Surfrider Foundation was recently contacted by our friends at 350 PDX to help lend our voice towards the Oregon Climate Declaration. The Oregon Climate Declaration strives to make visible the more than one million Oregonians who are very concerned about climate change. The goal is 100,000 Oregonians signing on to help make Oregon a national model in responding to climate change.
Surfrider has long been active on climate change issues as they relate to coastal adaptation, check out our policy statement here. We recently published a post with tons of info from various resources on coastal adaptation.
Oregon Climate Declaration: click here to take action!
We call on the State of Oregon as well as city, county and other jurisdictions, first to cease new investment in the 200 companies that own the vast majority of listed fossil-fuel reserves, and then to divest from ownership of stocks and bonds of these companies. The science is clear -- at least 80% of the known reserves of fossil fuels must be left unburned to avoid catastrophic disruption of Earth’s climate.
State and local leaders must prioritize carbon pricing while investing in renewable energy and increased energy efficiency, which will reduce emissions while providing jobs and a strong, equitable economic foundation for our state.
Why is this important?
We, the people of Oregon, recognize that we face a climate crisis that threatens the well-being of the people and nature of the state we love. The decisions we make today will dictate the quality of our lives together and those of generations to come.
Divestment will help to protect not only a safe future for our children and grandchildren, but also our state’s financial portfolio.
Carbon pricing will encourage energy efficiency in transportation, businesses and homes.
From the Bottle Bill and Land Use Planning to Public Beach Access and the Eight-Hour Work Day, Oregon has been a national leader. We call on Oregon to lead once again on this critical issue. It’s good for the climate, it’s good for the economy, it’s good for our families.
