Climate Justice
Frontline communities bear the brunt of health, economic and ecological impacts as a result of climate change. Let's demand climate justice!
What we are doing
We are engaging with allies and communities most impacted by the hardships of a changing climate. Together we strive to ensure a regenerative economy with full access to renewable energy, clean air and water, valued jobs and healthy living environments.
Projects
Fumes In Focus
Our new report and a brilliant, new documentary shed light on the often-overlooked impact of gas stoves on indoor air quality. In the video, you can see the invisible pollution with footage captured by a Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) GF320 camera. The camera detects plumes of toxic chemicals emitted into the air of indoor living spaces by gas stoves. It's time to reveal the unseen and debunk the myths consumers have been sold by the natural gas industry. We must prioritize the air we breathe every day! Learn more
Resources:
Read the Beyond Toxics report, Fumes in Focus: Visualizing Air Pollution From Gas Stoves (PDF)
See the documentary, Fumes In Focus (YouTube)
Gas Station Moratorium
Beyond Toxics advocates for a ban on the construction of new gas stations in Eugene. Existing gas stations pose a threat to human and environmental health and undermine state and local efforts to reduce fossil fuels. Building new gas stations is simply not necessary. Every Eugene resident can already reach one of the city’s 56 gas stations in a five-minute drive or less. Learn more
Resources:
Read the Beyond Toxics report, Beneath The Pump: The Threat of Petroleum Contamination (PDF)
Read related blog, "Pump to Progress: Ending the Legacy of Gas Station Contamination" by Nate Wilson, Beyond Toxics LUST/UST Data Analysis Intern
Bethel Clean Energy Project
The Bethel Clean Energy Project is an innovative pilot initiative that focuses on making clean energy technologies accessible to Bethel residents. Our mission is to collaborate directly with neighborhood residents, to research and identify the best options for implementing free or low-cost clean energy home improvements! Learn more. Learn more
Our current projects:
Beyond Toxics is sounding the alarm about the urgent health risks associated with the use of gas stoves in your home. | ALSO: Read more about our Bethel Clean Energy Project
Read the Beyond Toxics Report, Seeing is Believing: Visualizing Indoor Air Pollution from Gas Stoves (PDF)
Restoring the Climate Protection Program
The Climate Protection Program (CPP) puts the health and safety of Oregon communities and local economies first. We are calling for the restoration of the CPP because it will reduce pollution from Oregon’s largest oil and gas companies and create a large community fund that will go directly to environmental justice (EJ) communities. Learn more
JOIN US
Join us on Tuesday, July 30th at 5:30 p.m. for a free, virtual conversation about the Climate Protection Program (CPP). Learn how the CPP can equitably address climate change by centering environmental justice communities, including people of color, low-income families, seniors, folks with disabilities, and those living in rural and coastal regions who experience climate change first and worst. | REGISTER
Lane Climate Equity and Resilience Task Force
VICTORY! The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt the Community Climate Resilience Plan!
For the past two years, we worked with the Lane County Climate Equity & Resilience Task Force to bring local communities into the planning process of the Lane County Community Climate Resilience Plan. On Tuesday, Dec. 13th the Board of Commissioners officially voted “YES” to adopt the plan! We are excited about the HUGE advancement Lane County made on climate resilience!
Beyond Toxics joined with NAACP to coordinate public participation in this new initiative in Lane County, Oregon. Supporting Partners: Lane County Public Works Department and GEOS Institute. Learn more
Environmental Justice Pathways Summit
The first Environmental Justice Pathways Summit at the University of Oregon was originally scheduled for April of 2020. We made the decision to postpone the EJP Summit to Spring of 2021. To help our community members stay engaged in the movement to achieve environmental justice, we developed the EJP Webinar Series, focusing on the Historical Intersections of Race, Economy, and Environment in Oregon. These webinars prioritized the most pressing Environmental Justice concerns impacting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, Native American communities, and Latinx communities in Oregon. The webinar series also highlighted ways to engage and collaborate on solutions to Oregon’s environmental justice issues. Learn more
ALSO: Read "Organizing for Environmental Justice" by Haley Case-Scott, former Climate Justice Grassroots Organizer and Environmental Justice Pathways Webinar Coordinator
all of us together, to demand changes.”
Further Reading
Read the latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), "Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability."
Interview with Haley Case-Scott about the efforts of the Lane Climate Equity and Resilience Task Force on Jefferson Public Radio (9/29/21)
Governor Brown signs executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI)
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