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Oregon Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign

Nearly 40% of Oregon’s power comes from coal, which is more than both Washington and California. We pride ourselves on being green and sustainable, yet we still rely on dirty 19th century methods to power our communities. Oregon has long been a leader on environmental issues and now that we face the most important challenge of our lifetime, Global Warming, we must lead the nation towards a clean energy future.

This is about the future of our children, our beloved wild spaces and our planet. We must take responsibility for our destructive energy use and begin to move beyond coal. If Oregon can break from the shackles of Big Coal, then we can lead the entire Northwest towards a renewable energy future that protects our communities’ health and strengthens our economy.

There is no better time than now. With President Obama we can make strides we thought were never possible. Investors, government, and the public alike are realizing that coal is not only destructive, it also doesn’t make economic sense. Now we have the opportunity to end our reliance on dirty coal power by becoming more energy efficient, and investing in clean, renewable wind and solar power.

Oregon can lead the Northwest towards a clean energy future by first replacing the Boardman Coal Plant which spews out 5 million tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) every year, and second, by stopping the importation of 20% of our power from dirty coal-producing states. We have an opportunity to both reduce our dependence on coal-fired power and launch a more prosperous economy in Oregon through long term, sustainable jobs that will lead the Northwest region in clean, renewable electricity generation.

Click the link (above) or you can contact Robin Everett at robin.everett@sierraclub.org or call (503) 238-0442 x307 or Cesia Kearns at cesia.kearns@sierraclub.org or call (503) 238-0442 x303.