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Warmest January Ever Puts 2020 on Track to Be One of Top 10 Hottest Years

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It may only be February, but 2020 is already “virtually certain” to be among the 10 warmest years on record, and has nearly a 50 percent chance of being the warmest ever, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

The predictions follow a January that was the warmest ever in 141 years of record keeping, Karin Gleason, a climatologist with the National Centers for Environmental Information, said in a conference call. Global average temperatures last month were 2.05 degrees Fahrenheit (1.14 degrees Celsius) above average, slightly higher than in January 2016, the previous record-holder.

In comparing this year with previous years, Ms. Gleason said, one way to look at it is “we completed the first lap in a 12-lap race, and we are in the lead.”

“According to our probability statistics, it’s virtually certain that 2020 will rank among the top 10 years on record,” she said. Their analysis also showed a 49 percent chance of this year being the warmest ever, and a greater than 98 percent likelihood it will rank in the top five.

The forecasts are in keeping with a long-term trend of global warming that is occurring as a result of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. All of the 10 current warmest years on record have occurred since 2004, and the past five years have been the hottest five. Last year was only slightly cooler than 2016, the hottest year ever.

The record warmth in January was all the more remarkable because it occurred when the world was no longer in the midst of an El Niño event.

An El Niño, which is linked to warmer than average sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, can affect weather patterns worldwide and also lead to generally warmer temperatures. A strong El Niño during the first half of 2016, for example, contributed to the record temperatures that year.

But the latest El Niño ended last year, and ocean temperatures in the Pacific have returned to much closer to normal. “We’re in sort of new territory here with a record in a non-El Niño month,” Ms. Gleason said.

Read the following stories about record temperatures in The New York Times:
2019 Was the Second-Hottest Year Ever, Closing Out the Warmest Decade

Jan. 15, 2020

Antarctica Sets Record High Temperature: 64.9 Degrees

Feb. 8, 2020

March Temperatures in Alaska: 20 Degrees Hotter Than Usual

April 9, 2019

 

Clean Energy Jobs Bill; SB 1530

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The Democratic Party of Oregon Environmental Caucus and many other groups have worked hard on the Clean Energy Jobs bill. The current version SB 1530 has flaws but is supported with some reservation by the majority of the Executive Committee of the Caucus.  We strongly urge you to make your voice heard.

We’ve created an overview of the bill and recommendations for improvement.  Please download and share.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v16tKK6NtF_y2HWSkmupS6wI5W2LdUxs/view?usp=sharing

Main points:

  • This provides an annual declining cap (needs better targets) and mechanism to bring in money to invest in carbon reductions and climate adaptation.
  • Rural Oregon gets significant investment over 50 percent to manage fire and invest in “Natural and Working lands.”
  • Low- to moderate-income and all rural Oregonians will get a tax credit for gas prices.
  • Forest carbon emissions are 40% of Oregon’s total and are only addressed in offsets.  These items need important changes (read the handout)
  • If testifying-use personal reasons for calling for climate change action.
  • We know that this bill alone will not cut our emissions 76% by 2030 as recommended by IPCC climate scientists, so we must advocate for other legislative and administrative action next session. (a wish list is included in the handout).

TAKE ACTION:  Please take one of the actions below.

Tuesday, February 4:  Public testimony on the Cap and Trade bill, SB 1530, before the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; 3 – 5pm.  State Capitol 900 Court St NE, Hearing Room C.  Arrive early

Wednesday, February 5: Hearing before the Senate Wildfire Reduction and Recovery Committee. 1-3pm State Capitol, Hearing Room B. Read the letter we signed onto. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f_AH762iWxjFZAiGI3Sx4DMEtb_6R1ig/view?usp=sharing

Thursday, February 6: Press Conference at Renew Oregon office in Portland, 222 NW Davis, 3rd Floor, 10 AM. RSVP here!  We need to pack the room.  There will be an excellent photo opportunity with a tremendous group of children.

