Yes, of course - Pass House Bill 4145 Democratically Run Oregon Senate

Albert Kaufman

Oregon needs better gun control and has the votes and public backing to move it forward. The time is now to get moving.

Thousands rally in Florida for increased gun control

From the WWeek: "The bill establishes a procedure for taking guns away from those convicted of stalking an intimate partner, and expands the state's authority to take guns away from abusers—not just spouses, but any person who has lived with or had a sexual relationship with the victim."

By Albert Kaufman Feb. 20, 2018 Posted in open discussion.  comments

Diversity is not an option

By Will Newman of Canby, Oregon. Will is a retired organic farmer & small business consultant, and a non-retired advocate for justice and equality.

I am a farmer, so I attempt to influence what grows where, and when. That’s called agriculture. Since I want to be a successful grower, I learn a lot from observing natural systems.

One of the first lessons learned is that we are not in charge. It's a simple lesson, learned the first season by any gardener. We are a part of nature, and the incredible complex dynamic balance that is the natural world.

Often the second lesson learned is that change is ongoing and unending. This is another simple lesson, usually not learned until the second season, when the “permanent” stuff we did last year proves to be not so permanent.

If we pay attention, and work hard, and are open to the changes going on, and stop fighting natural cycles, and learn how to observe, and, and, and… we eventually realize that diversity is not an option.

Given that change is unending, and that each organism responds in unique ways to adjust to any particular change, it follows that the more diverse the populations of living things, the greater the chance that positive responses to change, leading to positive outcomes, will occur.

And since most of us are looking for positive outcomes, it becomes clear that diversity is not an option. It is essential.

Diversity is essential in all living systems, including human. Diversity is the key to success: diverse cultures, diverse ideas, diverse physical characteristics, diverse abilities, diverse beliefs.

And we should glory in that diversity, celebrating the myriad possibilities, and the strength we derive from the mix of those possibilities.

The Major Fluoride Risk Study You Never Heard Of

Rick North

A few weeks ago, Willamette Week’s lead story, “What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” featured Project Censored, highlighting important stories the media didn’t cover.

The headline lends itself perfectly to another story ignored by U.S. newspapers: higher fluoride levels in pregnant women have been linked to lower IQ’s in their children. The levels were well within the range of American women drinking fluoridated water.

This was the finding of a major international study published last month, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and led by the University of Toronto school of public health.

The study, one of the most robust ever conducted on fluoride’s risks, followed mother-child pairs in Mexico City for over 12 years. For every 0.5 part per million increase in prenatal exposure, children lost 2.5 – 3 IQ points. While noting the study didn’t prove fluoridation lowered children’s IQ’s and more research was needed, the authors cited its strong methodology, including taking into account a dozen possible confounding factors, which didn’t affect the results.

By Rick North Oct. 27, 2017  comments

$6,000 Oregon Tax Credit for installing solar is ending at the end of 2017

Albert Kaufman

I recently learned that the $6,000 Oregon Tax Credit for installing solar is ending at the end of 2017.

Because switching from fossil fuels to solar energy will help slow climate change + knowing this information will save people money + this feels like the right thing to do = I am encouraging you to take action NOW! If you're ready to go solar or know someone who is - now's the time to act. Contact a solar installation company in your area and get started with the process - here's how it works:

By Albert Kaufman Sept. 30, 2017 Posted in open discussion.  comments

Climate Champions Don't Permit Dirty Fracked Gas Terminals

Nicholas Caleb

Without action on the Jordan Cove Project, Governor Brown’s climate grandstanding is little more than an attempt to win environmental credibility without having to make a hard decision that might cost her some political points with large corporate donors and the building and construction trades. The climate doesn't care about the politics of triangulation, horse-trading, or campaign contributions.  

Photo Credit: Rick Rappaport

Submitted by Sarah Westover, a Jackson County resident and No LNG Campaign Organizer at Rogue Climate, and Nicholas Caleb, born and raised in Klamath Falls and the staff attorney at the Center for Sustainable Economy.

The climate movement in Oregon has achieved incredible things in recent years. We’ve beaten back environmentally disastrous fossil fuel infrastructure projects, said no to new fossil fuel infrastructure in our communities, persuaded Portland General Electric to suspend plans for dirty fracked gas power plants, sued the federal government for its role in allowing and permitting climate change causing activities, and have started the process of transitioning our cities to a 100% renewable energy powered economy. Despite this progress won by the thousands of Oregon residents deeply engaged in the struggle to protect our state, region, and planet, we still have incredible difficulty getting Oregon Democrats to act on climate with anywhere near the urgency that is required. Even those who deploy some of the strongest rhetoric on climate simply cannot bring themselves to do what is necessary when presented with difficult decisions.

For example, Governor Kate Brown still refuses to take a position on the Jordan Cove fracked gas export terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline that, if constructed, would become one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the State of Oregon. After two prior attempts were denied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), this never-ending nightmare of a project is back. This time, it is at the top of Donald Trump’s list of carbon-intensive dirty energy projects and will likely be reviewed by Trump's own appointed FERC commissioners, should they be confirmed by the Senate. As someone who has recently claimed to be committed to climate action after President Trump declared the United States would not uphold its obligations under the Paris Accords, Brown’s refusal to take a position on one of Trump’s top three dirty energy projects is outrageous.

By Nicholas Caleb July 31, 2017  comments