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Fortunately, in Oregon thanks to the leadership of great representatives like Ben Cannon, we put the moratorium protecting our territorial sea (beach to 3 nautical miles) back in place thru 2020. This was supported by a range of business', conservation groups, and fishing organizations, and passed the legislature with bi-partisian support in February of this year. On top of that along the West Coast our Senators and Representatives have the political will to ensure that a spill of the nature never happens in our federal waters (3- 200 nautical miles). This piece of legislation is know as the West Coast Moratorium.

From the Press Release:“We are united in the principle that no oil drilling should occur off our shores,” said Senator Merkley.  “The Oregon Legislature has acted to stop drilling off the coast up to three miles but they can only do so much.  It is up to us in Congress to protect coastal jobs and Oregon beaches.”

Tell the President and your electeds to permanently restore the federal offshore drilling now! Take action here: http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1727

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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I was under the impression that OPB "Think Out Loud" was meant to be a platform for respectful, and thoughtful dialogue. If this was the case, why did they invite the very rude Stephen Joseph to contribute? What a wanker! Clearly as Senator Hass pointed out, this guy is payed heavily by the plastic industry. Interesting how he contradicted himself by acknowledging that plastic bags are a problem in the beginning, and then wouldn't answer the direct question when asked about it later. 

Very disappointed that OPB chose to interview a very rude pro-plastic lobbyist, and an out of state supporter rather than highlighting the great work that some of the local groups are doing on this issue like Willamette Riverkeepers, Recycling Advocates, and The Surfrider Foundation. The NW Grocers Association actually gets it, they should have been on there.

Sorry OPB, I know you are doing a pledge drive, but I can't justify giving you a contribution with the biased reporting and lack of good moderation on this common sense issue...

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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Ban the Bag!!!

Single use plastic grocery bags are a major environmental issue, I'm glad to see that it's finally getting it's due attention via common sense legislation. Last year in Oregon, consumers used 39 million single use plastic grocery bags, which required 150,000 barrels of oil to produce. Yet sadly, less than 5% of these bags are ever fully recycled. You see them everywhere, on the streets, in our lakes & rivers, on the beaches, and in the ocean. These plastic bags never fully bio-degrade. Plastic bags are harmful to seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals and frequently result in death.

Some say that Recycling is the answer, but the important thing to remember is to Reduce, Reuse, and then Recycle...in that order. 

The Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has been working hard over the past few years to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of plastics. The Chapter has collected over 5,000 petition signatures in support of a ban on single use plastic bags, sign the on-line petition here: http://www.surfrider.org/banthebag The Chapter has also built a coalition of 47 business', organizations, and neighborhood associations in support of this effort. Portland Chapter as well as the Newport Chapter, partnered with SOLV last year during the annual spring and fall beach cleanups to distribute over 2,000 reusable bags to cleanup participants.

For us, the replacement of plastic with paper is not the way to go. Instead we are promoting and encouraging the use of reusable cloth bags, many grocery stores will even give you a discount on your groceries for doing so! Maui & Kaui Counties, San Francisco, Manhattan Beach, Malibu, Los Angeles, Edmunds (WA), Outer Banks (NC), Washington D.C., Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai, Ireland, China, Tanzania, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, South Africa, and Bangladesh have all passed policies aimed at reducing the use of plastic bags. If these places can do it, Oregon should too and reaffirm it's position as an environmental leader to become the first state in the nation to do so. The clock is ticking on our sesquicentennial, the legislature should pass this common sense piece of legislation with bi-partisian sponsorship from Senator Hass and Senator Atkinson. 

Gus Gates

Oregon Policy Coordinator- Surfrider Foundation

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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