ally during this period to lock in Solarize discounts (your solar installation can be completed any time through June 30, 2025).
REGISTER HERE!
This campaign is brought to you by:

The Environmental Center
Energize Bend
Envision Bend
City of Bend
Solar Oregon
Energy Trust of Oregon

OLCV's Virtual Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Merkley
2024-10-17 15:30 - 16:30 | OR
Senator Jeff Merkley has been a champion of our conservation and environmental values in D.C., voicing our support for strong safeguards for the environment, pollinators, and public lands. During OLCV’s Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Merkley, we’ll celebrate his leadership and learn about the latest news on a broad range of environmental issues, including addressing climate change, benefits for Oregon powered by climate investments of the IRA, plastic reduction, protections for the Owyhee Canyonlands and his work to support pollinator recovery.

PPC Webinar | Policy Matters: Tracking Plastic Laws After Global Treaty Negotiations
2024-12-12 14:00 - 15:15 | OR
After two years of intense negotiations, the 5th and final planned session to agree on a UN Global Plastic Treaty is scheduled to conclude on December 1, 2024. The Treaty, once agreed, will have widespread implications for plastic law around the world, as well as the businesses, activists, journalists, lawyers, and many others working on plastic issues.
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition on December 12, 2024, for a discussion with legislative, advocacy, and media experts about the UN Plastic Treaty, and the importance of continuing to advance and track plastic policy at all levels. One critical tool to monitor progress and implementation is the Global Plastic Laws database and resource center, which we will also present.
Joining the discussion will be Dr. Jamala Djinn, Science/Policy Advisor, Break Free From Plastic; Jennifer Gleason, Law Program Director, Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide; Shane Trimmer, District Director at the U.S. House of Representatives – Office of Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02); and Joseph Winters, Staff Writer, Grist. The webinar will be moderated by Madison Dennis, Project Manager, Plastic Pollution Coalition.
SIGN UP
Date: Thurs., December 12
Time: 2-3:15 pm PT | 5-6:15 pm ET
Click here to convert to your timezone.

OLCV's Virtual Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Ron Wyden
2024-12-19 11:30 - 13:00 | OR
Senator Ron Wyden has been a champion of OLCV’s conservation and environmental values in D.C., voicing their support for strong safeguards for our air, water, forests, wildlife, and communities. During OLCV’s Town Hall on the Environment with Senator Wyden, we’ll celebrate his leadership and learn about the latest news on a broad range of environmental issues, including benefits for Oregon powered by climate investments of the IRA, conservation efforts in progress, and threats to public lands in our state.

PPC Webinar | Microplastics Within Us: Are We Becoming Plastic People?
2025-01-15 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Microplastics have been found in our food and drinks; in Earth’s air, soils, and oceans; and inside of our bodies.
Join Plastic Pollution Coalition for a special webinar featuring scientific, advocacy, and media experts on January 15, 2025, to learn about how microplastics and plastic chemicals may impact the future of humanity, and what we as a society can do about the growing danger of microplastics—including protecting yourself and your loved ones. Sign up.

Professional Development for K–12 educators
2025-01-21 16:00 - 18:00 | OR
Professional Development
This virtual workshop is for K–12 educators across multiple content areas. Confluence Professional Development’s purpose is to educate teachers in the pedagogy of Indigenous curriculum and lessons. It is to prepare adults, teachers, and educators with a more perceptive understanding of Native American lifeways, history, cultural traditions, and ecology that define our Native identity.
Over the two-day virtual workshop, the cohort will learn directly from Indigenous workshop facilitators/speakers and have the opportunity to think through Indigenous education concepts together using materials from Confluence Media Library, our publications, Columbia River Sites, and our work from Camp Confluence and Confluence in the Classroom. We will also show the parallels of our work at Confluence with Oregon’s Tribal History/Shared History and Washington’s Since Time Immemorial curriculums.
This cohort will meet on Zoom on Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 at 4–6pm. Our theme this month is:
Voices of the River Volume 1: Stories to Be Told – Ancestors Always Present
Register HERE

How To Go Solar + Storage
2025-01-22 17:30 - 18:30 | OR
Are you ready to take the first step in going solar?
In this free workshop, we will answer your questions about how solar energy and battery systems work, share information about incentives available, and help you take the first step to add solar to your home or business.
This workshop is free and open to everyone!

Green Energy Series #24: Electrical Panel Upgrades
2025-02-01 10:00 - 11:00 | OR
The free, monthly Green Energy Series takes a closer look at topics related to energy, solar + storage, and green technology.

Register Here!
