Beyond Toxics initiated the Save Oregon’s Bees Campaign in 2012 in partnership with local bee keepers. As a result we've been able to provide information to the City of Eugene about how the use of pesticides are harming our pollinators and presenting risks to children and families in parks.
Walking The Path to Environmental Victory in Oregon
I’m writing this from the inner sanctum of the State Capitol building, where in only three days, Beyond Toxics supporters will join me talk with elected leaders to discuss better pest management policy, more tracking and accountability and, as a result, pesticide reduction.
What’s our goal? A healthier world. How are we going to do it? Show up, speak up and work for change.
Social Change Requires Heart
On this Valentine’s Day of affection, I want to express my gratitude to our members and volunteers. Knowing that you care keeps me traveling back and forth to the State Legislature to talk to elected leaders about pesticide use reduction.
"Not in OUR Back Yard!"
It is the annual Martin Luther King Celebration at South Eugene High School, and Beyond Toxics has been invited to speak. It’s 9:00 in the morning, and I’m standing in front of the first of three groups that I will reach out to today. About 20 expressionless faces gawking up at me. Blank stares.
Refusing to be a corporate throw-away community
Our groundbreaking work centers on bringing the voices of Oregonians to the forefront of policy reform. We help people who want to speak “ground-truthing” to power; in other words, using their real experiences to expose corporate financed and secret backroom deals that allow industry polluters to mislead and harm the public.
Eugenians for Clean Air
Sometimes when I think about our Environmental Justice project, I think about the communities we are working with - West Eugene. And then I think to myself, is it really only West Eugene we are speaking about here? I mean, if you think about it, air certainly doesn’t stay within neighborhood boundaries.
Coal trains and beloved local spots
The coal industry wants us to believe that coal exports are inevitable, and that supporting continued mining and burning coal is our destiny. I would argue that a beautiful community and renewable energy future is our destiny, and obsolete coal is the doom and desperation of Big Dirty Coal.
Sighing with Delight…Over Honey!
Smooth and succulent. Translucent colors, amber and smoke. Made me pause and sigh with delight. Like a wine tasting, but without the alcohol. I’m talking honey tasting!
Victory for small (and honest) non-profits in the battle against the giant (and manipulative) coal industry!
In spring of this year, Beyond Toxics submitted a Public Records Request to the Port of Coos Bay to learn the details of plans to haul coal through Eugene for export to nations in the Far East? Remember that they demanded $22,000 to get what should be public information? If that wasn’t enough, the Port of Coos Bay tacked on a long list of intrusive questions, demanding the disclosure of our members’ names and addresses.
Stopping coal: A renewed moral imperative
I want to be clear: I am not against trains (I often travel by passenger train)! I am, however, critical about using our rail system to haul coal to coastal ports and then load the coal and ship it off to Asian destinations.
