We all know that burning oil, gas, and coal has polluted our air, water, and land for decades – and now it’s changing the climate even faster than scientist feared it would.
On top of this, BIPOC communities are disproportionately affected by climate change and under resourced when recovering from disasters.
We know we can have healthier communities right now and a livable future for ourselves and generations to come. But to get there, we must transform the way we produce and consume energy. That’s got to start with a commitment to 100% clean, renewable energy
A 100 percent clean energy future means shifting from dirty energy to completely clean energy sources wherever and however we can. Renewable energy is abundant,
This Summer, students won a campaign for 100% clean electricity in Oregon.
Students have been working on this campaign since 2017, and last year collected thousands of petitions signatures, met with dozens of legislators, and testified calling for a 100% clean future.
The law requires Oregon energy companies to provide their customers with 100 percent clean electricity by 2040, an ambitious deadline faster than Washington and California.
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This bill takes action on climate and racial justice by establishing a 100% clean energy standard, provisions to reduce energy cost burden for low- income and people of color Oregonians, equitable workforce policies, and resources for healthier, safer, more efficient homes.1
To meet the challenge of climate change we need to power our world entirely with renewable energy and fortunately we’ve already won major victories to get there! Oregon just committed to 100% clean electricity so you plug in your laptop and phone that electricity will come from renewable energy. Now’s the best time to build on that momentum and become a 100% renewable state: with 100% renewable transportation, buildings, and companies. Imagine waking up in the winter and heating your home with renewable energy, turning on your stove powered by wind and solar, and taking an electric bus to get to campus.
Gov. Brown has taken the first step to reach this vision but if we want more bold climate action we need to show her that our generation is behind her and push her to go all the way.
We could power the nation ten times over with available wind resources, and existing solar potential provides more than 100 times our current energy needs.
Between 2009 and 2014, the cost of solar electricity in the United States fell by 78% and the cost of wind energy dropped 58%.
Major corporations including Google, Facebook, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola have committed to powering their operations entirely with renewable energy.
Standing in the way of this progress, of course, are the fossil fuel companies. Time and time again they have demonstrated their ability and willingness to block the shift to clean energy wanted by most Americans. Despite all of their hard work, we’re making progress.
We’ve been organizing to get our college campuses, cities, and states to make commitments towards 100% clean, renewable energy. By mobilizing students, faculty, campus administration, and elected officials; and demonstrating excitement in our communities for clean energy, we can and have seen results.
With record breaking wildfires raging across the state, we need to continue Oregon’s proud legacy of environmental stewardship. The Beaver State’s college and universities are national leaders in sustainability, that’s why we need to take the next step and commit to 100% renewable energy.