Come On In, the Water’s Fine!

I know you’re slammed with work, debt and episodes of Downton Abbey to catch up on. And I know you feel like an eco-hypocrite jetting to see Grandma and coral reefs before they disappear. Me, too. But if your political inaction on climate change stems mostly from not knowing how to make a difference, Bill McKibben just issued his Tarzan call for your help.

In Vancouver, Wash., last week in preparation for this Saturday’s Summer Heat Columbia River Climate Action, the author and co-founder of 350.org energized a sold-out crowd at Clark College, connecting the dots between climate chaos and plans to transform the Pacific Northwest into a massive fossil fuel export corridor.

“This area has emerged as this great choke point,” McKibben said, “a place where either you’ll open the flood gates to coal and oil and natural gas streaming out of the interior of North America … or you’ll say no.”

For those too busy combing Oregon’s beaches to follow the fuss, here are the nitty (and very) gritties on some of 15 projects looming: Big Coal wants four terminals along the Columbia to speed coal to Asia. Big Gas is eyeing a terminal in Warrenton and 200 miles of new, high-pressure liquified natural gas pipelines through Oregon and Washington. And Big Oil drools over plans for an immense Vancouver terminal that would move 380,000 barrels of crude oil daily from trains onto ships bound mainly for West Coast refineries.

That’s a lot of toxic filth coursing along fragile waterways. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find politicians’ vague promises of Northwest “disaster-readiness” reassuring. I may forget what I ate for breakfast this morning, but images of the oil train explosion that killed 50 in Quebec two weeks ago are burned into my memory as is recent footage of Keystone oil spewing through an Arkansas neighborhood. And even if we were willing to surrender our rivers and coastline to enrich fossil fuel corporations — several of them foreign — there’s that pesky issue of global warming: Carbon output from the proposed new dirty energy projects triples that of the Keystone pipeline.

But, wait — good news! PNW activists — those feisty mountain-biking, tech-savvy latte lovers — are rising, fast, with a resounding NO.

This is where you come in. Eugene and Corvallis folks are loading up kayaks and baby joggers for Saturday’s protest. Boaters will span the Columbia, drawing the “line in the water” under the I-5 bridge, which will in turn be lined with people carrying banners and signs. Organizers at Portland Rising Tide say the blockade is symbolic and civil disobedience will not be part of this family-friendly event.

Addressing those hesitant to jump into activism, McKibben said, “What’s radical are the oil companies … If you are taking the one atmosphere we have on the one planet we have, and changing its chemical composition in ways scientists have told you will be ruinous … then you’re engaged in a more radical act than any human being that’s come before you. Our job is to … check that radicalism. And one of those places we will check that is here in the Northwest. There’s just no way to affordably get that stuff out unless they can do it through your backyards, and if they can’t, then they won’t be drilling and mining and digging it up, at least in the same quantities. So you play a really important role.”

Pointing to the rejection of three proposed coal terminals, victories he attributed to “unprecedented opposition,” McKibben said, “I think we’re going to win many of these fights along the PNW. I can’t promise we’ll win the overall fight, but I can promise there will be a peaceful . . . determined fight. It’s a great privilege to fight shoulder to shoulder with you all.”

My family’s going. Wanna join us? — Mary DeMocker

Getting It Together

• Political art in the park sign-making, carpool planning, from 7 to 8:30 pm Thursday, July 25, at University Park, 24th and University.

• Eugene carpool convoy leaves at 7:45 am Saturday, July 25, at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive. Park all day.

• Corvallis bike ride to the action Friday, July 26, to Wilsonville light rail station. Email leonard.higgins@leobel.net.

• Corvallis Bio-bus leaves at 7:45 am Saturday, July 27. See brownpapertickets.com/event/422322

• The Columbia River Climate Action has 10 am workshops, 12:30 pm speakers, 1:30 pm action. Meet at Vancouver Landing west of 100 Columbia St., in Vancouver. RSVP to joinsummerheat.org/pdx.

• To meet up with 350Corvallis and 350Eugene bridge marchers, go to 350corvallis.org/actions/summer-heat-pdx.

• Contact in Corvallis is tokrispaul@yahoo.com. In Eugene, email marydemocker@gmail.com.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!