Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

On November 7th, National PSR hosted the Visionary Leaders Awards Reception and Symposium in Washington, DC. The awards recognize individuals and organizations for their exemplary efforts in advancing nuclear weapons abolition and addressing environmental risks to human health, including the catastrophic consequences caused by climate change, through collaborations that strengthen PSR’s mission.

Among this year’s honorees were Kelly Campbell, Executive Director of Oregon PSR, and Regna Merritt, our recently retired Healthy Climate Program Director. Kelly was also a panelist at an afternoon symposium of Women Leaders on Nuclear Disarmament and Climate Disruption.

On November 13th, 2019, Portland City Council adopted two resolutions in support of peace and diplomacy. Introduced by Commissioner Amanda Fritz, the first resolution puts Portland on record supporting the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the second one supports diplomacy, not war, with Iran. The resolutions were led by Oregon PSR and the American Iranian Friendship Council and supported by a broad coalition of community organizations.

“Today, we are sending the message to our representatives in Washington, and the national and international community, that the City of Portland is committed to the protection and health of human life and the environment,” explained Commissioner Amanda Fritz, the sponsor of both resolutions. “These resolutions serve as a platform for our community members to see themselves reflected in our values and priorities as a City.”

There’s a big air pollution problem in Oregon coming from the Covanta Marion waste incinerator between Salem and Woodburn, the largest industrial source of air pollution in Marion County. Right now, the state of Oregon is considering renewing a key air quality permit for Covanta Marion and is taking comments until November 18th, 2019. The proposed permit would allow the incinerator to increase their emissions of fine particulate matter, which works its way into the smallest parts of our lungs and leads to inflammation and increased chance of respiratory disease.

Take action: Tell Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to deny pollution increases at the Covanta Marion waste incinerator.

Oregon PSR expresses our tremendous appreciation for three people who substantially advanced our work over the past year.

Madison Arnold-Scerbo (above, left), our previous Program Assistant and Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow, was instrumental in developing our 2019 Greenfield Peace Writing Scholarship, working on the passage and implementation of  the Portland Clean Energy Fund, and representing us in a number of community coalitions. We are happy to keep Madison “in the movement,” as she has followed her year-long fellowship with us by joining the Union of Concerned Scientists staff as an Outreach Associate on their nuclear disarmament work. 

We are excited to welcome Maria, who started her one-year fellowship position as a Program Assistant with Oregon PSR through a collaboration with Quaker Voluntary Service in September of this year. She recently graduated from Earlham College, where she majored in Psychology and Sociology/Anthropology. Throughout her life, Maria has been involved with communities that advocate for social justice and equity. She is excited to incorporate her passion for immigrant rights and advocacy for racial and ethnic minorities into her work at Oregon PSR. Maria will be developing our 2020 Greenfield Peace Writing Scholarship project, assisting with the work of our Healthy Climate and Peace Programs, and representing us in a variety of community coalitions. Welcome, Maria!

Dear Oregon PSR Supporter,

This has been a year of transition, growth, and transformative partnerships for Oregon PSR. When I look back at the past year, I am proud to see how we’ve strengthened authentic partnership with communities most impacted by the injustices of climate chaos and nuclear weapons. At the same time, we’ve had more elected officials reaching out to us for our input on policy, as well as more health professionals finding a home for their activism within Oregon PSR. In the face of the overwhelming challenges of our times, I am convinced that Oregon PSR has a critical role to play in building movements for a healthy future.

As 2019 nears an end, the call for action to address climate change has never felt clearer. Worldwide, July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded. We heard the anguish of storm-battered island communities and despaired as huge sections of Brazilian rainforest — the lungs of our earth —burned at the hands of a far-right regime. Southern Oregonians and Southwest Washingtonians live with the frightening possibility of massive fracked gas projects in their communities. In response to these and other threats to our climate, tens of thousands took to the streets in September as young people throughout our region joined Swedish youth climate activist Greta Thunberg in striking for a livable future for all.

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility has released a fifteen-page report outlining the reasons why the Columbia Generating Station (CGS) nuclear power plant on the banks of the Columbia River in Eastern Washington must have a plan for decommissioning within the next 5 to 15 years. The CGS is a 35-year-old General Electric boiling water reactor similar to the one that melted down in Fukushima, Japan in 2011. Nuclear reactors of this type have never operated for longer than 50 years, and as reactors get older, the chances rise of a failure due to wear-out as well as increased costs from maintenance needs as parts get older and require replacement and repair.

It is with great pleasure that Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility announces our twelfth annual Greenfield Peace Writing Scholarship. Any 11th or 12th grade Oregon high school student may enter by submitting an original essay, poem, or narrative work (maximum 600 words) in response to the following question: "How would an effective movement for climate justice benefit immigrant communities?"

Did you know that many counties in Oregon will be having a special election on November 5th, 2019? Even though this isn’t a major election year, local ballot measures can make a big difference for public health and deserve your attention. Please register to vote or confirm/update your Oregon voter registration by midnight tonight (Tuesday, October 15th) to ensure that you receive your ballot and can make your voice heard.