Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

More than a decade ago, Oregon began putting laws on the books to limit global warming pollution, but every time a bill is proposed to cap carbon emissions while growing a clean economy and job market, it has been blocked or gutted by major polluters' clout. This year, the state legislature is once again considering a Clean Energy Jobs Bill. Click here to read Oregon PSR's suggested changes to the bill.

Since 2017, Oregon PSR has been working with many other organizations on a campaign to end Portland’s cooperation with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), a program of cooperation between local law enforcement and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and others. Human and legal rights groups such as the ACLU assert that JTTF collaboration does nothing to improve overall community safety and, in fact, by profiling and targeting vulnerable communities, it makes individuals feel less safe to report crimes or concerns.

Maxine Fookson, RN, MN (pictured here), a member of Oregon PSR's Peace Work Group, will provide the following testimony at Portland City Hall today to encourage an end to Portland's contract with the JTTF:

Oregon PSR is committed to advancing health protective bills and stopping harmful legislation during the 2019 Oregon State Legislative Session, which began on January 22nd and will end by June 29. Take a look at our ever-evolving agenda for the Oregon Legislature and contact our lobbyist if you would like to learn more and/or help us pass these important pieces of legislation. 

Sign the petition to Oregon's State Legislature encouraging them to adopt Senate Joint Memorial 5, which urges Congress to lead global effort to reduce threat of nuclear war.

A growing coalition of groups from across the state has unveiled Oregon’s Green New Deal, a bold new proposal for climate action and economic justice. The Oregon Just Transition Alliance has gathered support for the proposal from Portland African American Leadership Forum, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, NAACP of Lane County, PCUN, Beyond Toxics, Unite Oregon, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Rogue Climate, and many more. With less than 12 years remaining to stop the most catastrophic climate change scenarios, these groups recognize that Oregon currently has a unique opportunity to adopt bold climate policies that center and uplift those who are most impacted by climate change.

Since 2017, Oregon PSR has been working with many other organizations on a campaign to end Portland’s cooperation with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  The JTTF is a program of cooperation between local law enforcement and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and others.

Did you know? Northwest Innovation Works (NWIW), a fossil fuel company owned by the Chinese government, wants to build the world's largest fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery in Kalama, WA and ship the methanol to China. It would pollute the equivalent of 1.2 million cars, use millions of gallons of water from the Columbia River each day, contaminate the air with cancer-causing emissions, and has a high chance of exploding during an earthquake. The refinery would use more gas than all Pacific Northwest cities combined and would require massive expansion of new fracked-gas pipelines throughout the region.

Last night's election was a huge victory for our community and for a more healthy and just Oregon. The two ballot measures that Oregon PSR has been working on tirelessly for months went our way, with the Portland Clean Energy Initiative passing and the anti-immigrant Measure 105 being resoundingly defeated. With your help, we brought the voice of public health to the hard-working, diverse coalitions working on both of these ballot measures. Thanks so much to all of you who have donated your time and money, knocked on doors, made phone calls, written letters, and otherwise been involved in these efforts!

Portland is awash in a toxic stew that is impacting the elderly, vulnerable and particularly children with particulate exposure that causes everything from dementia to lower IQ and attention deficits.

A major cause is diesel fuel, found in heavy concentrations in SE Portland’s Brooklyn Railyards, along highways and within local streets.

"Global climate change is the biggest public health emergency of our time. Air pollution and greenhouse gases present both immediate and indirect harm to people living across the globe, especially those who already are experiencing discrimination or economic hardship.

The science is clear: we must stop mining and fracking for coal, oil and gas and rapidly transition to clean energy to preserve a healthy, life-sustaining planet.

Investing in untested small modular nuclear reactor projects, as the U.S. Department of Energy just did with Oregon's NuScale Power to the tune of $40 million, is not a part of that transition. Nuclear power has never been and never will be clean energy."