Climate Caminata: Dedicated marchers cross Oregon to fight for action on climate change ; WILL YOU HELP?

[SCG Sustainable Cottage Grove]

Marchers walk from Medford to Salem to Protest LNG Pipelines and the Jordan Cove Export Terminal in Coos Bay

Please show them your support and offer your hospitality when they come through Cottage Grove

Potluck dinner Wed. March 23rd in Cottage Grove ; lodging needed for 30 people

To just about anyone paying attention, there is an ever growing urgency that action must be taken immediately in order to address the climate crisis that we most certainly face.  While the effects of climate change are apparent now and will only increase in severity over time, the only responsible course is to reduce our contribution to climate change in order to reduce those impacts.  And one such action is to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and increase our usage of renewable energy.  Increasing extraction of natural gas by fracking and then sending that gas through pipelines to export terminals is going in the opposite direction of where we need to go.

All that said, we would like to call attention to a group of dedicated individuals willing to “walk the talk” by journeying across Oregon to raise awareness of the climate crisis and to protest the development of LNG pipelines and an export terminal in Coos Bay.

Please see the announcement below describing the “climate caminata” happening this month.  If you have any questions, please contact Joyce Cameron at dun...@gmail.com or call 541-767-0812 for more information.  

Please consider offering lodging for some of these good folks as they come through Cottage Grove.  Or share a meal with them on the Weds (3/23) potluck.  Or put on some good shoes and walk part of the way with them as they head North to Eugene.

In solidarity,

Rob, Beth, and Richard for 

Sustainable Cottage Grove

---------- Forwarded message ----------

CAMINATA - A caminanta is an intentional walk, often practiced in Latin America, for the purpose of demonstrating and mobilizing resistance to injustice.  A group from the Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ plans to walk/bike/bus from Medford to Salem during Holy Week, March 20-27, in opposition to the threat of Oregon coastal export terminals and the liquified natural gas pipeline proposed to run 232 miles from Malinn to Coos Bay.  To quote: “Oregon state and the global warming crisis cannot tolerate more infrastructure development for natural gas exports extracted by fracking.”

First Presbyterian Church has been asked to be a part of this endeavor by hosting up to 30 marchers the night of Wednesday, March 23.  As an Earth Care congregation, the Earth & Social Justice Committee voted to support the march and with session approval to welcome and support the marchers with a potluck dinner on Wednesday evening and finding accommodations for the night.  The march is covered by insurance and will be responsibly supervised.

The Caminata schedule is to begin on Sunday, March 20 in Medford.  From there the participants will arrive in Shady Cove, to Myrtle Creek, Roseburg, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Corvallis, and finish on Easter in Salem.  There will be a rally on Monday, March 28 at the Capitol to deliver a message to Governor Brown.  A part of the message will read:

“We would like to meet with the governor to express our commitment, rooted in our faith, to the sacredness of the creation and the need for Oregon to deny this project and instead support clean energy jobs and a healthy climate.  To act justly we need to act collaboratively to keep the carbon in the ground.  This is one way we can.  We journey non-violently in solidarity with the dignity and sovereignty of people all over the world struggling for access to earth, water , and clean air in the face of corporate greed and power.”

The dinner on Wednesday evening will be open to the public.  FEAST and Sustainable CG have been asked to partner with us in hosting the marchers.  What we need are people willing to provide food for the potluck on Wednesday evening and hosts to sleep one or more of the marchers.  There will be sign-up sheets in Friendship Hall or call Joyce Cameron, 541-767-0812 for more information.  

This gathering will be an intergenerational, interfaith event with a broad coalition of support as people walk to defend the planet against carbon pollution.  It is time to take a stand before it is too late.  The survival of our planet is in our hands.   Please join us  Wednesday evening.