Renew Oregon’s “Social Media Storm” for strong climate action on Twitter and Facebook from 8am-2pm from wherever you are.  Use these hashtags #orleg #orpol #ORClimateAction

 

Hearing Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; 3 – 5pm, State Capitol, Hearing Room C.  This is the day of the Timber Unity Rally and the Oregon Public Health Association Lobby Day at the Capitol so if you plan to attend be sure to arrive early. Send testimony to senr.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov

 

Saturday, February 8: The third (and likely final) opportunity for public testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; 3-5 pm, State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301, Hearing Room C.  If you’ve been unable to attend weekday hearings, here’s your probably one and only opportunity for attending a weekend hearing.  RSVP here!  Be sure to arrive early and grab a seat when the committee room opens.

February 11: Call your Senator’s office and make an appointment for February if you’re going to Salem.  Otherwise leave a message in support of SB 1530 and climate action now using our talking points. Rally for a strong cap and invest bill on the steps of the Capitol. Noon – 1:30. RSVP here!   Bring your climate action signs, buttons, and hats!

Carpooling?  Riders and Drivers > http://bit.ly/climatecarpool

Reply if you can be a lead to make appointments for a contingent for your district.

 

Send your personalized testimony now to senr.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.  Copy your state legislators.

 

For our future,

Catherine Thomasson

Secretary, Environmental Caucus of DPO

503-819-1170

Milwaukie Becomes 1st City In Oregon To Declare A Climate Emergency

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According to OPB.org, Milwaukie is the first city in Oregon to declare a Climate Emergency.

Members of the Climate Mobilization Project are collecting signatures on our petition to encourage the Josephine County Commissioners, the Grants Pass City Council, and the Cave Junction City Council to develop Climate Emergency Plans of their own. Look for us at the upcoming Logan Will Ultimate Challenge and KS Wild’s Siskiyou FilmFest, both at Grants Pass High School, and other events throughout the year. Show our local government leaders that you are concerned about this climate emergency and want them to take action now to save the planet for our children and grandchildren.

We Need Help Collecting Signatures on our Petition for the Climate Mobilization Project

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The Environmental Caucus will be gathering signatures on our petition at two upcoming events.  The purpose of our petition is to encourage the Josephine County Commissioners, the Grants Pass City Council, and the Cave Junction City Council to declare a Climate Emergency and develop Climate Emergency Programs to do their part to reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the climate to help reduce or reverse climate change.

We will be at the Logan Will Ultimate Challenge at Grants Pass High School on Friday, January 31st, and Saturday, February 1st.  The Logan Will Ultimate Challenge is a debate tournament sponsored by the National Speech & Debate Association.  There will be between 300 and 400 entries from 20 schools.  You will have an opportunity to see the brightest and the best of our youth in action.  In fact, a new member of our caucus will be in the competition.  We will have a table and chairs, clipboards, pens, and petitions in the commons.  If we have enough help we can take turns watching the competition.

We will be at KS Wild’s Siskiyou FilmFest at the Grants Pass High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday, February 9th from 3 to 8 pm.  They always have a great lineup of nature and conservation documentaries of various lengths.  There are 10 on the schedule for this year.  Again, if we have enough help, we can take turns watching the films.

We can use your help collecting signatures on our petition at these events.  If you would like to help, call Rick Flora at 949-463-7710 or email me at rflora@rflora.com.

The Environmental Caucus will be meeting from 1:30 to 3:00 pm on Thursday, January 30th at the JoCo Dems headquarters on 7th and C streets to prepare for these events.  Please join us.

Jordan Cove Energy Project Withdraws Application For Key Oregon Permit

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Pembina has withdrawn their application for a permit to dredge Coos Bay in preparation for their planned Jordan Cove LNG Terminal.  What, on the surface, appears to be great news may just be another tactic by Pembina to get around providing information detrimental to the advancement of this project.  For more information go to the Oregon Public Broadcasting article by Liam Moriarty.

For a short discussion of the fight against the Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and the Pacific Connector Pipeline check out this excellent article by Rogue Climate’s Allie Rosenbluth.

