Clean Fuels Program expansion

Consistent with Governor Brown's Executive Order 20-04 in March 2020, the state Department of Environmental Quality has developed an update to the targets for the state's Clean Fuels Program.  The proposed program was discussed by the Environmental…

Oregon’s PUC Draft Report on the Future of Gas

Oregon's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) declines to hold Oregon Gas Industry accountable for destroying our planet In a draft report released in April, Oregon's Public Utilities Commission failed to come to grips with the problematic gas…

Jackson Co. to discuss closing part of Bear Creek Greenway during fire season

Jenna King, KOBI-TV May 10, 2022; JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. —Jackson County leaders, discussing potentially closing areas of the Bear Creek Greenway, this fire season. County commissioners will talk about the possibility of closing county-owned,…

OREGON BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY SUES TO UNDERMINE CLIMATE ACTION

Alan Journet, May 6 2022, SOCAN.eco Oregonians deserve to know who has joined the campaign seeking to undermine the viability of our planet for future generations. If global warming and its climate change consequences continue unchecked,…

Applegate Wildfires – Past, Present, and Future

Alan Journet Ph.D. Cofacilitator, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now Residents of the Applegate Valley understand that wildfire risk in the region has been increasing over recent years. Of course, we are not alone. Before looking at trends,…

Youth V Gov: A Film Review

Alan Journet, Cofacilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now Many climate activists have been watching the efforts of Julia Olson and Our Children’s Trust (OCT) for many years as they assist our youth in holding governments accountable…

Our House Is On Fire: Climate Action Where I Stand

Barbara Cervone, April 19th 2022 POSTCARDS FROM THE ROGUE VALLEY “Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. At the end of March, 2018, my…

Oregon Department of Agriculture working to improve farmer’s soil

Malik Patterson, KTVY-tv, April 17th 2022 Jackson County, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Agriculture is helping develop an application for the United States Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. The financial…
,

Are Western Joshua Trees a Threatened Species? California State Biologists and Environmental Advocates Disagree

Olivia Rosane, April 18, EcoWatch With their branches reaching up like knobby arms with tufts for fists, western Joshua trees are an iconic part of the California desert ecosystem, and environmental advocates want to make sure they stay that…

This 900-Mile Crude Oil Pipeline Is a Bad Deal for My Country — and the World

Vanessa Nakate, April 8 2022, New York Times KAMPALA, Uganda — This week, the panel of climate experts convened by the United Nations delivered a clear message: To stand a chance of curbing dangerous climate change, we can’t afford to…

Methane-rich gas is poor alternative to renewable electricity

A Spotlight series item by Lorrie Kaplan, Ashland.News March 23, 2022 In recent decades, a wide range of high-quality studies show unequivocally that the use of “natural” gas is a significant factor in global warming — and really bad…
Fragaria vesca

Fire-resistant, low-flammable plants are best options to help create fire smart landscaping for your yard

Janet Eastman, The Oregonian/Oregon Live, March 31, 2022 Garden centers and nurseries are bursting with plants that are drought tolerant, pollinator friendly and deer resistant. They also have ground covers, shrubs and trees that are less likely…

Comments to Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Northwest Natural gas rate hike

Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D. Cofacilitator Southern Oregon Climate Action Now 7113 Griffin Lane Jacksonville Oregon 97530 – 9342 541-301-4107 alan@socan.eco March 8th 2022 Chair Decker and members of the Oregon Public Utilities Commission: I…

How Joe Manchin Aided Coal, and Earned Millions

At every step of his political career, Joe Manchin helped a West Virginia power plant that is the sole customer of his private coal business. Along the way, he blocked ambitious climate action. Christopher Flavelle and Julie Tat, New York…

Complex Models Now Gauge the Impact of Climate Change on Global Food Production. The Results Are ‘Alarming’

Georgina Gustin, March 27, 2022 Inside Climate News Climate change is a "threat multiplier," making hunger emergencies worse. Advanced modeling shows that crop yields could plummet, faster than expected. Inside dozens of bankers boxes, stacked…

SOCAN studies wildfire trends and projections for Southern Oregon

Tyler Ridgle, KDRV-tv March 22, 2022 MEDFORD, Ore. -- Wildfires spark in Northern California and Southern Oregon every year. Although everyone living in the region expects them, not everyone understands why fires seem larger each fire season. Alan…

In a World on Fire, Stop Burning Things

Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, March 18, 2022 On the last day of February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its most dire report yet. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, had, he said, “seen…

Water outlook bleak for Rogue Valley

Vickie Aldous, Medford Mail Tribune, March 17, 2022 Irrigation water supplies at historically low levels Local farms and orchards are likely to face an irrigation season this year that is even worse than last year’s historically short season. After…

OCAP Coalition second annual report

OCAP_Progress_Report_Two_Year_2022

Climate Spotlight: State climate action wins for 2022

Emission-free electricity due by 2040 By Lorrie Kaplan With this year’s Oregon’s legislative “short session” wrapping up just last week, I was eager to chat with Rep. Pam Marsh, Southern Oregon’s representative to the Oregon House,…

Recent projections for climate change push Medford’s climate adaptation plan forward

Tyler Ridgle, March 8th KDRV-TV MEDFORD, Ore. -- Medford has been working on its Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan since early 2022. One planning committee member is helping the city understand what next steps should be taken to adjust…

Amazon nears climate ‘tipping point’ faster than expected

Marlowe Hood  International Business Times, March 8, 2022  Hammered by climate change and relentless deforestation, the Amazon rainforest is losing its capacity to recover and could irretrievably transition into savannah, with dire consequences…

We need people from all walks of life to develop and implement solutions

By Lorrie Kaplan I sometimes still hear climate change characterized as an environmental issue and it always takes me by surprise. I’ve been considering how to explain my reaction. Lorrie Kaplan I work on climate action and talk with…

Integrating transit, equity, housing and climate solutions

By Lorrie Kaplan In one of the most iconic and inspirational moments in U.S. history, Rosa Parks protested segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in December 1955. Parks’ arrest triggered a massive year-long…