About CGCAN

Our Mission

The Columbia Gorge Climate Action Network (CGCAN) educates, organizes and motivates Columbia Gorge activists to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel usage and climate change, at all levels from individual to global.  We encourage clean local renewable energy, conservation, community sustainability and resilience throughout our National Scenic Area.

Who We Are

IMG_0686CGCAN is a network of Oregon and Washington residents from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We are alarmed and concerned, about the political, economic and social forces causing climate change from all sources, as well as toxic pollution, energy dependence, and local unemployment due to fossil fuels. We are passionately committed to collective and strategic actions that can effectively impede fossil fuels and reduce climate change.

We love the Columbia River and its surrounding wilderness areas. It’s our home. Many of us live here because we love the Gorge environment. We respect its natural beauty and value a healthful quality of life in this region. The forces behind the climate emergency and fossil fuel pollution threaten our future here. We know this threat extends to communities throughout the world. We’re committed to save it from harm. We work with everyone in our neighborhood as educators about the climate and pollution reality. We work with policy makers as citizen-advocates of a sustainable society. Our membership draws from a rich variety of political, philosophical, technical, spiritual, and religious perspectives. We are an intergenerational group and believe that inclusiveness makes us strong.

Top Row, left to right: Jean-Michel Bock-HR, John Boonstra-HR, Peter Cornelison, HR, Michael Young-The Dalles, David Roth-WS, Eric Strid-WS, Bruce Bolme-WS, Buck Parker-Odell
Bottom Row, left to right: Andy Wade-HR, Jean Cypher-Mosier, Kate Bennett-Bingen, Cyndi Strid-WS, Ellen Donoghue-Mosier, Kalama Reuter-WS, Marianna Roberts-Mosier

Onging activities

Political Action/Direct Action

  • At the state levels, we advocate and organize popular support for effective policies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.  In 2015, we advocated for and achieved a Hood River City Council resolution recommending that the State of Oregon adopt a price on carbon pollution.  CGCAN supported an Oregon Ballot Initiative calling for ending coal electricity by 2030 and expanding the states’ renewable energy generation, which became SB1547-B, the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Plan in the 2016 legislative session.
  • At the community level, CGCAN organizes and implements direct actions, including various marches, Earth Day celebrations, and local newspaper letters to the editor.
  • At a regional level, CGCAN continues to participate with the Power Past Coal and Stand Up to Oil coalitions in resisting coal and oil train traffic in the Gorge, by preventing more coal and oil terminals.

Education/Personal Footprint

  • At the individual level, CGCAN has taught and advocated carbon footprint tracking and reductions.
  • At the community level, CGCAN organizes and implements various education activities, including teach-ins as appropriate.

Community Footprint

Divestment

  • At all levels, CGCAN advocates divestment from fossil fuels by individuals and organizations.