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OrCAN and SOCAN to Discuss Climate and Agriculture in the Legislature on Friday, Jan. 24th

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Come to the Fry Family Farm in Medford to hear a presentation by Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network (OrCAN) and Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) on Climate and Agriculture in the Legislature.  The presentation will be from 4:00 to 5:30 pm on Friday, January 24, 2020.

When Oregon lawmakers convene in February of 2020 for a lightning-fast legislative session, they will reconsider state-wide policy approaches to curb Oregon’s climate pollution from our largest emitters.

Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network’s highest priority is engaging the agriculture community in advocating for a strong climate policy that recognizes the value of our farms and ranches in this fight.

Learn more about this policy and the opportunities for agriculture as part of the solution.

Oregon’s farms and ranches will play an important role in any climate change solution in Oregon. And the time is now for our legislators to step up to ensure a resilient future for Oregon.
For Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network, a successful policy must include the following:
· A limit on greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon
· Voluntary incentives for climate-friendly agricultural practices
· Investments in farmworker health and safety

They will cover:
· Up-to-date information on state-wide climate policy proposals and the opportunities for agriculture
· Q & A
· How you can get involved

For more information go to Climate and Agriculture in the Legislature.

Environmental Caucus Collects More Signatures on our Climate Emergency Mobilization Project Petition

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On December 7, 2019, the Environmental Caucus collected 43 more signatures at the Pacifica Art and Music Festival on our Climate Emergency Mobilization Project petition requesting local governments to develop climate emergency programs.  As soon as we feel we have enough signatures on our petition to demonstrate the overarching concern of the citizens of Josephine County, we will take those signatures to the Josephine County Commissioners, the Grants Pass City Council, and the Cave Junction City Council and ask them each to develop a climate emergency program, using the resources and regulatory authority available to them, that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their jurisdiction as low as possible with a goal of reaching zero emissions in 10 years or less.  This is a worldwide program.  Countries, states, provinces, counties, cities, and other governmental entities across the globe have already developed their own environmental emergency programs and are working diligently to comply with them.  We want our respective governments in Josephine County to do the same.

 

Join me and thank Vanessa Ogier, Gene Mount, Lynda Spangler, Joe Stodola, and Kathy Svendsen for giving up a large chunk of their Saturday to collect signatures on this cold, rainy day.  We were all dressed warmly, in a large tent with a central bonfire, surrounded by a great group of people.  All in all, it was a lot of fun, even though most of the people at the festival didn’t make it out to the tent, resulting in the paltry number of signatures.  Most of those that did come to the tent were very enthusiastic about signing the petition.  They see climate change as a very real, very serious problem and they want our local governments to act now.  Very encouraging!  We will be doing this several more times in 2020.  We would love to have your help collecting signatures for this very important project.  Rick Flora

Time is of the Essence! Act Now! Stop Jordan Cove!

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Climate change is not a looming threat, it is already in progress. It affects us now with changing weather patterns, adverse weather events becoming more frequent and more severe, increased wildfires, sea levels rising, and ocean waters becoming warmer and more acidic. As greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere the effects on our planet become increasingly self-perpetuating and non-reversible. What manner of world do we want to leave for our children…and their children…? Will our planet be able to sustain life as we know it? Probably not. Oh, something will thrive…something always does…but it won’t be us.

The Jordan Cove LNG Export Facility / Pacific Connector Pipeline project is just one more nail in the coffin. Sure, it will provide some good jobs for a few years during its construction and a limited number of on-going jobs after its completion. And, it will provide tax income to the State of Oregon. At what price? Is this worth hastening the evolution away from the planet as we know it? The threats to our beautiful coastline, to wildlife, and to our vital fishing industries due to increased shipping disasters as more and more shipping traffic has to cross the bar and cross the ocean with their loads of fossil fuels, often under difficult weather conditions, and the threat to the population of Coos Bay when the inevitable tsunami hits the terminal, while very real and very devastating, are nothing compared to the impact that this and projects like it will have on our climate and the health of our planet.

