It's time to end the era of fossil fuels!
On Sunday, June 11, join a land and water action at Cathedral Park in Portland to demonstrate our community’s resistance to harmful and dangerous fossil fuels.
Portland is coming together with organizations and activists across the country to mobilize against local and national fossil fuel development. Join dozens of local groups on June 11 to rally against Zenith Energy and the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub and call out President Biden for breaking his climate policies. We'll start with a kayaktavism training in the morning, then hop in kayaks and hit the river to stand up to Zenith! Not up for kayaking? We’ve got you covered! We’ll have several ways to participate on land, including making some art for the cause.
- What: Paddle Zenith Out of Portland: Land and Water Rally to End the Era of Fossil Fuels
- When: Sunday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: Cathedral Park: 6635 N Baltimore Ave.
Background
We are tired of broken promises from leaders who are supposed to protect our climate and our community's public health and safety. Frontline communities and global scientists have been abundantly clear – we cannot avoid the very worst impacts of the climate crisis if we allow for any more fossil development. Political leaders know this, yet they choose to side with fossil fuel companies time and again. We say ENOUGH. It’s time to End the Era of Fossil Fuels.
To turn up the heat we are participating in a national week of action to demand President Biden use his executive powers to declare a climate emergency and demand Portland City Council rescind their approval of Zenith’s dangerous oil trains. In other words, we are mobilizing to Paddle Zenith Out of Portland, and we'd love for you to join us. Columbia Riverkeeper is partnering with a dozen other local groups for a fun, powerful, vibrant, and family-friendly land and water rally. We'll have some kayaks available for folks to use (but if you have any kind of watercraft, we encourage you to bring it), and together we'll demonstrate our people power and determination to Stop Zenith! There will be a brass band, kayaktivism training, speakers, screen printing, art builds, and much more.
Our local and national leaders have promised us they would address the climate crisis. But President Biden has approved more lease sales for new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters than Trump. And his administration has approved new oil and gas projects.
Locally, Portland City Council has made similar promises that have fallen short. Last fall, the City Council went against the demands of neighborhood associations, Multnomah County Commissioners, state legislators, and environmental and community organizations when they approved fossil fuel company Zenith Energy’s request to continue transporting crude oil through Portland neighborhoods.
The Pacific Northwest has demonstrated our people-powered climate movement before—on land and on water—and it's time to do it again! We know with enough people we can show that our collective power is more influential than the backdoor influence from fossil fuel companies.
This is an event you don't want to miss!
