Sometimes we forget to carve out time and space for joy in advocacy work. But when we do, we are reminded that joy and community are the whole point. These past few weeks in Bend we partnered with Energize Bend and the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition to bring joy and fun to local climate policy advocacy with a series of events themed around Nothing Scarier Than Climate Change to advocate for a strong local Climate Pollution Fee. Our events truely showed that effective advocacy can manifest in many different ways. The events included an art build and teach-in, trick-or-treat canvassing, a protest, and a sit-in at the October 22nd City Council meeting. Our volunteers and partners showed up in all different ways, writing emails, making signs, creating costumes, and offering their time and energy to the Climate Action Week events. And amongst all the joy and costume chaos, progress was made, and Bend City Council decided to move forward with developing a Climate Pollution Fee! But there is still more work to be done. We need your support as the process moves forward! If you missed last weeks events and are still trying to learn more about The Climate Pollution Fee there are still plenty of ways to get involved.
Sierra Club Oregon supports a climate-just future for all residents of Bend. As part of that commitment, we are advocating for a strong Climate Pollution Fee that facilitates the transition to an all-electric infrastructure and establishes a just transition fund to help all residents thrive. We are excited about the potential of this policy to move our city away from dependency on fossil fuels and towards affordable, citizen-centered climate solutions.
The Climate Pollution Fee is a proposed Bend City policy that would place a fee on new buildings that install natural gas lines or gas appliances. It applies only to new construction and is designed to incentivize developers to build all-electric. This policy has been in the works for a long time, with the City initially identifying it as a strategy in the City’s Climate Action Plan in 2019. The energy we use in our buildings makes up over 50% of Bend’s local fossil fuel use, making it the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the community. Addressing this issue with policy solutions is one of the best ways we can cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions.
A strong policy could also make a real impact with the proposed Just Transition Fund. The Fund would invest the revenue of the fee into energy upgrades for low- and moderate-income households. This policy and the fund are still being shaped and workshoped by City Council. We need to make sure this policy doesnt amount to an empty gesture of greenwashing but a strong policy that truly discourages fossil fuel use and drives a shift toward clean, electric alternatives.
(L) Sierra Club Oregon Conservation Organizer Alice Weston (R) and volunteer Naomi Serio
You can learn more about the Energize Bend Coalition and sign up for Brennan’s great newsletter at energizebend.org. We are building a chapter based in reciprocity and community co-creation. There is space for you to help shape and direct the work that we do. All are welcome. If you’d like to join us you can email me at alice.weston@sierraclub.org.