At the Capitol

The Oregon Chapter Sierra Club lobbies at the state Legislature to make sure that Oregon’s environment is protected. We had three major priority areas we worked on during the 2009 Legislative Session: Smart Energy Solutions, Protecting the Public from Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals and Pipelines and Protecting Oregon’s Natural Resources. Scroll down for details on these priorities.

We are planning our 2010 and 2011 legislative agenda now. To get involved in our citizen efforts to protect Oregon’s environment at the state Legislature contact our Legislative Chair Wes Kempfer at wkempferjr@yahoo.com or Chapter Conservation Coordinator and Lobbyist, Ivan Maluski at ivan.maluski@sierraclub.org or (503) 238-0442 x304.

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Smart Energy Solutions

Dependence on coal and oil is having a serious impact on Oregon’s climate and our pocketbooks. Despite the overall condition of the economy, renewable energy is a growth industry in Oregon and the nation. In 2007, the state adopted strong goals to significantly reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. As the nation moves to a clean energy economy, Oregon is well positioned to created thousands of green jobs in manufacturing components for the solar and wind industries, installation of windmills and other renewable energy infrastructure, and jobs in the building trades in home and business energy efficiency retrofits and upgrades. Such smart energy solutions are good for the environment and the economy.

The Sierra Club is supporting policies to:

• Increase investments in energy efficiency in our homes, businesses, and transportation options
• Implement strong caps on greenhouse gas pollution
• Stop new coal fired power plants
• Develop affordable, clean sources of energy

Protecting the Public from Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals and Pipelines

Three Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals are proposed for the Columbia River and Coos Bay, as well as hundreds of miles of LNG pipelines that would damage farms, forests, public lands, and hundreds of rivers and streams. Imported from volatile areas such as Russia and the Middle East, LNG emits 20-30% more global warming pollution than domestic sources of natural gas. With no need for the gas in Oregon, it makes no sense to build LNG terminals and pipelines that will subject Oregonians to high gas prices, while damaging our rivers, forests and farms and deepening our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

The Sierra Club is supporting policies to:

• Give Oregon a greater voice in LNG terminal and pipeline siting
• Protect public resources like clean water, wildlife and public land
• Protect farms, forests and communities from LNG development

Protecting Oregon’s Natural Resources

Unlike Washington and California, Oregon does not require full environmental analysis of significant government decisions that negatively impact the environment. Chronic air and water pollution violations have gone unenforced. And the forests that provide our cleanest water, carbon storage and best fish and wildlife habitat are increasingly threatened.

The Sierra Club is supporting policies to:

• Require state environmental impact statements for major decisions affecting the environment
• Fund environmental enforcement at the Department of Justice
• Protect Oregon’s forests, fish and waterways from unsustainable logging