Going Green
“This is not normal.” “Unprecedented.” “Not here in Portland!” I heard these often during our record-breaking heat in July this year.
Can you imagine that this is likely to have been one of the coolest summers of the rest of your life? Rather than being a stable new normal, it’s actually the beginning of worsening heat waves. Even with action to reduce emissions, we must prepare for triple-digit summers and less winter snow in our mountains.
This is not something that will go away if we ignore it. But humans are ingenious and resourceful. We can each do something. Together we can make a safer future.
Start small: plant a tree, eat less meat, go to the store by bike, or enroll in renewable electricity through your utility.
Think bigger: purchase a portable induction electric burner (for under $100), switch from a gas-burning car to a used EV, reduce your air travel, join the Oregon Community Solar Program, or buy those solar panels that you’ve been considering.
What we do together really counts: support and vote for climate champions, join a climate organization like Mobilizing Climate Action Together (MCAT-climate.org) or Oregon League of Climate Voters (OLCV.org), and participate through a faith community, like Oregon Interfaith Power & Light (tinyurl.com/2wrwd88z).
When we all pitch in, a little can go a long way and truly make a difference. Yes, we can make a better future for our children!”
Joe, married to Kathleen, is a proud grandfather and retired rural family physician; he also worked for nine years as a palliative doctor at Legacy Emanuel. The child of a diplomat, he lived in several countries in his youth. Climate activism with the Metro Climate Action Team, cycling, gardening, and yoga keep him busy.