We need to say “No!” to Jordan Cove LNG Export Facility / Pacific Connector Pipeline project. The review process has gone through numerous stages. It hasn’t been blessed with the final “Okay!” yet, but it hasn’t been stopped yet either. It is not too late to let your representatives know what you think, but time is running out. Some of our representatives are in favor of the project, some against it, and some are sitting on the fence and have not yet voiced an opinion. It’s time to let them know how important this is to you and to the future of our planet.

Here is a link to the comments submitted by Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) to
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) during the public comment period prior to their review of the feasibility of the Jordan Cove LNG Export Facility / Pacific Connector Pipeline project. Read them! Educate yourself! Send them to your representatives along with your own comments.

These are your representatives. They represent you! Voice your opinion!

Oregon Governor Kate Brown (D)
Address: State Capitol Bldg., 900 Court St. NE, Suite 254, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503)378-3111
Fax: (503)378-8970

US Senator Jeff Merkley (D)
Washington, DC
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3753
Fax: (202) 228-3997
Medford, Oregon
10 South Bartlett Street, Ste. 201
Medford, OR 97501
Phone: (541) 608-9102

US Senator Ron Wyden (D)
Washington, DC
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C., 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5244
Fax: (202) 228-2717
Medford, Oregon
Federal Courthouse
310 West 6th St., Room 118
Medford, OR, 97501
Phone: (541) 858-5122

US CD2 Representative Greg Walden (R)
Washington, DC
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6730
Fax: (202) 225-5774
Medford, Oregon
14 N. Central Ave., Suite 112
Medford, OR 97501
Phone: (541) 776-4646
Fax: (541) 779-0204

US CD4 Representative Peter DeFazio (D)
Washington, DC
2134 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6416
Roseburg, Oregon
612 S.E. Jackson St., Room 9
Roseburg, OR 97470
Phone: (541) 440-3523
Fax: (541) 465-6458

Oregon SD1 Senator Dallas Heard (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-316, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-1701

Oregon SD2 Senator Herman Baertschiger (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-323, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 986-1702

Oregon HD1 Representative David Brock Smith (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-379, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 986-1401

Oregon HD2 Representative Gary Leif (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-386, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 986-1402

Oregon HD3 Representative Carl Wilson (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-395, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 986-1403

Oregon HD4 Representative Duane A. Stark (R)
Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-372, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 986-1404

Thank You! from Rogue Climate for Comments Submitted Opposing Jordan Cove / LNG

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I want to share with you a message of thank you from Rogue Climate to all of you who submitted comments opposing the Jordan Cove Terminal and the Pacific Connector LNG Pipeline.

“Dear [concerned citizen],

More than 42,000 Oregonians attended a hearing or submitted comments to  the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging them to deny permits for Jordan Cove LNG for a third and final time.

Comments came from landowners, tribal members, anglers and crabbers, youth, and many other community members.

As a result of the pressure our communities have continued to apply, the Jackson County Commissioners and the State of Oregon submitted strong comments in opposition to the Jordan Cove LNG project. They highlighted major concerns from the additional fire risk the project poses, to the lack of a climate-impact analysis.

Click here for an overview of their comments, and some of the notable comments that were submitted to FERC by people just like YOU.

Together, we are going to beat this thing once and for all, but it will take us all continuing to show up. Thank you for making our voices heard once again. We will be in touch about next steps to keep up the pressure.

Onward,

Hannah”

Rogue Climate

HB2020 to be voted on by the Oregon House on Monday, June 17th

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This cap and trade bill will have a very positive impact on getting greenhouse gases under control in Oregon.  This is a big step toward slowing down climate change.  Email your State Representative now and implore him, or her, to vote yes on HB2020.  It doesn’t matter whether he is a Democrat or a Republican, he represents you, he’s your Representative.  Tell him how you feel.  Be polite!  Be persuasive!  Tell him climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time!  Tell him we must act now!  Tell him to vote yes on HB2020!

If it passes the Oregon House, then it will go to the Senate for a vote.  Then, you must email your State Senator and implore him to vote yes on HB2020!

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