Forward Oregon

I’m so excited! And so should you be because next Friday, April 11th at 4:30 p.m., U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley will be at the Lucky Lab located at 1945 NW Quimby in Portland discussing the environment and having a beer. This is an excellent way to celebrate Earth Month — with someone who has fought tirelessly for the environment in the Oregon Legislature, enacting many substantial and progressive environmental laws. A few remarkable examples include: increasing the fees that big air polluters face (to help discourage polluting in the first place), creating new recycling programs for water bottles, computers and televisions, protecting our beach estuaries, insisting that by 2025 25% of Oregon’s energy be renewable, and demanding that our greenhouse gas emissions decrease significantly; to be 75% lower than the 1990 emission rate by 2050. If you think that list is impressive, you should come meet Merkley!

Here is the clever video invite for the Green Collar Happy Hour:

I’m definitely attending, I hope to see you there!

Speaker Jeff Merkley earned the endorsement of the Sierra Club today, the most progressive and active conservation group in the country. The endorsement of the 24,000 member strong Seirra Club is a recognition of Merkley’s role as one of the great stewards of the environment in Oregon’s history. Coming just days after SEIU’s endorsement, this is a windfall for Merkley, securing the support of yet another of the most progressive groups in the country.

Why did Merkley win this crucial endorsement? Ask Ivan Maluski, Conservation Coordinator for the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club:

“Speaker Merkley has been a champion for the environment and Oregon’s economy, passing legislation that has created economic opportunity, benefits to consumers, and green jobs that are tackling the greatest environmental challenge of our time - global climate change”

“Gordon Smith has been inconsistent and unreliable, often walking in lock-step with the Bush administration. He’s been swayed by
big oil companies, timber industry cash, and destructive mining interests.Oregonians value clean air, clean water, and the precious natural resources that boost Oregon’s quality of life, and we all deserve a U.S. Senator who will protect and fight for these values”

Maluski is referring to the amazingly progressive 2007 session where key legislation was passed to protect the environment. Speaker Merkley shepherded the contentious Measure 49 through the House which protected Oregon’s special places from gravel pits, subdivisions, and big box stores. The Renewable Energy Standard that requires 25% of our energy to be from renewables by 2025 and an aggressive biofuels package also passed under Merkley’s watch to position Oregon as a leader in combating global warming. These are just three of the big legislative accomplishments from a session Oregon League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Jonathan Poisner described saying:

More positive pro-environment bills became law in 2007 than in the period from 1991-2005 combined.

More than just his past stewardship, Merkley has by far the best environmental platform for the future. Look at the language Merkley in uses in his platform, connecting the environment with jobs, improving the economy, and fiscal savings. For so long Republicans have tried to created a false choice between saving the environment, and saving the economy and peoples jobs. Jeff Merkley destroys that false dichotomy.

The Sierra Club is just the latest progressive organization to get on board with Jeff Merkley. They like so many other Oregonians realize that the best way to protect our environment is by ditching the failed policies of George Bush and Gordon Smith. The Sierra Club recognizes that Jeff Merkley is the best person to not only beat Gordon Smith but undo his disastrous policies.

Technorati Tags: Jeff Merkley, Sierra Club, OR-Sen, Environment,

Speaker Jeff Merkley earned the endorsement of the Sierra Club today, the most progressive and active conservation group in the country. The endorsement of the 24,000 member strong Seirra Club is a recognition of Merkley’s role as one of the great stewards of the environment in Oregon’s history. Coming just days after SEIU’s endorsement, this is a windfall for Merkley, securing the support of yet another of the most progressive groups in the country.
Why did Merkley win this crucial endorsement? Ask Ivan Maluski, Conservation Coordinator for the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club:

“Speaker Merkley has been a champion for the environment and Oregon’s economy, passing legislation that has created economic
opportunity, benefits to consumers, and green jobs that are tackling the greatest environmental challenge of our time - global climate
change”

“Gordon Smith has been inconsistent and unreliable, often walking in lock-step with the Bush administration. He’s been swayed by
big oil companies, timber industry cash, and destructive mining interests.Oregonians value clean air, clean water, and the precious natural resources that boost Oregon’s quality of life, and we all deserve a U.S. Senator who will protect and fight for these values”

Maluski is referring to the amazingly progressive 2007 session where key legislation was passed to protect the environment. Speaker Merkley shepherded the contentious Measure 49 through the House which protected Oregon’s special places from gravel pits, subdivisions, and big box stores. The Renewable Energy Standard that requires 25% of our energy to be from renewables by 2025 and an aggressive biofuels package also passed under Merkley’s watch to position Oregon as a leader in combating global warming. These are just three of the big legislative accomplishments from a session Oregon League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Jonathan Poisner described saying:

More positive pro-environment bills became law in 2007 than in the period from 1991-2005 combined.

More than just his past stewardship, Merkley has by far the best environmental platform for the future. Look at the language Merkley in uses in his platform, connecting the environment with jobs, improving the economy, and fiscal savings. For so long Republicans have tried to created a false choice between saving the environment, and saving the economy and peoples jobs. Jeff Merkley destroys that false dichotomy.

The Sierra Club is just the latest progressive organization to get on board with Jeff Merkley. They like so many other Oregonians realize that the best way to protect our environment is by ditching the failed policies of George Bush and Gordon Smith. The Sierra Club recognizes that Jeff Merkley is the best person to not only beat Gordon Smith but undo his disastrous policies.

Technorati Tags: Jeff Merkley, Sierra Club, OR-Sen, Environment,