Webinar: Appliance Standards Update - Impacts on Gas Prices and Electrification
2024-01-25 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
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 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
The free, monthly Green Energy Series takes a closer look at topics related to energy, solar + storage, and green technology.

Register Here!

A Year in the Life: Oregon’s Desert Owls
2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Oregon Natural Desert Association as they kick off their 2025 High Desert Speaker Series with an absorbing evening all about high desert owls. Paul Bannick, acclaimed author and wildlife photographer, will take you through four seasons in the lives of these owls to give you a better appreciation of what they need to survive and thrive in each season. With stunning, intimate images, Paul will bring the stories of these adorable yet fierce predators to life and reveal their unique roles in the high desert ecosystem from its driest lands to its ponderosa pine woodlands.

Tiny Titans: Insects of the High Desert
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:00 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Get ready for an exciting exploration into the crucial role insects play in Oregon’s high desert. Oregon Natural Desert Association’s High Desert Speaker Series continues with Dr. Tara Cornelisse, invertebrate zoologist, as she provides insights into the fascinating butterflies, moths and beetles residing in eastern Oregon. Tara will examine the current state of insect populations, share facts and stories about key species in the high desert, and highlight why conserving the high desert is vital for the future of insect populations and the entire ecosystem.

Fossils and the Future: Lessons from Oregon’s Ecological Past
2025-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Spend an evening with Oregon Natural Desert Association as they continue the High Desert Speaker Series by uncovering the fossilized world of eastern Oregon. Dr. Samantha Hopkins, University of Oregon Professor and Earth Sciences Department Head, will take you on a journey through time as she reveals what Oregon’s high desert fossils tell us about the past, present and future. You’ll explore a few fossilized mammals of eastern Oregon and discover what these creatures tell us about the desert ecosystem 30 million years ago. Samantha will also explain how fossils reveal changes in ecosystems and communities over time and what those shifts can tell us about our future in a changing climate.

Beneath the Surface: Desert Mussels
2025-03-19 18:00 - 19:00 | 375 SW Powerhouse Dr Suite 100, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Oregon Natural Desert Association for the final event of the High Desert Speaker Series as they dive beneath the surface of high desert streams and into the hidden world of mussels. Alexa Martinez, Wildlife Biologist at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, will shed light on the fascinating lives of native mollusks thriving in the waterways of eastern Oregon. Alexa will share the unique habitat of each mussel species and discuss how snowmelt feeds the watersheds that sustain these creatures. Come learn how these often-overlooked species play a critical role in maintaining the health of the desert ecosystems.

What's Recyclable Anyway? (and what the heck is the RMA?)
2025-11-18 18:00 - 19:30
Event: What’s recyclable anyway? (and what the heck is the RMA?)
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 18th 6-7:30pm
Location: Online (Zoom)
Did you know our consumption accounts for half of our emissions? Did you hear that Knott Landfill is close to full? Have you heard contradictory things about recycling and whether it matters?
This July, Oregon became the first state in the nation to pass a sweeping bill that modernizes Oregon’s recycling infrastructure, and makes producers responsible for their packaging (see our blog post for more information). Do you have questions about what has changed or what is about to change? Or maybe, are you skeptical that these changes will have any meaningful impact?
At our 4th annual America Recycles Day event, come get answers to all these questions and more by a panel of experts.
A big thanks to our panelists!
Panel:
Colin Teem, Materials Management – Eastern Region Specialist, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Rachel VanWoert, RMA Technical Assistant, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Susan Baker, Diversion and Franchise Services Manager, Deschutes County Solid Waste
Moderator: Kavi Chokshi, Rethink Waste Program Manager, The Environmental Center
Questions? Email kavi@envirocenter.org

Questions? Email kavi@envirocenter.org
